Mozambique on an Indian Licence — No Side Switch, IDP Advised

Most pages about driving abroad for Indian visitors open with a warning about switching sides. Mozambique is the rare exception, and that single fact reshapes the whole trip.

The verdict for Indian licence holders

You can drive in Mozambique on your Indian licence, with an International Driving Permit recommended to carry alongside it. It is not always demanded, but Mozambican police and rental desks expect to see one, and it spares you a roadside argument. Arrange the IDP in India before you travel and keep it with your licence and passport.

The detail that makes this easy: no side switch

India drives on the left, and so does Mozambique. For once, there is no reflex to retrain — roundabouts flow the way you already expect, overtaking is on the side you already use, and your instinct at a junction is the right one. This matters more than any speed-limit table, because the side switch is what catches out Indian drivers in most of Africa and Europe. Here, it simply does not apply, so your attention can go to surface quality instead.

Alcohol, speeds and surfaces

Mozambique’s blood-alcohol limit is 0.06 — higher than India’s 0.03 — but that is not an invitation. Outside Maputo the roads carry pedestrians, livestock and unlit vehicles after dark, and a looser number on paper means nothing when a goat steps onto an unlit verge. Treat it as zero. Posted limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 rural, 100 on the main highway, though potholes and washed-out edges on secondary roads mean the sign is often optimistic. Drive to the road. Fuel runs around $1.12/litre, and the emergency number is 112.

Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, read the full rules on our Mozambique driving guide, and if you want to understand penalty exposure before you go, see our guide to driving fines abroad.