Mozambique’s recently launched eVisa system – part of a set of economic stimulus measures designed to improve ease of investment and boost tourism – will require several adjustments to ensure effective implementation, according to tour operators.

President Felipe Nyusi launched the electronic entry visa issuing system this week, with the platform going live on a dedicated website. The system allows online applications for tourist, business, investment, sport and culture, humanitarian and transport crew member visas.

More clarity needed

Tourism stakeholders who spoke to Tourism Update on condition of anonymity had tested the new system with mock tourist visa applications and found several problems:

• The eVisa requires tourists to state the province and district they are visiting. Very few international tourists to Mozambique would know this information, being more likely to be able to identify the city they are visiting.
• No clarity is provided about what should be filled out under ‘Vehicle ID’. Is this the vehicle registration number or make and model? If tourists are using a tour operator, they would not have these details.
• No clarity is provided on the documents that need to be uploaded to the ‘Proof of livelihood’ section.
• Site needs to be more user-friendly in general to provide more detailed information on what is required under each section.

Industry awaits other approved changes

The tourism industry in Mozambique is still waiting for additional visa changes approved under the President’s economic stimulus package to be officially gazetted.

The revisions approved in August include the transformation of a short-term tourist visa into a mixed tourism and business visa that will be valid for 90 days, rather than the current 30 days.

To facilitate ease of investment, government has also approved a reduction in the minimum amount required to apply for an investment visa, from US$50 million to $500 000. The validity period of the visa has also been extended to allow multiple entries and stays of up to two years for investment projects with a value equal to or greater than $500 000, and five years for investment projects of a value equal to or greater than $50 million or equivalent.

The addition of 72 countries to Mozambique’s visa waiver list is also yet to come into effect.