Travellers to Malawi face tighter visa checks as 1,752 applications refused

Malawi's Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services says it has refused 1,752 visa applications and deported 223 people as it tightens controls over foreigners entering and staying in the country. The department says more than 1,000 foreign nationals have been arrested in the operation, which has also uncovered attempts to fraudulently obtain Malawian passports.

Key facts

• 1,752 visa applications rejected
• 223 people deported
• More than 1,000 foreign nationals arrested
• 45 of those arrested are suspected of trying to obtain Malawian passports fraudulently
• Two foreign nationals convicted in Blantyre and awaiting deportation

What has the immigration department done?

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services says it has rejected 1,752 visa applications and deported 223 people. It has also arrested more than 1,000 foreign nationals in a wider crackdown on people entering or staying in the country.

The department has not stated over what period the figures were collected or which nationalities are most affected.

Who has been convicted over passport fraud?

Among those arrested, 45 foreign nationals are suspected of attempting to obtain Malawian passports fraudulently. Two of them — Yasin Chenda Moses, a Zambian national, and Bornlose Onasimbo Ntinkha, a Tanzanian — were convicted in Blantyre last week for attempting to fraudulently obtain Malawian passports. Both are awaiting deportation to their respective countries.

What happened in the Lilongwe passport case?

The department has also begun investigating questions around a passport application made in the name of Alice Banda in Lilongwe, working with the National Registration Bureau (NRB) to verify information submitted during the national identity registration process.

Immigration spokesperson Pasqually Zulu said the application went through document verification on 5 November 2026 but was rejected at the interview stage the following day, and rejected again during the audit process. Zulu said no Malawian passport was issued because the application did not complete the full processing procedure. Investigations are continuing into the circumstances of the rejection and whether anyone tried to influence the processing of the application.

What this means for travellers

The department says it will not tolerate passport fraud or abuse of immigration procedures, describing a Malawian passport as a sovereign national document whose integrity must be protected. Foreign nationals planning travel to or through Malawi should expect visa and document checks to be taken seriously, and should make sure any information submitted in visa or identity applications is accurate and verifiable.

The department has not announced any new visa rules, fees or application procedures as part of the crackdown. It says investigations are continuing.