It takes a special kind of bravery to face the border these days. On the South African side, particularly at Lebombo Border, you get greeted by friendly officials bending over backwards to assist you – but as soon as you set foot on the Mozambican side, prepare to get “Lebombarded”.
Stay calm, and do not fall prey to locals trying to persuade you into all kinds of hogwash. A well-deserved breakaway to the tropical paradise of Mozambique can quickly turn sour if you are not prepared for the dreaded border crossing.
What time should I cross the border? Should I be taking malaria pills? Where should I exchange money? What do I do if I get pulled over by police? These are just some of the questions South Africans ask when visiting our neighbouring country. But before you even consider this, it is essential to take note of the following:

(The meat ban has recently been lifted, but no meat from Limpopo is allowed in, so keep your slips). 

Should I take malaria medication? 

When visiting Mozambique, consult your doctor and choose the right medicine for malaria prophylaxis. Recommendations to prevent malaria differ by country of travel. Remember that no anti-malaria drug is 100 per cent protective and must be combined with other protective measures like applying insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and long pants and the use of an insecticide-treated bednet.


Unabridged birth certificate
A new immigration law came into effect in June 2015. Under this new law, all minors under the age of 18 years are required to produce, in addition to their passport, an unabridged birth certificate (showing the particulars of both parents) when exiting and entering South African ports of entry.

Now, take a look at this guide to ensure a smooth trip without any hiccups 

Vehicle documents 
Make sure that you have all your vehicle’s original papers handy in a folder. If your car is financed, do not forget your territorial limits authority letter from the company, giving you jurisdiction to take the vehicle across the border. Request them to validate it for the maximum period of 30 days, even if you’re only going only for a few days. This will cover you in case of emergencies.
Do the same when you fill in the forms at the border. Rather put the maximum period of 30 days for your visit/holiday. Make certified colour copies of your passport, driver’s licence, ID and vehicle registration papers. It is a good idea to laminate and keep these copies in a separate location to your original documents. Get your third-party insurance at the border just to be safe, as yours from SA is sometimes not valid in Mozambique.

Passports 
Make sure that your passports are in order. They will not allow you to enter if the passport is going to expire within six months of entry. The passport should also have at least two blank pages available for stamping. When you get it back from the border officials, make sure that they have all been stamped. 

Money
Under no circumstances carry all your money in your wallet. Hide the majority in your luggage. The exchange rate is currently around 1 ZAR to 4,4 MZN. You can exchange your money at the filling station just before the border, but it is advised to rather use an ATM. Rands are, however, accepted at most establishments, depending on your destination. 

Steps to follow when you’re at the border
The South African side
You will be given a gate pass. Once inside the customs building, you will need to fill in the paperwork, including a temporary export permit for the vehicle. You will have to declare any valuables worth more than R3 000, such as laptops, iPads and cameras. The lower you can realistically declare them at, the less likely you are to have hassles. Remember that if you have declared an item for temporary import, you must bring that item back with you when you exit Mozambique. If the customs officials discover that an item is not present, you will either have to return to fetch the item or customs will declare the item imported and you will have to pay a fine and the import duty on the item before you leave the country. Your passport will be retained until these requirements have been met. Check that the form is stamped and keep it in a safe place, as you will need to show it upon your re-entry into South Africa. Next you will have to complete immigration, so have your passport handy. Then go back to your car, and as you drive through to Mozambique, you will have to give your gate pass to the guard.

The Mozambican side
On the other side of the border you will be stopped by a guard and given another gate pass. You will need to fill in a temporary vehicle import form. Each person in the vehicle will need to fill in an immigration form and have their passport stamped at the immigration counter. You will each have to pay a nominal processing fee. Then your vehicle will be checked by a customs official. Have your South African declaration form handy. You will need to pay the vehicle tax before leaving and handing your vehicle pass to the guard.

The dreaded cops
If you obey the laws, you will most likely have no hassles. Keep to the speed limits and wait for the 60 up sign. It is the road sign with lines through the 60. This means that you can travel 100 kilometres per hour again. Make sure that front and back passengers all wear their seatbelts. No luggage or items on back seat of your vehicles. No alcohol should be kept in the front of the vehicle – all should be packed in the boot and do not drive at night!
When you get pulled over, remain friendly and take of your glasses as a sign of respect. Try and greet them in Portuguese (Bom dia or Boa tarde). You can then tell them that you do not speak any Portuguese (Non fala Portuguese). If you were speeding, take it like a man. Do not blame the police officer for doing his job. Insist on a written fine and go and pay it at the nearest police office. The only place where you can pay a fine outside of towns, is where the police have a permanent stop with an office built on the side of the road.
If they ask for money to let you go without paying, show them a purse/wallet with a maximum of 100 or 200 meticais and tell them that the other police on the way took all the money you had and what is left is for the road ahead. If you pay a bribe, you are part of an ever-increasing problem in Mozambique. 

Border times
The Lebombo/Ressano Garcia Border Post will operate 24 hours for the festive period, starting on December 13. This period carries high volumes of traffic and peak dates are betweenDecember 18 and 24 when miners, holiday travellers and commercial cargo from South Africa enters into Mozambique. For return traffic, the highest volumes are recorded between January 2 and 6, so visitors should expect to spend long hours at the border.