Malawi Travel Guide

Language

English is the official language, but Chichewa is more commonly spoken.

Currency

The official currency is the Malawi Kwacha (MWK), which is divided into 100 tambalas. Travelers checks and foreign currencies are accepted by banks, authorized hotels and other institutions in the main town centers; bureau de change are also available. The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange. Credit cards are not widely accepted and ATMs are scarce and should not be relied upon. Exchanging currency on the black market is not recommended.

153.0000

Electricity

Electrical current is 220/240 volts, 50Hz. Three-pin, rectangular blade plugs are standard.

Communications

The international dialing code for Malawi is +265. The outgoing code is 101 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 10127 for South Africa). There are no city/area codes required. The telephone system is not very reliable, but Internet, email and fax are available in most towns and tourist areas. The GSM 900 cell phone network gives coverage to most of the country and is compatible with most international operators.

Duty-Free

Travelers to Malawi do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco. For travelers over 18 years 1 liter spirits, 1 liter beer and 1 liter wine can be brought into the country without incurring duty fees.

Tourist Office

Malawi Ministry of Tourism Parks and Wildlife, Lilongwe: +265 (0) 177 5499

Embassies in Malawi

• United States Embassy, Lilongwe: +265 1 773 166.
• British High Commission, Lilongwe: +265 1 772 400.
• Canadian High Commission, Lusaka, Zambia (also responsible for Malawi): +260 1 250 833.
• Australian Embassy, Harare, Zimbabwe (also responsible for Malawi): +263 (0)4 852 471.
• South African High Commission, Lilongwe: +261 20 224 3350.
• Embassy of Ireland, Lilongwe: +265 1 706 405.

Malawi Embassies Abroad

• Malawi Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 721 0270.
• Malawi High Commission, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 8455 5624.
• Malawi High Commission, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 236 8931.
• Malawi High Commission, Tokyo, Japan (also responsible for Australia): +81(0)3 3449 3010.
• Malawi High Commission, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 0146.

Emergency

Emergencies: 997 (Police); 998 (Ambulance)

Language

English is the official language, but Chichewa is more commonly spoken.

Currency

The official currency is the Malawi Kwacha (MWK), which is divided into 100 tambalas. Travelers checks and foreign currencies are accepted by banks, authorized hotels and other institutions in the main town centers; bureau de change are also available. The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange. Credit cards are not widely accepted and ATMs are scarce and should not be relied upon. Exchanging currency on the black market is not recommended.

153.0000

Electricity

Electrical current is 220/240 volts, 50Hz. Three-pin, rectangular blade plugs are standard.

Communications

The international dialing code for Malawi is +265. The outgoing code is 101 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 10127 for South Africa). There are no city/area codes required. The telephone system is not very reliable, but Internet, email and fax are available in most towns and tourist areas. The GSM 900 cell phone network gives coverage to most of the country and is compatible with most international operators.

Duty-Free

Travelers to Malawi do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco. For travelers over 18 years 1 liter spirits, 1 liter beer and 1 liter wine can be brought into the country without incurring duty fees.

Tourist Office

Malawi Ministry of Tourism Parks and Wildlife, Lilongwe: +265 (0) 177 5499

Embassies in Malawi

• United States Embassy, Lilongwe: +265 1 773 166.
• British High Commission, Lilongwe: +265 1 772 400.
• Canadian High Commission, Lusaka, Zambia (also responsible for Malawi): +260 1 250 833.
• Australian Embassy, Harare, Zimbabwe (also responsible for Malawi): +263 (0)4 852 471.
• South African High Commission, Lilongwe: +261 20 224 3350.
• Embassy of Ireland, Lilongwe: +265 1 706 405.

Malawi Embassies Abroad

• Malawi Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 721 0270.
• Malawi High Commission, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 8455 5624.
• Malawi High Commission, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 236 8931.
• Malawi High Commission, Tokyo, Japan (also responsible for Australia): +81(0)3 3449 3010.
• Malawi High Commission, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 0146.

Emergency

Emergencies: 997 (Police); 998 (Ambulance)

Language

English is the official language, but Chichewa is more commonly spoken.

Currency

The official currency is the Malawi Kwacha (MWK), which is divided into 100 tambalas. Travelers checks and foreign currencies are accepted by banks, authorized hotels and other institutions in the main town centers; bureau de change are also available. The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange. Credit cards are not widely accepted and ATMs are scarce and should not be relied upon. Exchanging currency on the black market is not recommended.

153.0000

Electricity

Electrical current is 220/240 volts, 50Hz. Three-pin, rectangular blade plugs are standard.

Communications

The international dialing code for Malawi is +265. The outgoing code is 101 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 10127 for South Africa). There are no city/area codes required. The telephone system is not very reliable, but Internet, email and fax are available in most towns and tourist areas. The GSM 900 cell phone network gives coverage to most of the country and is compatible with most international operators.

Duty-Free

Travelers to Malawi do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco. For travelers over 18 years 1 liter spirits, 1 liter beer and 1 liter wine can be brought into the country without incurring duty fees.

Tourist Office

Malawi Ministry of Tourism Parks and Wildlife, Lilongwe: +265 (0) 177 5499

Embassies in Malawi

• United States Embassy, Lilongwe: +265 1 773 166.
• British High Commission, Lilongwe: +265 1 772 400.
• Canadian High Commission, Lusaka, Zambia (also responsible for Malawi): +260 1 250 833.
• Australian Embassy, Harare, Zimbabwe (also responsible for Malawi): +263 (0)4 852 471.
• South African High Commission, Lilongwe: +261 20 224 3350.
• Embassy of Ireland, Lilongwe: +265 1 706 405.

Malawi Embassies Abroad

• Malawi Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 721 0270.
• Malawi High Commission, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 8455 5624.
• Malawi High Commission, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 236 8931.
• Malawi High Commission, Tokyo, Japan (also responsible for Australia): +81(0)3 3449 3010.
• Malawi High Commission, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 0146.

Emergency

Emergencies: 997 (Police); 998 (Ambulance)

Language

English is the official language, but Chichewa is more commonly spoken.

Currency

The official currency is the Malawi Kwacha (MWK), which is divided into 100 tambalas. Travelers checks and foreign currencies are accepted by banks, authorized hotels and other institutions in the main town centers; bureau de change are also available. The US dollar is the easiest currency to exchange. Credit cards are not widely accepted and ATMs are scarce and should not be relied upon. Exchanging currency on the black market is not recommended.

153.0000

Electricity

Electrical current is 220/240 volts, 50Hz. Three-pin, rectangular blade plugs are standard.

Communications

The international dialing code for Malawi is +265. The outgoing code is 101 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 10127 for South Africa). There are no city/area codes required. The telephone system is not very reliable, but Internet, email and fax are available in most towns and tourist areas. The GSM 900 cell phone network gives coverage to most of the country and is compatible with most international operators.

Duty-Free

Travelers to Malawi do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco. For travelers over 18 years 1 liter spirits, 1 liter beer and 1 liter wine can be brought into the country without incurring duty fees.

Tourist Office

Malawi Ministry of Tourism Parks and Wildlife, Lilongwe: +265 (0) 177 5499

Embassies in Malawi

• United States Embassy, Lilongwe: +265 1 773 166.
• British High Commission, Lilongwe: +265 1 772 400.
• Canadian High Commission, Lusaka, Zambia (also responsible for Malawi): +260 1 250 833.
• Australian Embassy, Harare, Zimbabwe (also responsible for Malawi): +263 (0)4 852 471.
• South African High Commission, Lilongwe: +261 20 224 3350.
• Embassy of Ireland, Lilongwe: +265 1 706 405.

Malawi Embassies Abroad

• Malawi Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 721 0270.
• Malawi High Commission, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 8455 5624.
• Malawi High Commission, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 236 8931.
• Malawi High Commission, Tokyo, Japan (also responsible for Australia): +81(0)3 3449 3010.
• Malawi High Commission, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 0146.

Emergency

Emergencies: 997 (Police); 998 (Ambulance)