Mozambique
Eastern Africa
Africa
A very low-cost East African economy with a 5-year citizenship path, but a weak passport (~59 destinations), limited English and high personal taxes.
29
Overall score
Low · Penalty applied · 92% data coverage
Language
PortugueseCurrency
MZNCitizenship
5 yearsPersonal tax
Up to 32% headlineCost of living
Consumer price level 40 (world = 100, 2025)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
43
Access
17%39Residence12%
54Citizenship and passport5%
43
Earning power
25%43Salary and work12%
43Buying power13%
36
Business and wealth
20%36Taxes7%
34Business8%
39Investment5%
39
Daily life
25%37Quality of life18%
45Education7%
27
Rights and institutions
13%35Freedom6%
20Rule of law7%
Healthcare collapse (24) cut the overall score from 39 to 31.
Weak rights and institutions (27) cut the overall score from 31 to 29.
Pros
- Relative affordability score 75/100
- Human development score 49/100
- Business environment score 32/100
Cons
- Passport mobility score 31/100
- Institutional environment score 35/100
- Tax friendliness score 36/100
Best for
Applicants prepared to use local languagesCost-conscious residentsPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route
Score profile
Access
Residence
39
Citizenship
69
Passport
30
Earning power
Salary & work
43
Buying power
43
Cost of living
86
Economy
34
Business and wealth
Taxes
36
Personal tax
42
Corporate tax
9
Business
34
Investment
39
Wealth building
45
Daily life
Safety
51
Healthcare
24
Environment
89
Infrastructure
37
Education
45
HDI
49
Rights and institutions
Freedom
35
Rule of law
20
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
39Limited
Migrant stock1.0% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-0.76 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligible
| Student | Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary. |
|---|---|
| Work | A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply. |
| Self-employed | Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required. |
| Permanent | Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
69Good
| Years required | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route. |
| Residence | Headline ordinary naturalization period: 5 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply. |
| Notes | This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it. |
Passport
Passport power
30Limited
60 / 198
Mobility
#81
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free24
- On arrival33
- eTA3
- Visa required138
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
43Limited
Output per worker$3,675 PPP (2024)
Unemployment6.6% (2025)
Participation78.7% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$117 · $311 PPP (2022)
Tech (IT & comms)$133 · $352 PPP (2022)
| Freelance | Internet use is 21%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status. |
|---|---|
| Job market | Latest comparable unemployment rate: 6.6%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
43Limited
GNI / person$1,540 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$1,202 PPP (2024)
Price level40 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality49.6 Gini (2022)
Inflation4.4% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
86Excellent
Price level40 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | Model benchmark: about $240 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing. |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Model benchmark: about $600 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline. |
| Cities | Maputo, Matola, Beira |
Economy
Economic strength
34Limited
Output & income
GDP$22.3B (2025)
GDP / person$627 (2025)
GNI / person$1,540 PPP (2025)
GDP growth2.1% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation4.4% / yr (2025)
Unemployment6.6% (2025)
Output per worker$3,675 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture25.6% of GDP (2025)
Industry22.1% of GDP (2025)
Services42.0% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
AluminiumCoal & gasAgricultureEnergy
Top exports
CoalAluminiumNatural gasCashews & prawns
| Type | Low-income, resources- and agri-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Aluminium smelting (Mozal), Coal & emerging LNG, Agriculture |
| Summary | A low-income economy with vast offshore gas reserves coming online, alongside aluminium, coal and farming. |
| Currency | Mozambican metical |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
36Limited
| Personal | Residents: 32;; Non-residents: 20. |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 32 (reduced rate of 10% is applicable to agricultural, livestock, aquaculture, and urban transportation activities). |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Personal tax
Personal tax
42Limited
| Personal | Residents: 32;; Non-residents: 20. |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
9Low
| Corporate | 32 (reduced rate of 10% is applicable to agricultural, livestock, aquaculture, and urban transportation activities). |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Business
Business friendliness
34Limited
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-0.76 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-0.72 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks. |
|---|---|
| Local company | Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary. |
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
Investment
Investing environment
39Limited
Private credit18% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position. |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes. |
| Brokers | Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding. |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
45Moderate
Salary & work
43Limited
Business
34Limited
Investment
39Limited
Tax friendliness
36Limited
Cost of living
86Excellent
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
51Moderate
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption-1.06 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-1.76 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
24Low
Outcomes
Life expectancy63.8 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality59.4 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians0.17 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds0.74 per 1,000 (2021)
Health spending$143 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location. |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route. |
| Average cost | Health expenditure: $143 PPP per person (2023). |
Environment
Environment score
89Excellent
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure13.7 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress1.8% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
37Limited
Digital infrastructure
Internet use20.5% (2024)
Internet resilience39 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed60 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed37 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access36.0% (2023)
Grid losses16.6% of output (2023)
Transport
Transport quality2.24 / 5 (2016)
Rail density4.0 km / 1,000 km² (2011)
Air connectivity360 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
45Moderate
Attainment
Expected schooling10.8 years (2023)
Mean schooling4.6 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment7% gross (2018)
Education spending6.0% of GDP (2022)
| Tuition | Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used. |
|---|---|
| Public university | Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution. |
| Languages | Portuguese |
| Student work | Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits. |
HDI
Human development score
49Moderate
HDI0.493 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling10.8 years (2023)
Mean schooling4.6 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
35Limited
| Freedom in the World | 35 / 100 (Not free) |
|---|
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
20Low
| Rule of Law percentile | 20 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.orgPwC: Mozambique corporate tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comPwC: Mozambique personal tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comNaturalization comparison and linked nationality lawsen.wikipedia.orgHenley Passport Index 2026 summaryen.wikipedia.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.