Last November, Malawi’s Minister of Finance, Joseph Mwanamvekha, laid the groundwork for the change. In his mid-year budget review statement for fiscal year 2025–2026, he announced the revocation, “with immediate effect”, of visa-free access to Malawian territory for certain foreign travelers.
Although the measure was not enforced immediately, it was already clearly outlined in the government’s policy direction.
In a notice published in the Malawi Gazette Supplement dated January 2, 2026, the Government of Malawi officially amended its immigration regulations. The new text redefines the list of nationalities exempt from visa requirements for entry into Malawi.
In an official statement, the Malawian government announced that it had “revised its visa regime effective 3 January, 2026. Under the new regime, countries within the same regional blocs with Malawi and those that do not subject Malawians to visa requirements have been exempted.”
Malawi visas: A policy now based on reciprocity
Under the new provisions, a visa is now required for nationals of all countries, except for strictly defined exemptions listed in a newly adopted regulatory annex.
Nationals of the following countries are now exempt from the requirement to obtain a visa to enter Malawi:
- Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kiribati, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.
This exemption also extends to certain regional and institutional categories, subject to reciprocity and, where applicable, official travel status. These include:
- Nationals of member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), except for countries that require visas from Malawian citizens;
- Nationals of member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), under the same reciprocity condition;
- Holders of a SADC Laissez-Passer traveling on official business;
- Holders of a COMESA Laissez-Passer on official missions;
- Holders of a United Nations (UN) Laissez-Passer on official duty;
- Holders of an African Union (AU) Laissez-Passer traveling on official business;
- Holders of an African Development Bank (AfDB) Laissez-Passer on official missions;
- As well as holders of diplomatic or official/service passports, except for nationals of countries that impose visa requirements on Malawian holders of such passports.
A sharp reversal after the February 2024 liberalization
This new policy marks a clear break from the approach adopted less than two years earlier.
In February 2024, Malawi had significantly eased its entry requirements by granting visa-free access to visitors from 48 countries, as part of an explicit strategy to boost tourism and economic openness.
Those countries included France, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Poland, Russia, China, Israel, Singapore, Malaysia, as well as several Caribbean and Pacific states.
Since January 3, 2026, citizens of these countries are once again required to obtain a visa to travel to Malawi.
The reform implemented in recent days therefore appears to signal a strategic shift, with Malawi now favoring, much like Namibia did last year, a reciprocal entry policy based on diplomatic parity rather than unilateral visa exemptions.
Visa requirement for non-exempt nationalities
In practical terms, if a traveler’s nationality does not appear on the exemption lists set out in the new regulations, a visa must be obtained before traveling to Malawi.
Since 2019, Malawi has offered an electronic visa (e-Visa), which can be applied for online through the official portal: www.evisa.gov.mw.
However, at this stage, the website still indicates that some nationalities previously exempt remain visa-free. Travelers are therefore advised to wait until the portal has been fully updated to reflect the new regulations before submitting an online visa application.
The announced visa fees are as follows:
- Transit visa (valid for 7 days): USD 50
- Single-entry tourist visa (valid for 3 months from approval): USD 50
- Multiple-entry tourist visa (valid for 6 months): USD 150
- Multiple-entry tourist visa (valid for 12 months): USD 250
