The Bank of Mozambique has imposed an annual limit of €80,900 for the use of bank cards abroad per customer, a measure that applies to all credit institutions and banking operators in the country, according to Lusa.
The decision is included in a notice dated 2 December 2025, in which the regulator justifies the measure as necessary to “establish limits for foreign payments using bank cards,” applying to both individuals and legal entities, regardless of their foreign exchange residency.
The new annual ceiling covers all transactions made with cards issued in Mozambique—including purchases, payments, and cash withdrawals—and applies to the aggregate amount across the national banking system. In other words, each cardholder is subject to the same limit, regardless of the number of cards, contracts, or payment channels used.
The notice also states that in exceptional circumstances, and upon a justified request, the Bank of Mozambique may authorize different limits. However, even in such cases, the authorized amount cannot exceed €80,900.
Although the notice does not explicitly explain the reasons for the measure, its publication comes amid a shortage of foreign currency in the national banking system, a situation that has worsened in recent months and has drawn criticism from the private sector, particularly importers.
The Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), through its president Álvaro Massingue, has repeatedly warned about the impact of the foreign currency shortage on business operations.
“Foreign currency scarcity is now an economic emergency. Without foreign currency, companies cannot import raw materials, fulfill contracts, or grow,” Massingue stated on 12 November, during the opening of the 20th Annual Private Sector Conference, considered the largest forum for dialogue between the government and the national business community.
The limitation imposed by the central bank also comes after reports that some businesspeople were using personal credit cards abroad for imports, at a time when some financial institutions stopped authorizing such operations.
The decision has also sparked reactions on social media, where several users, often ironically, offered to “transfer” their annual limits to others in exchange for fees, reflecting the growing foreign exchange squeeze in the country.
