Mozambique Plans to Open Document Service Centres in Three Countries

The initiative is part of the expansion of the Centro Pronto project, a service model that allows citizens to apply for official documents, including identity cards, passports, driving licences and residence certificates, through alternative service centres outside traditional government offices.

The announcement was made on Monday, 26 October, by Adilson Gomes, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agency for Digital Transformation and Innovation (ATDI), during a visit to the first Centro Pronto facility, located at Shopping Marés in Maputo.

“Within the next six months, we must have a centre in Cape Town, South Africa, in Porto, Portugal, and in England,” Gomes said, as quoted by the Lusa news agency.

According to the official, the expansion is being developed in partnership with Indian company VFS, which will be responsible for establishing the technical and operational conditions required to implement the services in the selected countries.

The initiative seeks to address difficulties faced by Mozambicans living abroad, who, in certain circumstances, must return home to process personal documents, incurring expenses related to flights, accommodation and other travel costs.

“Our citizens need identity cards, passports and driving licences because they are studying abroad. They end up having to pay for a flight from Germany to Mozambique and back simply to renew or obtain their identity cards,” Gomes explained.

Once the new centres become operational, Mozambican citizens will be able to submit document applications in their countries of residence without travelling to Mozambique to initiate the process.

However, the validation and issuance of documents will remain the responsibility of the relevant Mozambican public institutions, ensuring that administrative procedures and personal data remain under State control.

“The entity responsible for validation must be the State,” Gomes emphasised.

He explained that the partnership with VFS, established through a public tender, allows the private company to handle customer service, application collection and submission, while technological systems and validation mechanisms remain under the control of national authorities.

The first Centro Pronto facility, inaugurated in October by President Daniel Chapo, is currently operating as a pilot project to assess the effectiveness of this public-private collaboration model.

Located at Shopping Marés in Maputo, the centre allows citizens to request various official documents outside conventional government offices, offering more flexible opening hours, including Saturdays.

The experience will serve as the basis for the gradual expansion of services to other regions of Mozambique and Mozambican communities living abroad.

According to the ATDI Chairman, the opening of the new international centres will depend on the necessary technological and operational preparations to ensure the effective delivery of services.

The Government also intends to introduce different service models across Mozambique, taking into account local economic conditions and demand.

Under this approach, service fees may vary between centres located in shopping malls and facilities established in areas with limited access to public administration services.

The expansion of Centro Pronto forms part of Mozambique’s broader efforts to modernise public services and advance the digital transformation of public administration, bringing government services closer to citizens while reducing geographical and financial barriers to obtaining official documentation.