The Malawi e Visa is the visa of choice for many foreign nationals who visit Malawi for a short time. A traveler can use the Malawi visa for
Business visits
Tourism
Transit
Medical purposes.
If you plan to visit Malawi anytime soon, you need a Malawi e visa, and this post contains valuable information about Malawi tourist e visa and how to go about it.
Malawi e Visa
The Malawi electronic visa system is an electronic document issued by the government to Malawi through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreign nationals intending to visit the country. It was introduced to replace the visa on arrival. This electronic visa application system was introduced in 2019 to facilitate the smooth application of short-stay visas. This system made it possible for applicants to apply for a short visa from the comfort of their homes.
Instead of visiting the Malawian embassy in their home countries, this visa policy allows applicants to simply apply for an e-visa using their smartphones or computers. The process is done online and requires documents uploaded in soft copies. E visas are valid for 90 days and allow the holder to stay for 7, 30, or 180 days. For the latter, the applicant will have to apply for up an ETA with longer validity.
Types of Malawi ETA
Applicants should be sure of why they intend to visit Malawi before applying for an e Visa. Here are the four types of e-visas.
Tourism e Visa: A tourism e visa is a special travel document for those who want to visit Malawi to enjoy the country’s sights and sounds. Malawi has rich flora and fauna and a thriving local culture. Applicants who successfully obtain the e visa can stay in Malawi for up to a month or more.
Business: Applicants with business interests in Malawi can apply for an e-visa to stay in the country. As long as the trip will not exceed 180 days, they are free to reside within Malawian borders
Transit: Malawi is located in East Africa and shares a common border with Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Travelers to any of these countries or Southern Africa may make temporary stops in Malawi before they continue their trip. However, a Transit e visa is not required if the traveler doesn’t leave the airport during their short stay; transit e visas are only required for those who leave the airport to spend some time outside the airport.
Medical Purposes: Malawi e-visa can also be obtained for medical trips to the country, provided the visit will not exceed the maximum number of days allowed for e-visa holders
Instead of visiting the Malawian embassy in their home countries, they simply apply for an e-visa using their smartphones or computers. The process is done online and requires documents uploaded in soft copies. E visas are valid for 90 days and allow the holder to stay for 7, 30, or 180 days. For the latter, the applicant will have to apply for up an ETA with longer validity.
Multiple Entry Visa
The e visa is a multiple entry visa, so holders can use it to visit Malawi as often as possible as long as it remains valid. This offers holders the benefit of not applying for a new e visa every time there is a need to visit Malawi.
Single Entry Visa
Just as there is a multiple entry e visa, there is a single entry e visa? The single entry e visa is a one-time visa that can only be used once. It can’t be used multiple times. The moment the applicant exits Malawi, the e-visa becomes invalid even though it has some weeks or months left before it expires.
Malawi e Visa Document
Applying for a Malawian e-visa is one of the easiest things to do. The process takes a short time, and you can get the visa in a short time. You will need the following to apply for it
Valid Passport
A valid passport that will not expire in the next 6 months. The passport must be scanned and uploaded on the application form, showing the bio page clearly.
Digital Photo
A photo of yourself in the white background clearly showing your face must be uploaded in a jpeg or any other approved format.
Debit/Credit Card Online Payment
A debit or Credit card with sufficient funds must be used to pay the application fee online before the form can be submitted for processing.
After submitting the application form to the e visa system, you may need to wait 3-7 working days for it to be approved. To avoid unnecessary delays, endeavor to provide accurate information. Also, submit the application form at least a week before your planned travel date, so you are not delayed while waiting for the e-visa to be approved.
To apply for a Malawi e visa, visit VisaHQ to complete the online application form.