Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe is the main entry point. The airport sits 26 kilometers north of the capital. Chileka International Airport serves Blantyre, 16 kilometers from the city center. Both airports handle regional connections through Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, South African Airways, and Malawian Airlines. Direct international flights arrive from Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Dar es Salaam. No direct flights connect Malawi to Europe or North America. The Lilongwe terminal has immigration counters, a currency exchange desk that opens for incoming flights, and ATMs that dispense Malawian kwacha. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever occurs.
Visas on arrival are available at both international airports for most nationalities. A single-entry visa costs 75 USD and permits stays up to 30 days. Multiple-entry visas cost 150 USD and allow stays up to 90 days within six months. Payment must be in US dollars, and notes printed before 2006 are routinely rejected. Immigration officers expect exact change. Processing time ranges from 15 minutes to one hour depending on the number of incoming flights. The official visa policy appears on the website of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services. Citizens of most Commonwealth countries, South Africa, and several other nations receive visa-free entry for periods ranging from 30 to 90 days. The list changes without advance notice.
Land borders connect Malawi to Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique. The main crossings are Songwe border post with Tanzania, Mwami border post with Zambia, and Dedza with Mozambique. Buses operate daily between Lilongwe and Lusaka through Mwami, between Mzuzu and Dar es Salaam through Songwe, and between Blantyre and Tete through the Zobue-Mwanza crossing. Border posts open from 0600 to 1800. Processing at land borders takes longer than at airports because immigration officers manually record details in ledgers. Money changers gather at all major crossings. Their rates fall below bank rates but eliminate the need to find currency exchange in the next town.
The Malawian kwacha divides into 100 tambala. Notes circulate in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 kwacha. Coins exist but rarely appear in transactions. Inflation runs high, and the exchange rate fluctuates. In 2024, one US dollar buys approximately 1600 to 1700 kwacha. Check current rates through the Reserve Bank of Malawi before arrival. Local vendors quote prices in kwacha only. US dollars and South African rand can be exchanged at banks and official forex bureaus in cities. Hotels sometimes accept dollars for room payments but apply poor exchange rates.
ATMs in Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Mzuzu accept Visa and Mastercard. Machines dispense kwacha in denominations up to 5000 notes. Daily withdrawal limits range from 200,000 to 400,000 kwacha depending on the bank. Machines frequently run empty on weekends and holidays. National Bank, Standard Bank, and NBS Bank operate the most reliable networks. ATMs in smaller towns malfunction regularly or lack cash. Transaction fees apply both from your home bank and the Malawian bank, often totaling 5 to 7 USD per withdrawal. Withdraw maximum amounts each time to reduce fee frequency.
Credit cards are accepted at large hotels, safari lodges, and a few restaurants in Lilongwe and Blantyre. Expect a 5 percent surcharge. Everywhere else operates on cash. Bring a reserve of US dollars in bills dated 2006 or later. Fifty and hundred dollar notes exchange at better rates than smaller denominations. Currency exchange bureaus cluster near bus stations in cities. Banks require passports for foreign exchange transactions and charge no commission but offer lower rates than bureaus. Keep small kwacha notes for taxis, markets, and street food. Breaking a 5000 note at a roadside stall creates genuine difficulty.
Mobile money platforms dominate daily transactions. Airtel Money and TNM Mpamba hold the largest market share. You need a Malawian phone number and SIM card to open an account. Registration requires a passport and proof of address, which hotels provide. Once activated, mobile money permits bill payments, transfers to other users, and withdrawals from agents that operate in every town and village. Conversion from foreign currency to mobile money goes through banks or agents equipped for foreign exchange. This system lets you avoid carrying large amounts of cash outside cities.