Trip checklist: Malawi

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

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Visa requirement

South Africans don't need a visa for Malawi.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 30 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Before you go

• Purpose of visit

  Tourism, visiting and short business visits. Work needs a separate permit (Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services; epermit.gov.mw).

• Passport validity

  At least 6 months after the date you arrive (UK FCDO) and at least 2 blank pages (GSA, written for SA passport holders). No Malawian government page checked states a validity rule.

• How to apply

  No visa needed for ordinary South African passports. For reference, the official eVisa portal is evisa.gov.mw (Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services). Fees there: transit US$50, single entry US$50, multiple entry 6 months US$150, multiple entry 12 months US$250, paid online by card in USD, processed within 3 working days, non-refundable.

• Where South Africans apply

  Not applicable for visits. Visas and permits are processed centrally by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services in Malawi, not by missions. Malawi has a High Commission in Pretoria and a Consulate-General in Johannesburg (011 234 3938, per GSA).

• Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

  Malawi requires a yellow fever certificate only if you arrive from a yellow fever transmission-risk country (FCDO, US State Department). Not needed when flying direct from South Africa. Malawi is not on South Africa's yellow fever risk list, so no certificate is needed to return to SA, unless you transited a risk country (for example via Nairobi or Addis Ababa: more than 12 hours airside or leaving the airport). Malaria prophylaxis is recommended.

• Arrival forms

  Declare all foreign currency on arrival (US State Department). Exporting more than US$5,000 per trip needs bank approval; undeclared amounts may be confiscated. Declare anything prohibited or dutiable (FCDO).

• Extending your stay and overstaying

  The visitor's permit (up to 30 days) can be extended to a maximum of 90 days at the Department of Immigration. Overstaying can lead to arrest, a fine and deportation (US State Department).

• Transit

  South Africans are visa-exempt, so no transit visa is needed. Other nationals: transit visa valid up to 7 days, US$50.

• Travelling with children

  Carry each child's birth certificate. A child travelling with one parent may need notarised consent from the other parent, especially when transiting South Africa (US State Department). South Africa's own exit rules for minors also apply.

• Confirm with the embassy

  Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

• Malawi Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, eVisa portal https://www.evisa.gov.mw/Faq
• Malawi High Commission, London https://www.malawihighcommission.co.uk/index.php/visa

Research sources

1. 1. Malawi Department of Tourism (Visit Malawi) (Official, visitmalawi.mw) https://visitmalawi.mw/visas-immigration-and-customs/
2. 2. Malawi High Commission, London (Official, malawihighcommission.co.uk) https://www.malawihighcommission.co.uk/index.php/visa
3. 3. Embassy of Malawi, Berlin: press release on visa requirements (effective 9 September 2016) (Official, malawiembassy.de) https://www.malawiembassy.de/PRESSRELEASE.pdf
4. 4. Malawi Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, eVisa portal (Official, evisa.gov.mw) https://www.evisa.gov.mw/Faq
5. 5. DIRCO, South African visa exemption list (issued 18 June 2024) (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/paris/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/COUNTRIES-EXEMPT-FROM-VISAS.pdf
6. 6. UK FCDO (updated 2026-07-03) (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malawi/entry-requirements
7. 7. US Department of State (Other government, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Malawi.html
8. 8. DIRCO, South African High Commission Canberra (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/canberra/yellow-fever/
9. 9. The GSA (South African travel services company), updated 2025-10-21 (Commercial, thegsa.co.za) https://www.thegsa.co.za/visa-and-country-info/2594-malawi-country-guide
10. 10. VisasNews (News and guides, visasnews.com) https://visasnews.com/en/malawi-tightens-its-visa-exemption-policy/

From doineedavisa.co.za/malawi. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.