Malawi to Mozambique border crossing - Mulanje - info as of 01/08/2018
 

Hi, as we crossed into Mozambique yesterday and there seems to be a lot of misinformation online, I thought I would put our experience on this.

First, if you read The Eye magazine edited in Malawi, with tourist info, ignore anything it says. It is all wrong, including telephone numbers and emails. We tried all of them!

You CAN get the visa at the border. It is much cheaper than at the consulate in Blantyre. If you get it at the consulate in Blantyre, it costs 115 USD!

With this conversation done at the consulate we decided to get them at Mulanje border. Road is tarmac all the way. It took 2 hours to issue the visas. No hassle at all, just very slow! We paid 50$ each for the visa.

Make sure to have a yellow fever certificate as they will check it! Not sure what happens if you don’t. And we saw a couple ( South Africans I think) being refused entry by customs as they did not have correct documents or original ones, not sure exactly. With the Carnets it was simple and no custom fees.

Insurance for the bikes cost us 10$ per bike.

After the border there are about 20 kms on and off of road work. Easy to ride. After that it is all tarmac to Quelimane.
That’s all!

Great info, thanks!

I have been following your blog as I am about to ride from Gulu, Uganda to Liwonde Malawi

Update as of August 2019

I crossed this border in August 2019 , getting the visa on arrival without a problem for $50. It took 20 minutes. ( I arrived at 7am to be beat any traffic ). I had to show a print out of accommodation booked for a night in Mozambique. Did not get asked for Yellow fever certificate which was lucky as I had lost it. Temporary import for motorbike was free, issuing the TIP took another 20 minutes.


The border post further north at Entre Lagos does not issue visa on arrival , hence decision to use Mulanje border and back track north.

Took a great back dirt road north to Mutuali via Molombo, was really good in the dry, but looked like it would be a nightmare in the rainy season. 10 hours to do 325 kms in the day from Mulanje to Mutuali. Next day excellent tar road east all the way to Nampula and Ilha de Mocambique

Geeee I must of got ripped off with a smile ....Traveled from Quelimani (Moz) to Zomba in one day .I got ushered into the office and I asked them what's the cheapest alternative -ie should I use my Australian passport or British. Cracked a few jokes about the fisherman going through customs & asked if the flies on the fish had to get a visa also ....(no !!! was the reply) ....but they showed me the costs per passport and it worked out US$90 or US$95's !!!!!! I was very suprised thinking it was much cheaper but I was keen to get to Zomba before nightfall (unsuccessfully perhaps because it was Sunday!!!). Few more jokes about my army desert boots I was gone .....but as I found the local bus, I just had to wait for it to fill up ,.....the AFRICAN CHALLENGE !!