Maputo airport taxi & hotel transfers
How the Maputo airport transfer works
One message, then met in arrivals.
The Maputo airport private transfer is a taxi booked ahead just for your group: a local driver meets you in arrivals at Maputo International Airport (MPM) with your name on a sign and drives you door to door to your hotel, for a fixed $25 per car to most city hotels, or $35 to Costa do Sol, day or night. Here's the whole trip.
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Send us your flight and hotel
Tap the button and add your flight number, landing time, how many of you there are and your hotel’s name. We confirm the fixed fare in the chat.
What if the price changes?
It won’t. The fare we confirm is the whole fare, fuel included, and nothing is added at the end.
What if my flight changes?
It happens a lot here, especially on domestic flights, so don’t worry. Send us the new flight number and time on WhatsApp and we’ll move your pickup to match.
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Your driver is confirmed
You get your driver’s name, so you know exactly who’s meeting you.
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Immigration, bags, then arrivals
Immigration comes first, with a separate desk if your visa or ETA needs checking, then baggage and customs in the same hall. Sort your visa or ETA before you fly and keep the printed approval handy.
What if my flight is late?
We track your flight, so your driver knows when you actually land and is there when you come out.
What if immigration takes ages?
There’s nothing to rush. Your driver waits in arrivals until you’re through.
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Your name on a sign
Your driver is waiting with your name, ready to load your bags and go. No queue, no price to agree.
What if I can’t see my driver?
They’ll be in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name, and you’ll already have their name from the day before. If you still can’t spot them, message us on WhatsApp and we’ll put you in touch.
What if we don’t speak Portuguese?
You won’t need it. Everything is planned in advance, so your driver already knows where you’re going. And our drivers always do their best to communicate with you on the way.
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Straight to your hotel
The airport sits inside the city, so it’s a short drive to Polana, Sommerschield, the Baixa or Costa do Sol. Flying out? We collect you at your hotel in good time for check-in.
What if we land at night?
No problem. Our drivers are local and know the city at night, and the fare is the same day or night.
How much is a taxi from Maputo airport?
$25 to any city hotel, $35 to Costa do Sol.
A private transfer from Maputo International Airport costs $25 (1,500 MZN) per car to any hotel in Polana, Sommerschield, the Baixa or on the Avenida Marginal, from the Polana Serena to the Radisson Blu and Southern Sun on the seafront, and $35 (2,000 MZN) to Costa do Sol. That’s the whole price for up to three people and their bags, one way, whatever time you land.
| Where you’re staying | Examples | From MPM | Per car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polana & Sommerschield | Polana Serena, Hotel Cardoso, Montebelo Indy, Hotel Avenida — and most of the city’s guesthouses | About 7 km · 15–20 min | $25 (1,500 MZN) |
| Baixa (downtown) | VIP Grand, Pestana Rovuma — around the railway station and Avenida 25 de Setembro | About 6.5 km · 15–20 min | $25 (1,500 MZN) |
| Avenida Marginal | Radisson Blu, Southern Sun, Gloria — the seafront road below Polana | About 7 km · 15–20 min | $25 (1,500 MZN) |
| Costa do Sol | The beach suburb at the far north end of the Marginal | About 10 km · 20–30 min | $35 (2,000 MZN) |
Maputo International Airport is about 7 km from Polana and Sommerschield, in the Mavalane area on the city’s northern side, so it’s 15 to 20 minutes to most hotels outside rush hour, and closer to half an hour in evening traffic. The fare is fixed before you fly and is the same in both directions. Staying somewhere else in the city, or in Katembe across the bridge? Send us the address and we’ll confirm the fare.
About Maputo International Airport (MPM)
Mozambique's main airport, inside the city.
MPM
- Name
- Maputo International Airport, once Mavalane
- Codes
- MPM (IATA) · FQMA (ICAO)
- Where
- Mavalane, on the city’s northern side
- To Polana
- 7 km · 15–20 min
- Runs it
- Aeroportos de Moçambique
- Terminals
- Separate international and domestic terminals
- Passengers
- 1.05 million in 2023
- Runway
- 3,660 m
- Get there
- 3 h before international flights, 2 h before domestic
What is the main airport in Mozambique?
Maputo International Airport (MPM) is Mozambique’s main international airport, as its operator describes it, and the hub LAM’s domestic network fans out from. It sits inside the capital, in the Mavalane area on the northern side, and is run by the state operator Aeroportos de Moçambique.
In 2023 it handled 1,051,868 passengers, more than half of the 1.97 million who flew through Mozambique’s airports that year, according to the national civil aviation institute (IACM).
Arriving at Maputo airport
Maputo has separate terminals for international and domestic flights. Immigration comes first, then baggage and customs, then the arrivals hall, where your driver is waiting. Most visitors need an ETA or e-visa approved before they fly, so check the rules for your passport in our visa guide and keep the approval with you. Connecting straight on to Vilanculos or Inhambane? Your domestic flight leaves from the domestic terminal.
You only need a yellow fever certificate if you’re aged one or over and arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever, which includes a layover of more than 12 hours in one.
Which airlines fly to Maputo?
Johannesburg is the busiest link: Airlink and LAM both fly it, and Airlink also sells Cape Town and Durban to Maputo. Long-haul, Qatar Airways flies direct from Doha, Kenya Airways from Nairobi three times a week, Ethiopian from Addis Ababa, TAP from Lisbon and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul. Domestically, LAM connects Maputo with Vilanculos (VNX), Inhambane (INH), Beira, Nampula, Pemba and the rest of its network.
ATMs, SIM cards and Wi-Fi at Maputo airport
Across its airports, the operator lists ATMs and foreign-exchange desks open during flight hours, free Wi-Fi in the main terminal and VIP lounges, so you can draw meticais when you land, though your transfer doesn’t need cash. Local SIM cards are easier to buy in town than at the airport; see our staying-connected guide.
How early should I get to Maputo airport?
The airport operator recommends arriving 3 hours before an international flight and 2 hours before a domestic one. Liquids in your hand luggage go in containers of up to 100 ml, and power banks and spare lithium batteries travel in the cabin, never in checked bags. A new departures area opened in May 2026.
We collect you at your hotel in good time for check-in, at the same fixed fare as the way in.
Special assistance at Maputo airport
If you need help getting through the airport, ask your airline when you book, or the information desk in the terminal. For mobility assistance, the operator asks for 48 hours’ notice; its number is +258 21 468 800.
Before you ask
Maputo airport taxi questions, answered.
How much is a taxi or private transfer from Maputo airport to the city?
Can you take me from Maputo airport to the Polana Serena, Radisson Blu or Southern Sun?
Is it a taxi, a shuttle or a private driver?
How far is Maputo airport from the city?
Will someone be waiting when I land?
Do you do night arrivals?
How do I pay for the transfer?
How many people and how much luggage can you take?
Can you take me back to the airport for my departure too?
Do you go further than the city — Ponta do Ouro, Bilene, Tofo, Kruger?
Do I need a visa before I land in Maputo?
Last reviewed:
Send us your flight
and where you're staying.
One message and we'll confirm your driver, your timing, and a fixed fare — waiting for you the moment you land at Maputo.
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