The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
Malawi
East Africa
Lake Malawi, diving, beaches and nature reserves. Lake Malawi, Chongoni rock art and the landscape of Mulanje.
- On the map
CapitalLilongwe
When to goApril to November
Suggested length8 days min.
CurrencyMalawian kwacha / Malawian kwacha
LanguagesEnglish +2
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Lilongwe · Lac Malawi · Blantyre · Cape Maclear
- Best season
- April to November, from Lilongwe’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 8 days for these 4 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Ideal
November
Lilongwe: mean maximum 29 °C, 63 mm of rain · dry and mild.
- Mean maximum
- 29 °C
- Rain
- 63 mm
- Station
- Lilongwe
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/malawi/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you arrive in Malawi. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You must apply for a visa to enter Malawi.
- To enter Malawi, you must have certificates to prove you’ve had: a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Malawi. Read more about altitude sickness on TravelHealthPro.
- General medical facilities throughout Malawi are unable to provide the same standard of healthcare as in the UK. Facilities in rural areas are basic and emergency services are limited. You should carry basic medical supplies. Many medical facilities expect up-front payment.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
No particular vigilance zone is listed on the official page (in French) (updated on 15 Sept 2026) · see the page.
- There is a risk of mugging and bag-snatching. Take sensible precautions to protect yourself such as: not walking in quiet areas, especially after dark
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Penalties for drug use and smuggling can be severe. This includes cannabis.
Currency
Malawian kwacha / Malawian kwachaViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Malawi. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 22,216,120
- Time zone
- +1 h from Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type G plugs · 230 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the left
- Calling code
- +265
- Languages
- English, Chewa, Tumbuka
- Area
- 118,484 km²
- Highest point
- Mulanje Massif, 3,002 m
- Main religions
- Protestant 33.5%, Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%, Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- LLWLilongwe International AirportLilongwe296,190 passengers
- ZZUMzuzu AirportMzuzu
- BLZBakili Muluzi International AirportBlantyre
- CMKClub Makokola Airport
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you are planning to drive in Malawi, see information on driving abroad. You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Malawi for up to 90 days. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence.
Destinations
The essentials.
Lilongwe
Lilongwe (UK:, US:,) is the capital and largest city of Malawi.
Lac Malawi
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, (Swahili: Ziwa Nyasa) is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
Blantyre
Blantyre is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with a population of 800,264 as of 2018.
Cape Maclear
Cape Maclear or Chembe is a town in the Mangochi District of Malawi's Southern Region.
Cape Maclear
Joachim Huber from SwitzerlandMust-try food
Four dishes, and where to taste them.
Nshima
Le nshima, ou nsima, est un plat originaire de Zambie, à base de farine de maïs, qui se présente sous la forme d'une pâte blanche. Il est consommé dans toute l’Afrique, en particulier à l’est, en Zambie, au Malawi et au Kenya, où il constitue la base de l’alim (summary in French)
Ugali
Ugali, also known as posho, nsima, papa, pap, bogobe, sadza, isitshwala, akume, amawe, ewokple, akple, and other names, is a type of corn meal made from maize or corn or mahindi flour in several African countries: Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Kondowole
Kondowole is a staple of Malawian cuisine that is eaten predominantly in the northern region of Malawi. It is made from cassava flour and water. It is a very sticky meal and resembles that of the Malawian nsima, Tanzanian ugali, or English posho. It is mostly
Thobwa
Thobwa is a Malawian and Zambian fermented drink that has a milky appearance, a cereal taste and a grainy texture. It is made from white maize and millet or sorghum and is popular in all parts of the country. The name thobwa means "sweet beer", and although it
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Protestant 33.5%, Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%, Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1%.
- Languages: English (official), Chewa (dominant), Lambya, Lomwe, Ngoni, Nkhonde, Nyakyusa, Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Tumbuka, Yao.
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 6 July (1964) ; also called Republic Day since 6 July 1966 ; independence: 6 July 1964 (from the UK).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Mulanje Massif, reaches 3,002 m.
22,216,120 inhabitants in 2025 on 118,484 km², about 188 per km².
Independence on 6 July 1964 (from the UK).
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)672World Bank · 2025GDP growth1.9 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)28.4 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)5.1 %World Bank · 2025International tourist arrivals871World Bank · 2018
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 18 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Malawi (Q1020)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Malawi · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 20 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Malawi · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 20 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Malawi · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 20 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Nshima
- Wikipedia · Ugali
- Wikipedia · Kondowole
- Wikipedia · Thobwa
- Wikipedia · Lilongwe
- Wikipedia · Lac Malawi
- Wikipedia · Blantyre (Malawi)
- Wikipedia · Cape Maclear
- CIA World Factbook · Malawi (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Malawi · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Lilongwe · monthly normals (Meteo Climat,{{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.