Under the Regulation, a private citizen holding the appropriate licence may possess the following categories. Each carries its own limits on calibre, barrel length and intended use.
1. Personal defence weapons
The category clients ask about most, and the limits are very specific:
- Semi-automatic pistol: calibre up to 7.65 mm, barrel up to 10 cm
- Small-calibre pistol: calibre up to 6.65 mm inclusive, barrel up to 8 cm
- Revolver: calibre under 9 mm with barrel up to 10 cm, or calibre up to 9 mm with barrel up to 5 cm
How it is measured: on a pistol the barrel includes the chamber; on a revolver the cylinder is excluded.
2. Hunting weapons
- Single- or double-barrelled smoothbore or rifled long guns intended for hunting
- Rifled rifles or carbines of calibre 5.6 mm (.22) or above, centre-fire, designed for hunting
3. Precision / sport shooting weapons
- Rifled rifles, pistols or revolvers between 5.6 mm and 6 mm
- With competition features: diopter, telescopic or adjustable sights, special sights (with or without tunnel) and hair trigger
Pistols and revolvers intended for competition may have barrels longer than the limit set for personal defence weapons.
4. Recreational weapons
- Rifled weapons of calibre below 5.6 mm
- Smoothbore weapons of calibre up to 9 mm
- Pneumatic or compressed-gas weapons (under specific conditions)
- Weapons firing multiple pellets of calibre above 4.5 mm
- Improved bows with precision sighting, shaft and trigger release mechanism
5. Other permitted categories
- Decorative weapons: obsolete, antique or artistic firearms and bladed weapons, for indoor display or collection
- Commemorative weapons: firearms without ammunition and without primary function, or bladed weapons of any kind
- Bladed weapons: intended for close or hand-to-hand combat
Article 40 is explicit:
A holder of a use and carry licence may use up to three firearms: one personal defence weapon and two hunting, precision or recreational weapons.
This is the hard ceiling for a private client. Each weapon must have its own registration booklet (livrete).
In practice, long guns are registered in the two hunting slots, recorded separately from the defence weapon. A client who already holds a pistol still has two slots left for long guns.
Yes.
A foreign national may apply for a firearm use and carry licence under Mozambican law, with approval resting with the Polícia da República de Moçambique (PRM). The licence is valid for two years and may be renewed.
A hunting licence does not replace the use and carry licence: they are separate documents.
A holder of a valid licence may import annually, through a licensed firearms dealer:
- Up to 3 weapons (1 defence + 2 hunting / precision / recreational)
- Defence ammunition: up to 100 rounds
- Hunting shot or cartridges: up to 500
- Recreational shot or cartridges: up to 500
Larger quantities may be authorised, subject to special approval:
- Hunting or tourism trips
- Scientific expeditions
- Other situations determined by the Police Commander-General
Nationals returning from abroad, and foreigners settling in Mozambique, may import their weapons in the same quantities, provided they hold a valid licence in the country of origin.
Guards of private security companies may carry defence weapons only while performing specific duties:
- Close protection
- Bank and bureau de change security
- Cash-in-transit vehicle escort
- Rapid response missions
The corresponding licence is valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
The following are prohibited to private persons, in possession and use alike:
- Smoothbore long guns with a barrel shorter than 51 cm (about 20 inches)
- Alarm revolvers
- Silencers or any device serving a similar purpose
- Armour-piercing, expanding, explosive or incendiary ammunition and projectiles
- Firearms lacking standard technical characteristics, including those crudely made from copper, steel or galvanised pipe
- Solid, liquid or gaseous toxic, asphyxiating or vesicant substances, and other substances of military use
Note when buying defence ammunition: expanding (hollow-point) projectiles are prohibited in Mozambique.
Article 50 sets precise allowances for the foreign hunting visitor:
- 3 hunting weapons (one rifled, one smoothbore, one defence)
- 500 hunting cartridges
- 50 defence cartridges
- 250 pellets
On arrival, weapons and ammunition must be presented to customs. Holding a hunting licence from the country of residence, customs issues a licence in quadruplicate stating the holder's name, date of entry, hunting licence number, weapon list, ammunition quantity and the province where hunting is intended.
Weapons and ammunition arriving by sea, rail or air are transferred to the local customs office and held until the hunting licence is produced. On departure the licence is surrendered to customs for verification; undeclared ammunition must be re-exported with payment of the relevant duties.
- This guide is based on the 2007 Regulation, which may have been amended or may be applied differently at local level.
- All transactions involving weapons — purchase, import, possession, carrying and transfer — must go through lawful channels and remain under police supervision.
- skytent provides reference information only and accepts no responsibility for decisions taken on the basis of this guide.
- Contact the Polícia da República de Moçambique (PRM) or a local lawyer before taking any step.