Malawi: FAQs
Published on: October 31st, 2016
Last modified: August 3rd, 2022
Our frequently asked questions about travel to Malawi. If you have any other questions, please contact your travel designer or concierge.
Do I need any vaccinations before I go away to Malawi?
Please seek professional medical advice and recheck close to the date of travel as the situation may change.
What is recommended for all is that you ensure you are up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid and routine immunisations – specifically tetanus-diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella.
Do I need to get a visa?
British nationals don’t need a visa for a short visit to Malawi. However, the Malawian government has announced that it intends to introduce a visa regime for British visitors (and nationals of other countries that charge a visa fee for Malawian nationals) from 1 October 2015. This is also the case for Spanish passport holders. Visas are up to you to get in advance. Please check with your nearest Malawian high commission for more information.
The Government of Malawi requires a USD 75 per person entry fee to visitors from any country which requires Malawian citizens to obtain visas to visit their country of citizenship. This includes, but is not limited to, nationals of the following countries: United States, Canada, Schengen member states, Australia and New Zealand.
Please contact your Travel Designer for further details.
Please also ensure that you have at least two free pages in your passport before entering and that your passport is valid for six months after your intended departure.
Luggage weight restrictions
Luggage, including camera equipment and hang luggage, is restricted to 15 kg / 33 lbs per person on domestic flights.
Travel insurance
It is vital that you take out valid comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical repatriation, cancellation and curtailment for you trip to Africa. This gives you peace of mind that you will not lose money should you be forced to cancel your trip due to illness before you travel or during your vacation.
Please ensure that your insurance covers you for medical evacuation and repatriation both internationally and locally, and we could advise that your policy covers loss and theft of your possessions.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all aspects of your vacation. You must ensure that you will be covered for activities such as walking, rafting, canoeing and horse riding.
Remember to carry your insurance details with you at all times.
Facilities
Please note that some remote/tented camps have limited access to water, electricity and internet. Depending on the camp, this may mean that you will not have hairdryers, running water showers, running water ablution facilities and internet/wifi. It may mean that you will have to charge batteries and personal devices in a single public area or office, etc.
Laundry
Most camps and lodges have laundry facilities, provided you have sufficient time to allow for drying and ironing. Some properties charge a nominal fee for this (some include it). As laundry in lodges is generally done by hand, we suggest that you wash your own underwear.
Electricity
There is a huge variation in the type of plug socket in use in Africa and it is best to be armed with a universal adaptor. Most sockets tend to be in the square three pin style, but you will also find the larger three-pin socket as in South Africa.
