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Visa and immigration requirements. A full valid passport is required for entry into Malawi. Citizens of the Commonwealth countries (excluding India, Pakistan and Nigeria) and of the European Union, Iceland, Israel, Japan and the USA do not need visas. They will be issued a tourist pass for 30 days or up to 3 months, return air ticket must be produced on arrival. It is advisable to check with us what the current situation is, as regulations are likely to change. We will be able to assist in obtaining a visa where required. Health requirements. Malaria prophylactic are recommended. Yellow fever immunisation is not needed for Malawi, but an immunisation certificate is helpful. Tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis vaccinations are, as for all trips, not a bad idea. Customs. International travellers over the age of 18 may import the following items duty free: 200 cigarettes or 225 gm of tobacco, 1 litre spirits, 1 litre beer, 1 litre wine and a reasonable quantity of consumer goods to meet the travellers immediate needs. International flights. South African Airways has five flights a week into Lilongwe and two into Blantyre, and Ethiopian Airlines has three flights a week into Lilongwe. Kenya Airways/KLM has four flights a week into Lilongwe. Air Malawi also serves Harare, Johannesburg and Nairobi. Departure Tax. When leaving Malawi on an International flight a US$30.00 departure tax is levied. A MK100.00, roughly US$1.00 is levied for domestic flights. Vouchers can only be paid for in the airport entrance hall. International departure tax has to be paid only in US$. Currency. The Malawi currency is the Kwacha, abbreviated to MK it is divided into 100 tambala. Due to the high inflation rates the tambalas have all but disappeared. Notes are available in K500.00, K200, K100, K50. K20 and K5 notes. The word Kwacha means 'dawn' while timbale means 'cockerel'. Currency regulations. There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency, which can be brought into the country though it should be declared on arrival to prevent any restriction on the same amount being taken out when departing. For Malawian currency, K200.00 is the current limit for export. A black market exchange rate is available but is illegal. It is advisable to bring either US$ currency avoiding $100.00 notes or the European Euro. Credit Cards. Major hotels, restaurants and car hire companies do accept credit cards, but away from Blantyre, Lilongwe and the 'up-market' tourist resorts their use is very limited. Credit cards can also be used to draw cash in the main bank branches but the procedure can take a day or two. There is a percentage charged on all credit cards transaction. Communications. The telephone system in Malawi is rather poor and often frustrating but usually in the urban areas it is possible to make international calls. GSM cell phones work in Malawi, even if the country is only partially covered. Cards can be purchased at the airport and the more modern three band phones will connect to the international network. Languages. The national language is Chewa with Yao and Tumbuka and various variations of the Chewa tongue spoken throughout the country. English is the official language and is widely understood. Energy. Supply is based on the 220/240 volts system, using "British type" square bayonet three-point plugs. Electricity is not widely available in most of the tourist destinations. It is advisable to check before departure and to make arrangements with the lodge manager to recharge batteries. Medical. Insurance should be purchased before arriving in the country. Emergency evacuation by air is now possible. It is worth carrying a sterile first aid kit (including syringes) as well as a full supply of medicines as availability in Malawi is not guaranteed. Photographic equipment. In Malawi availability of film. batteries and video tapes is limited and when available it is expensive so it is advisable to bring adequate supplies. Time and daylight hours. Malawi time is Greenwich Mean Time plus two hours, the same Central Africa Time as South Africa. Day light varies by about an hour between winter (May to August) when there are 11-day light hours, and summer (January to March), when here are 12-day light hours. Climate. Malawi has three seasons: May to August, cool and dry September to mid-November, hot and dry. Mid-November to April, hot and humid. |