Malawi - Health AND Travel Advice

Health Advice

Recommended Immunisations

Hepatitis A
Polio
Tetanus
Typhoid Fever
Meningococcal meningitis (especially for long stays)

Yellow Fever Yellow Fever Certificate is required for entry into Malawi if travelling from a Yellow Fever infected area. This includes passengers transiting through an infected area.

Malaria Malawi is a high risk malaria area all year round, with the greatest dangers being in the low lying areas and in the months of October through to April. Malaria in Malawi is chloroquine resistant and adequate prophylaxis is vitally important.

Bilharzia The stagnant & shallow reed areas of Lake Malawi, in particular near local towns & villages, are likely to have bilharzia. The danger of bilharzia should not stop you from swimming as long as certain precautions are taken - please consult your GP or travel clinic.

Passport & Visa

Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months at the time of travel and have preferably 2 blank pages.

Tourist visas are NOT required by citizens of the Commonwealth, most of the European Union and the USA, but you will need to obtain a 30 day tourist pass on arrival.

General Tips

Tap water in Malawi is not recommended for the use of drinking water. Always use bottled mineral water, which is widely available, for drinking and brushing teeth.

The local currency in Malawi is the Kwacha (abbreviated to MWK internationally; K locally). The kwacha is divided into 100 tambala. Practically speaking, only the kwacha is used. The exchange rate is approximately US$1 = MK140, £1 = MK210 and €1=MK175.

Credit cards are accepted in Malawi at most major hotels, restaurants and car hire companies, but away from Blantyre and Lilongwe and the 'up-market' tourism places, their use is limited. Credit cards can also be used to draw cash in the main bank branches, though the process can take a day or more.

Most hotels as well as a small number of commercial outlets offer internet access and email.

Malawi uses 220-240V electricity but encounters frequent power cuts. Plugs and sockets are generally the British three-square-pin type.

The Malawi time zone is GMT+2, meaning that during the summer time period in Europe, Malawi is 1 hour ahead of the UK and the same as most other Western European countries.

For more general health & travel advice, packing tips and travel insurance, please check our Travel Planning section.