Mozambique work visa and residence permit (DIRE): the sequence, the documents and the traps

The law and who applies it

Law 23/2022 of 29 December, in force since 28 January 2023, replaced Law 5/93 and sets the regime for foreign citizens: entry, stay, exit, visas and residence. The previous regulation, Decree 108/2014 as amended by Decrees 3/2017 and 46/2022, continues to be applied to the extent compatible with the new law; as of October 2026 we could not confirm the publication of a new regulation. Visas are issued by Mozambican consulates or through the official eVisa/eTA platform; extensions, residence authorisations and inspection belong to the National Migration Service, SENAMI.

The visa categories that matter for work

Two consequences for employers. A business visa is the right tool for a prospecting trip and the wrong tool for a mobilisation: it says in the law that it does not allow work. And the work visa is tied to the employer that requested it, so a change of employer is a new file, not a transfer.

eVisa and eTA since February 2026

On 11 February 2026 Mozambique launched a new digital platform for all online visa applications, replacing the previous system. Online requests are now processed as an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) for the categories the platform admits, and the platform also handles eVisa applications and a specific category for work in oil and gas. Nationals of countries added to the visa-exempt list must obtain prior authorisation on the platform before travel, and an approved application produces a pre-authorisation letter with a barcode to show at the border.

• Check the official portal for the route that applies to the traveller’s nationality, passport and purpose; eligibility is not universal and some nationalities must apply through a consulate.
• Visa exemption for tourism or business is not an authorisation to work; the labour step and the work visa still apply.
• Do not carry over fees, deadlines or categories from the system that ran until 2025; the platform replaced it.

Documents: prepare them once, use them several times

The same documents are requested, in different combinations, by the labour authority, the consulate and SENAMI. Prepare them before the first filing.

Residence: the DIRE and its deadlines

A foreigner authorised to reside receives a residence authorisation, temporary or permanent (art. 35). The temporary authorisation, commonly called the DIRE, is valid for one year and renewable for equal periods while the reasons for it last (art. 36 no. 1); after more than ten consecutive years it gives the right to permanent residence, which is valid for five years and renewable (arts. 36 no. 3 and 37). Specific rules apply, including to investment residence authorisations: subject to article 32 nos. 4 and 5, validity is two years for projects worth at least USD 500,000 and five years for projects worth at least USD 50 million, renewable for the same period while the grounds for granting it continue. These deadlines and conditions decide whether a residence file stays alive.

• Renew before expiry. The right of residence ceases by non-renewal within 30 days of the end of validity (art. 38 no. 1 b)). That rule is a cessation ground, not an invitation to apply after expiry; prepare and file the renewal before the end of validity under the procedure in force at SENAMI.
• Absences. The right of temporary residence also ceases after an absence from the country of more than 90 days without prior written notice to the migration services; for permanent residence the period is one year (art. 38 nos. 2 and 3). Expatriates on long assignments abroad must notify before leaving.
• Changes within 30 days. Any change in identification details or personal status is notified to SENAMI within 30 days (art. 39); the employer notifies changes concerning the work visa holder (art. 27 no. 4).
• Termination within five days. When the contract ends, the employer notifies the labour authority and the provincial migration service within five days (Decree 88/2024, art. 23).

Whether a particular person needs a DIRE, and when, depends on the length and nature of the stay; confirm the stay and residence procedure with SENAMI for the specific case rather than assuming a universal sequence. The Area 1 and Area 4 projects have their own route under Decree-Law 2/2014 (art. 20): a multiple-entry business visa allowing 90-day stays for the regimes in nos. 1, 2 and 4 and, in the regimes of nos. 1 and 4, where a DIRE is legally required, an application supported by that visa and the labour notification or authorisation.

Timing and what delays it

1. Labour step: a work authorisation is decided within 15 working days by law (Decree 88/2024, art. 6); a short-term or quota notification is confirmed within five working days (arts. 12 and 19).
2. Consular step: times vary by post; applications for nationalities that must use a consulate take longer than eVisa routes.
3. Arrival: register the worker with INSS within 30 days (Decree 51/2017, art. 9), obtain the tax number and set up payroll; the employer keeps the accommodation register obligations of art. 40 in mind for staff housed in company premises.
4. Residence: file the DIRE where required, then diary the renewal well before expiry (60 days is a practical margin), so that the cessation rule of art. 38 never comes into play.

The delays that most often hold these files are not consular: they are missing legalisations on qualifications, contracts without the required clauses, and files started in the wrong province. Each can require redirection, a new filing or regularisation before the file moves.