Telework in Mozambique: What Law 13/2023 Says

Yes, telework is already included in Mozambique's Labour Law. Law No. 13/2023, of August 25, defines it as work activity performed under the authority and direction of the employer, habitually outside the employer's establishment, using information and communication technologies, and upon payment of remuneration.

What the law does not yet establish are the practical details: equipment, expenses, and compensation are left to special legislation and your written agreement.

If you work from home or have accepted a remote position, you need to know what is already guaranteed by law and what depends on your contract. Inademy's Guide explains both parts in simple language so you don't sign anything blindly.

The short answer

• The law defines telework in the glossary: activity under the authority and direction of the employer, habitually outside the establishment, using ICT, and upon payment of remuneration.
• It entered into force on February 21, 2024, 180 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Boletim da República), repealing Law No. 23/2007, of August 1.
• The telework contract must be in writing — it is listed in Article 39, paragraph 4, item n).
• Remote surveillance to monitor your performance is prohibited as a rule (Article 10), with limited exceptions and the obligation to inform you in writing.
• Equipment and expenses do not have values set by law — it is up to special legislation and, until it arrives, your agreement.

What telework is according to the law

The glossary of Law No. 13/2023 defines telework as "the performance of work activity carried out under the authority and direction of the employer, habitually outside the employer's establishment, and using information and communication technology means, upon payment of remuneration."

Notice the four elements. There is subordination: you remain under the authority and direction of the employer, even hundreds of kilometres away from the office. The work is habitually performed outside the establishment — at home, in a coworking space, or wherever the agreement specifies. Information and communication technologies are used, such as laptops, email, and video calling platforms. And there is remuneration, as in any subordinate employment.

This distinguishes telework from odd jobs or independent work: it is not freelancing, nor is it a service contract. It remains an employment contract, with all the rights that entails.

What Law 13/2023 provides — and what it does not yet cover

Article 2, paragraph 2, item f), lists telework among the forms of work performance "governed by special legislation". In other words, the law creates and defines the category, but defers detailed regulation to specific legislation.

The same Article 2, in paragraph 3, resolves part of the uncertainty: these relationships "are governed by this Law, in everything that proves adaptable to their nature and particular characteristics." In plain language, general rules — working hours, leave, salary, health, and safety — also apply to home workers, adapted to the case.

International consultancies following the revision reached the same conclusion. WTW summarizes: the new law includes the definition of telework, unlike the previous one, but does not provide additional details, which will be left to separate legislation. CMS, in its remote working guide, points in the same direction: the matter is not yet regulated in depth in Mozambique.

The telework contract must be in writing

Article 39, paragraph 4, item n), includes telework among contracts subject to written form. This is decisive for you: a remote work agreement cannot remain a hallway conversation or an informal message. It requires a paper signed by both parties.

The same Article 39, in paragraph 2, outlines the minimum content of any contract: professional category and agreed tasks, workplace, duration, amount and method of remuneration payment, and start date. In telework, the workplace deserves extra attention — home, another address, or a combination of both — and must be expressly stated.

What if the contract is not in writing? Paragraph 6 of Article 39 states that the lack of written form does not affect validity nor the rights acquired by the worker, and is presumed attributable to the employer.

The law protects you, but does not make proof easy. The written form is always the safest position for you. Know the types of employment contracts in Mozambique and the rules of each before signing.

Equipment and expenses: who pays for what

This is the question that matters most to those working from home — and Law No. 13/2023 does not yet answer it. The law does not specify who provides the laptop, who pays for internet, electricity, or an appropriate chair, nor does it provide compensation for the additional expenses of working from home.

As a rule, these points are left to the written agreement between worker and employer. Companies experienced in remote work usually provide equipment and contribute to internet costs; others offer a fixed stipend. None of these models is mandated by law in Mozambique today — it is the contract that turns goodwill into an enforceable obligation.

Until special legislation is enacted, protect yourself like this: request that the contract or an annex list the equipment provided, the amount or percentage of expenses covered, and what happens when equipment breaks down. If you agree only verbally, you remain at the mercy of everyone's memory.

Remote surveillance: what Article 10 prohibits

Working from home does not open the door to constant monitoring. Article 10 of the law is clear: the employer must not use remote surveillance means at the workplace, through the use of technological equipment, for the purpose of controlling the employee's professional performance.

There are narrow exceptions. Surveillance is acceptable when intended for the protection and security of persons and property, or when it forms part of the normal production process of the company or sector — consider a call-logging system in a call centre, for example. In such cases, the employer is required to inform the worker in writing about the existence and purpose of the means used.

There are penalties for those who ignore the rule: evidence obtained in violation of the duty to inform is void, as established by Article 10, paragraph 3. If you discover monitoring software on your equipment without written notice, you have grounds to complain.

Your rights do not change because you are at home

Being a teleworker does not put you in a separate category. Limits on working hours and rest periods, entitlement to leave, remuneration, and health and safety rules remain valid, applied and adapted to your situation — as follows from Article 2, paragraph 3, of the law.

In practice, this means that the agreed schedule must be in the contract and respect the legal limits of working hours and overtime. If your agreement demands availability outside these limits, pay supplements apply just like to any other worker. And annual leave is the same: see how many days you are entitled to in the guide on annual leave in Mozambique.

Extra care is needed for those working in IT and digital roles, a sector seeing strong expansion in remote work: workstation safety rules also apply to your home office.

How Inademy helps you

If you are looking for job opportunities with remote work options in Mozambique, Inademy makes your path easier. Create your free profile, apply with just a few clicks, and upload your CV in PDF format. When new job openings matching your profile appear, you receive alerts via email and WhatsApp, without having to search through multiple sites.

Check out the available vacancies on Inademy and follow the guide on careers in technology and ICT in Mozambique — the sector where telework is growing fastest. Everything you need is gathered on Inademy's platform.

Read also

• Labour Law 13/2023 in Mozambique: what changed
• Workers' rights in Mozambique: a practical list
• Probationary period in Mozambique: deadlines and rules

Where these details come from

• Law No. 13/2023, of August 25 — full text in the Official Gazette (Boletim da República), Series I, No. 165: Supreme Court of Mozambique · FAOLEX.
• ABCC — Flash News, 22/02/2024 — entry into force on February 21, 2024 and comparison with Law 23/2007: abcc.co.mz.
• WTW, 26/02/2024 — note on entry into force and referring telework to separate legislation: wtwco.com.
• CMS Expert Guide — overview of remote working in Mozambique (accessed September 2026): cms.law.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be forced to switch to telework?

The law does not regulate forced relocation from office to home. As a rule, changing the workplace requires your agreement — and, as you have seen, the telework contract must be in writing. If the company proposes the change, ask for written formalization before starting.

Who pays for internet and laptop in telework?

Law No. 13/2023 does not yet specify who provides equipment or how expenses are compensated. It is left to special legislation and, in practice, to your written agreement. List in the contract the equipment provided and what expenses are covered — only then does the promise become enforceable.

Can the employer install software to monitor me at home?

Not as a rule. Article 10 prohibits remote surveillance means intended to control professional performance. Exceptions exist only for the protection and safety of persons and property or integration into the normal production process, and even then the employer must inform you in writing. Evidence obtained in violation of this obligation is void.

Do I have the same rights as office workers?

Yes, you do. Article 2, paragraph 3, applies the law to special arrangements "in everything that proves adaptable." Hours, rest periods, leave, salary, and health and safety rules continue to apply, with the adaptations proper to remote work.

Is a purely verbal telework contract worth anything?

It is worth something in part: the lack of written form does not invalidate the contract nor forfeit acquired rights, and fault is presumed to be the employer's. But you lose easy proof of terms — location, equipment, expenses, schedule. Always insist on a signed document.

In summary, what to do today

1. Do not sign a verbal telework agreement: insist on a written contract with workplace, tasks, and remuneration clearly indicated.
2. List in the contract or annex the equipment provided and shared expenses, including internet and electricity.
3. Confirm that the agreed schedule complies with legal limits and note how hours will be recorded.
4. If you detect unannounced monitoring, request in writing the information provided for in Article 10.
5. Create your free profile on Inademy and activate email and WhatsApp alerts to receive new remote job openings.