Grassland and woodland in Nyika National Park, Malawi

Who needs a visa for Malawi?

Sub-Saharan Africa · Lilongwe

Photo: Joachim Huber from Switzerland / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Of 198 nationalities, 64 enter Malawi with no paperwork at all. The rest: 84 can get a visa at the border and 50 must be approved before they travel.

Government fee
$50
Typical decision
3 working days
Stay permitted
Tourist visa: 3 months, single use. Transit visa: 7 days.
Apply on the official Malawi government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 18 October 2026 — read the fees and rules on immigration.gov.mw

What Malawi asks for

  • Scanned copies of your passport and photo (camera photos are not accepted)

Worth knowing

  • Malawi's e-Visa fee is paid by Visa or Mastercard in US dollars and is not refunded if the application is rejected.
  • Since 24 February 2026 some nationalities can get a visa on arrival, while others must get a visa before departure. Malawi still encourages applying online at evisa.gov.mw before you travel.

Photo requirements

We have not yet read the photo rules for Malawi on an official page, so we print no sizes. Photo rules we have checked, and official links for the rest

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 64

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

eVisa (electronic visa) 50

A real visa application, made online instead of at an embassy. It is assessed, it takes days rather than minutes, and it can be refused.

Visa on arrival 84

Issued at the border rather than beforehand. Bring the fee in cash in the currency the border post accepts. It is a permission, not a guarantee.

About Malawi

Region
Eastern Africa
Capital
Lilongwe
Population
22,216,120 2025 · 60th of 197
Size
118,484 km² 98th largest of 199
Density
188 per km²
Languages
English, Chewa
Currency
Malawian kwacha MWK
Borders
Mozambique Tanzania Zambia

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.