Mozambique on an Indian Licence 2026: IDP and Two Triangles
India
Mozambique
Yes, take an IDP from your Indian RTO with the licence and passport; Canada says it must be carried. Mozambique keeps left like India, the car needs two warning triangles and two vests, the alcohol limit is 0.06 and 112 is the emergency number.
Do you need an international driving permit for Mozambique? If you hold an Indian licence, treat it as a yes. Global Affairs Canada says visitors must carry one, the country has joined neither the 1949 Geneva nor the 1968 Vienna road-traffic convention. Get it before you fly, and carry it with the licence and your passport.
Where to get the permit, and why not later
Your regional transport office (RTO) in India issues the IDP. It cannot be issued in Mozambique, and an Indian licence on its own gives a police officer very little to check. A rental desk in Maputo will want to see both documents together. Allow time for the application: a permit applied for the week before departure is a gamble.
The licence itself must be valid for the whole stay. If it is close to expiry, renew it first. Indian visitors who ask about a “Mozambique drivers license” are usually asking whether they can swap; nothing in the official advice covers that, so for a tourist trip the permit route is the one to follow. The Driving Permit Checker lets you test the neighbouring countries if the route continues.
Left side, so no switch
Mozambique drives on the left, as India does. Roundabouts, overtaking and parking habits carry over. The adjustment lies elsewhere: checkpoints, documents and the state of the roads. Do not assume that a clear road means a safe road.
Checkpoints and the kit list
Roadside checks are frequent, and Canada notes that only national police officers may run them. Officers look for your licence, the vehicle’s ownership papers and proof of third-party insurance. Insurance is compulsory and can be bought at most land borders. The car must carry two warning triangles and two reflective vests, and GOV.UK says police can fine you on the spot if either is missing. Count them in the boot before you drive away from the rental yard. If an officer asks for money without a clear reason, stay calm and ask for a written fine you can pay at a police station.
Limits for an Indian driver
| Road | Mozambique | India |
|---|---|---|
| Towns | 60 km/h | 70 km/h |
| Outside towns | 120 km/h | 80 km/h |
| Motorway | 120 km/h | 120 km/h |
Mozambique’s rural default of 120 km/h sits far above India’s 80, which tempts drivers to match it on poor surfaces. The signed number is a legal ceiling, not a safe speed. Trucks are held to 100 km/h on both rural and motorway roads. No fine table is on record for Mozambique, so do not budget on the basis of the Indian scale, where a minor speeding offence is INR 1,000-2,000.
Alcohol: double the Indian figure
The Mozambique limit is 0.06%, twice India’s 0.03. A positive test can lead to a fine and imprisonment, according to GOV.UK, which describes the threshold as three-quarters of England’s. The limit tolerates a little more than at home, but on poor roads at night the sensible amount is none.
Daylight, floods and fuel
Outside the main cities, travel only in daylight. Pedestrians walk on the carriageway, and roads can flood between November and April. Fuel supplies can run short even in Maputo, so fill up whenever the tank is half full rather than waiting for the light. Allow extra time on every leg, and plan overnight stops in advance so that you are never looking for a bed after dark. Hire cars should be checked for a spare wheel and a jack before leaving the yard, because help on a long stretch can be far away. Tell the hotel or lodge your expected arrival time on longer legs.
Emergency number
The record gives 112 for police, ambulance and fire. At home the lines are split: 100 for police, 108 for ambulance and 101 for fire. Save 112 before the first drive. For the wider rules, see the Mozambique driving guide, and the guide to driving fines abroad explains what happens to a ticket after you leave.
Sources
- Government of Canada travel advice, Mozambique (IDP must be carried; two warning triangles and vests; third-party insurance; checkpoints and written fines): travel.gc.ca
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Mozambique (alcohol above three-quarters of England’s limit; on-the-spot fines for missing triangles; daylight travel; fuel shortages; flooding November to April): gov.uk
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Mozambique, emergency number 112: gov.uk
- UN Treaty Collection, parties to the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna conventions on road traffic: treaties.un.org, treaties.un.org
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Mozambique and India profiles (60/120 km/h; 0.06 and 0.03 g/dl): who.int, who.int
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
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Frequently Asked Questions
Take an International Driving Permit with it. Mozambique is not a party to either road-traffic convention, and Canada's official travel advice tells visitors they must carry an IDP. Apply at your RTO in India before you fly and keep the IDP, licence and passport together.
Yes, both keep to the left, so roundabouts and overtaking work the way they do at home. The adjustments are documents, police checkpoints and road conditions, not the side of the road.
0.06% blood alcohol for all drivers. That is double India's 0.03%, but a test above it can lead to a fine and imprisonment, so the sensible limit before driving is none.
Yes for an Indian licence holder. Canada's advice says visitors must carry one, and the permit is issued in India, not on arrival. Carry it with your licence and passport.