Alcohol regulations in Mozambique

Licences needed

Industrial Operating License (Alvará Industrial), environmental license/approval, and sanitary operating approval from health authorities

Authority

Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) / Provincial Directorates of Industry and Commerce, in coordination with Ministry of Health (MISAU)

Documents

Commercial registration certificate, tax identification number (NUIT), facility blueprints and architectural plans, environmental impact assessment/license, sanitary inspection report, technical description of production equipment and processes

Fees

Variable statutory administrative and inspection fees depending on investment size and enterprise classification

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Legally incorporated commercial entities and registered trading businesses licensed for import/export activities

Licences or registrations

Importer Card / Commercial License (Cartão de Importador / Alvará Comercial) issued by the National Directorate of Internal Trade, registration on the Single Electronic Window (Janela Única Electrónica - JUE), and prior authorization for alcoholic beverage importation

Authority

Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) and Autoridade Tributária de Moçambique (AT)

Documents

Certificate of commercial registration, tax clearance certificate and NUIT, valid commercial license, bill of lading/airway bill, commercial invoice, packing list, pre-shipment inspection certificate, and certificate of origin

Fees

Standard commercial licensing fee and JUE processing fees (including the TSA trade facilitation surcharge of 2.5%)

Time to obtain

Typically 2 to 4 weeks for initial business registration and licensing

Required

yes

Process

Mandatory prior authorization and conformity assessment for imported alcoholic beverages; formal label compliance checks against Mozambican food labelling standards (NM 15) conducted or audited by INNOQ and INAE, along with trademark protection registration through the Industrial Property Institute (IPI)

Authority

National Institute for Standardization and Quality (INNOQ), National Inspectorate of Economic Activities (INAE), and Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC)

Documents and samples

Certificate of analysis from country of origin, sample labels in Portuguese, manufacturer declaration of ingredients and alcoholic strength, product registration dossier, and commercial specimen upon request

Fees

Statutory laboratory and documentary testing fees set by INNOQ

Renewal

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

All commercial imports must clear customs through an authorized customs broker via the Single Electronic Window (JUE). Importers must affix mandatory tax/excise control stamps (selos fiscais de controlo) to alcoholic beverages prior to distribution. Consignments are subject to pre-shipment inspection (PSI), standard customs verification, and mandatory presentation of certificates of origin and analysis.

20% ad valorem duty applied on the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value under HS Chapter 2208.

Specific Consumption Tax (Imposto sobre Consumos Específicos - ICE) on distilled spirits at rates up to 75% ad valorem (or applicable specific tier rates under the ICE schedule), plus 16% Value Added Tax (IVA) calculated on the cumulative sum of CIF + customs duty + ICE.

Private licensed distribution through off-premise retailers (supermarkets, grocery stores, bottle stores) and licensed on-premise venues (bars, taverns, restaurants, discotheques). Under Decree No. 31/2025, general off-trade sales are banned between 20:00 and 09:00 the following morning (especially on Sundays 20:00 to Monday 09:00), and all alcohol sales are prohibited at fuel filling stations, highway convenience stores, open-air markets, and informal stalls.

Restricted; distance and online sales are permitted provided the operator displays prominent statutory warnings prohibiting sales to individuals under 18 years and verifies buyer legal age prior to supply and at delivery.

Portuguese language is mandatory. Labels must include product commercial name, alcoholic strength by volume (% ABV), net volume in metric units, list of ingredients, manufacturer/importer physical identity and batch traceability details, mandatory statutory health warnings against alcohol abuse and consumption by minors/pregnant women, and affixed tax control stamps (selos fiscais). Containers smaller than 500 ml for distilled spirits and plastic sachet packaging are prohibited.

Regulated under Advertising Code (Decree No. 38/2016) and Decree No. 31/2025. Advertising is strictly prohibited within 500 meters of schools, educational establishments, hospitals, police, and military facilities; prohibited in public transit hubs and government buildings. Advertisements must not depict or target minors, feature sexually exploitative imagery, or associate alcohol consumption with driving, physical prowess, social advancement, or professional success.

Governed by national standards (including NM 15 and NM 535) and Decree No. 31/2025. Spirits must be produced exclusively from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin; the use of synthetic or pure industrial ethanol is strictly banned.

No complete dry jurisdictions or total local prohibition, but public consumption and sales are restricted in designated zones: consumption and sales are prohibited in public parks, gardens, sidewalks, public transport stations, petrol stations, and within 500 meters of primary and secondary educational institutions and healthcare centers.

• Approval and enactment of Decree No. 31/2025 (September 11, 2025), enacting the Regulation on the Control of Production, Commercialization, and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages.
• Prohibition of synthetic or non-agricultural pure ethanol as raw material for alcoholic beverage manufacturing, making agricultural-origin ethyl alcohol mandatory.
• Prohibition of alcohol sold in plastic sachets and containers under 500 ml to curb low-cost illicit spirits consumption among minors, with a 90-day phaseout implemented in late 2025.
• Mandatory curfew on retail off-trade sales prohibiting sales between 20:00 and 09:00 the following morning (especially Sundays 20:00 to Monday 09:00) in supermarkets and bottle stores.
• Temporary suspension of new production and sales licensing in August 2025 pending tighter regulatory enforcement, followed by temporary holiday easing of retail hours in late December 2025 through January 10, 2026.
• Revision of the VAT Code reducing the standard VAT rate to 16%.

The strict ban on cheap informal ethanol blends and packaging under 500 ml creates significant room for legitimate, premium bottled spirits exporters. Growing urban demand in Maputo and tourist hubs provides viable entry points for established international spirit brands that comply with Portuguese labelling and tax stamp regimes.

• Autoridade Tributária de Moçambique (AT)
• Ministério da Indústria e Comércio (MIC)
• Instituto Nacional de Normalização e Qualidade (INNOQ)
• Inspecção Nacional das Actividades Económicas (INAE)
• Ministério da Saúde (MISAU)

1. Mozambique: Regulation on the Control of Production, Commercialization, and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages (Decree No. 31/2025)
2. Government Approves New Regulation on Production, Commercialization and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages
3. Mozambique: Decree Imposes New Restrictions on Alcohol
4. U.S. International Trade Administration: Mozambique Country Commercial Guide - Import Tariffs & Requirements
5. PwC Mozambique Tax Summaries: Corporate - Other Taxes (Excise, Customs, and VAT)
6. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Mozambique Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS)