Mozambique (MZ)
Portuguese-speaking East African country with 2,500 km of Indian Ocean coastline, extraordinary marine parks, growing LNG energy sector, and low cost of living for expats in Maputo.
Education & Schools
Schools, universities, and language courses in Mozambique.
👶 Childcare & Kindergarten
No formal government subsidy system for childcare. A few NGO-run creches offer reduced fees for low-income families. Most expat families use private creches attached to international schools or private nurseries in Maputo's Polana, Sommerschield, and Bairro Central neighbourhoods.
Contact creches directly. Bring child's birth certificate, vaccination record, and passport. Some creches require a medical certificate. Payment typically monthly in advance.
State pre-schools (Jardins de Infância) are heavily subsidised but quality is basic and overcrowded. Most expat children attend private or international school pre-primary programmes.
State: apply at the local Direcção de Educação. Private/international: contact schools directly. Required documents: birth certificate, vaccination record (Boletim de Saúde), passport photo.
🏫 Schools
Register at the nearest public school (Escola Primária). Bring child's birth certificate (Certidão de Nascimento), vaccination booklet (Boletim de Saúde), and passport photo. School year runs February to November. For foreign children, bring a Portuguese translation of foreign birth certificates.
Apply to a public secondary school (Escola Secundária) with end-of-primary school certificate (Certificado de Habilitações do Ensino Primário), birth certificate, and passport photo. Admission to Grade 8 depends on EP2 exam results. Private secondary schools require direct application with transcripts.
🌍 International Schools
Maputo has three main international school options: (1) American International School of Mozambique (AISM) — US curriculum, Grades K–12, USD 10,000–20,000/year, located in Sommerschield; (2) Lycée Français René Descartes — French curriculum (MEN accredited), Maternelle to Terminale, serves EU expat families and Francophone community; (3) Aga Khan Academy Maputo — IB curriculum, Early Years to Grade 12, strong academic reputation, approximately USD 8,000–15,000/year. All three have waiting lists for popular year groups. Outside Maputo, international schooling options are very limited — expat families in Beira or northern provinces typically homeschool or use distance-learning programmes.
🎓 University
For Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) and other public universities: apply through the Ministério da Educação e Desenvolvimento Humano (MINEDH) centralised admissions in October–December for the February intake. Foreign students apply directly to the university's international office. Required: secondary school certificate (ESG2), proof of language competency (Portuguese), and passport.
🗣️ Language Courses
Primary centre for Portuguese language instruction in Mozambique. Located in Maputo. Courses for adults in the evening and at weekends. Certificates recognised by Mozambican institutions.
High-quality Portuguese language courses with internationally recognised certificates (CAPLE). Particularly useful for expats needing formal Portuguese certification for professional purposes.
The fastest way to learn Mozambican Portuguese. Private tutors recommended by the expat community (Expats in Mozambique Facebook group or AISM parent network). Mozambican Portuguese is close to European Portuguese — Brazilian Portuguese learning resources also work well.
French language courses in Maputo. Useful for French-speaking expats integrating into the Francophone community, and for children attending the Lycée Français. Also a cultural hub with events and film screenings.
Education & Schools
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