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I thought Malawi was the easy one on this trip. Long visa-free for many nationalities, I was first into the immigration hall, had my yellow fever vaccination certificate open to flex to the health official and then ran into a wall of confused people with lines from a row of visa booths extending into immigration lines in the cramped arrivals hall in Lilongwe.
We were told effective October 1 Malawi had a new visa regime. Fill out the form and go to the first booth. Then the second booth to pay $75 and get a full-page visa. Then wade back to an immigration line. The process took over an hour. For good measure, customs officials checked every bag, some cursory, some item by item. What happened?
I asked several of the agents, in a friendly way, the reasons for the new regime. All I got was that there is a new government. I don’t know when they announced this, the notice from the Malawi Embassy in Washington went out on October 2, while the US State Department updated their travel info on September 30. The prime hint is, “…will not exempt any country where Malawians are required to pay visas except for.”
Both notices recommend getting a visa in advance, and both indicate visa on arrival should still work, with the caveat that individual airlines potentially can deny boarding without proof of a visa. South African Airlines was not checking visas on departure from Johannesburg so they haven’t gotten the memo. Best to check Star Alliance Timatic to see what airlines see.
There is a claim that an e-visa system is in the works. Study the examples of other countries for the likely timeline and ease of use.
There was no indication to me that visa on arrival was a problem or going to be a problem, though that may be due to the process just starting. I encountered a similar dilemma with Mozambique, which announced last fall it would not grant visa on arrival for nationals in countries where there is a Mozambique embassy. I found conflicting reports online so I got a Mozambique visa in advance at great expense. Upon arrival in Maputo there was a desk with a camera that I presumed to be for visa on arrival. It was not staffed and there was no signage. The immigration officer who stamped my passport did not respond to a greeting so I did not pursue conversation.
Back to Malawi, I can understand why they are instituting a reciprocity system, though I believe it is self-defeating. Countries like the US get away with onerous visa policies because many people will come anyway. Malawi, however, is not easy or cheap to reach by air or land, even from its neighbors. The people have a justifiably friendly reputation, tourist lodges have been increasing on Lake Malawi and parks are being restocked with wildlife. It was building a reputation as a ‘next thing’ for those who have tried safaris in the major destinations like South African and Kenya. This will not help word of mouth. Guaranteed arrival hassle and potential to need a visa in advance makes it hard to recommend Malawi’s subtle charms to all but the most determined.
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[…] Malawi New Visa Regime Effective October 1 by Rapid Travel Chai. I think very few of our readers will be travelling to Malawi in the near future, but if you are then you should be aware of the new requirements. […]
Malawi’s immigration law is assinine and may actually be unconstitutional if challenged.
I am married to a Malawian, but while “foreign citizen wives” of Malawian men are entitled to residence in Malawi and exemption from visas, the same does not hold true for foreign citizen males married to Malawian women. I am not only restricted from taking up residence in Malawi if I so chose, but also have to jump through the hoops of getting a new visa every 6 months just to visit (at a cost of $250 per visa). At least Malawian diplomatic missions are friendly and helpful.
@RTC you are so funny! Still waiting… Keep safe 😉
Can we have more Scandinavia than Africa, please?
@Shannon – I am part Swedish and in Africa, does that count?
I think the other best approach is land borders and getting visas in other African countries often at a steep discount. They only seem to charge the full $160 reciprocity fee at the US embassies. I know that doesnt fit into your time frame but that is my current plan since may of the embassies do it same or next day.
@john – good point, I weighed trying the Mozambique visa on arrival because I had to pay a bundle to send to DC, extra for expedite and the full on visa fee.
yea, I am sad to hear it. I get where the countries are coming from with these policies and I get that US visas are absurdly complicated, but its really not doing the countries any favors and it does not put any pressure on countries like the US to change policy.
I also spent time deciding how to squeek into Mozambique for less cost and hassle. Ultimately I cancelled the trip, but it is frustrating how vague the African visa regimes are. The best hope seems to be the e-visa, take the damn money and stop bothering me approach.
Your visa experience entering Mozambique was vastly different from mine earlier this year, Stefan:
http://thegate.boardingarea.com/entering-mozambique-as-an-american-6-things-about-which-you-should-know/
Perhaps it was because I drove in through a border crossing from Swaziland as opposed to arriving by airplane at the airport…?
@Brian Cohen – I had read your report and wished you had been able to test airport on arrival. I didn’t get the impression they are too organized, the guy barely looked at my visa to see if it was valid. I can imagine land borders do what the want, and I probably would have gotten the visa on arrival in a pinch, though with the complexity of the trip I didn’t want to jeopardize it.