Malawi dual citizenship
Malawians by birth or descent can now hold a second citizenship. Here is which of the three forms fits you, what to attach, what it costs and where to hand it in, from Malawi or abroad.
- Open since January 2022
- Birth or descent only
- Checklist fee K50,000 to K100,000
Quick answer: Yes, Malawi allows dual citizenship. The law changed in 2019 and the department started taking applications in January 2022. It is open only to Malawians by birth or descent, not to people who became Malawian by naturalisation, registration or conferment. There are three forms: AA if you took another citizenship as an adult, AC if you lost your Malawi citizenship under the old law and want it back, and AE if you became a dual citizen as a child and have turned 19. The department’s checklists list K100,000 for AA and AC and K50,000 for AE (2022 figures: confirm before you pay).
What do you need?
Tap a card to jump to it.
Can you be a dual citizen?
From the department’s dual citizenship page.
Under the 1966 Citizenship Act, only Malawians under 22 could keep a second citizenship. An adult who took another country’s citizenship stopped being Malawian. Parliament changed this in December 2018, the President signed it in March 2019, and the rules to make it work were gazetted in November 2021 (Government Notice No. 59).
Now an adult can hold Malawi citizenship and another one at the same time, but only if you are Malawian by birth or descent. If you became Malawian by naturalisation, registration or conferment, you cannot be a dual citizen.
- Law
- Malawi Citizenship Act, Cap 15:01
- Changed
- Signed March 2019
- Applications
- Since January 2022
- Who
- Malawians by birth or descent
- Not eligible
- Naturalised, registered, conferred
Which form is yours?
The department has three routes. Pick the one that matches how you got your other citizenship.
Form AA: Notification and registration
For an adult Malawian by birth or descent who has taken another country’s citizenship and wants to be registered as a dual citizen.
- A covering letter.
- Form AA, filled in.
- Two passport size photos.
- A certified copy of your birth certificate.
- A certified copy of your Malawi National ID.
Fee on the checklist: K100,000. Download: Form AA (PDF) and its checklist (PDF).
Form AC: Restoration of Malawi citizenship
For an adult who lost Malawi citizenship by taking another country’s citizenship while the old law banned it, and now wants it back as a dual citizen.
- A covering letter.
- Form AC, filled in.
- Two passport size photos.
- A certified copy of the bio data page of your Malawi passport, valid or expired.
- A certified copy of the bio data page of a parent’s Malawi passport you were included in, if any.
- A certified copy of your birth certificate.
- If you have none of these: a sworn statement (affidavit) from a parent confirming your citizenship, or from a relative confirming your parents’ citizenship.
Fee on the checklist: K100,000. Download: Form AC (PDF) and its checklist (PDF).
Form AE: Notification at 19
For someone who became a citizen of another country as a child, has turned 19, and wants to be registered as an adult dual citizen.
- A covering letter.
- Form AE, filled in.
- Two passport size photos.
- A certified copy of the bio data page of your valid Malawi passport.
- A certified copy of the bio data page of your other country’s passport.
- A certified copy of your birth certificate.
- Any other document that shows you or a parent are Malawian.
Fee on the checklist: K50,000. Download: Form AE (PDF) and its checklist (PDF).
Not sure if you lost your citizenship? If you took another citizenship as an adult before the 2019 change, you most likely need Form AC (restoration), not AA. The law does not spell out every in-between case, so if you naturalised abroad between 2019 and 2022, ask the department which form to use before you file.
What dual citizenship costs
The department’s own documents do not agree on one fee, and none of them is newer than April 2022. Here is every figure we found.
- Department checklists, 2022Fee
- Form AA, notification and registrationK100,000
- Form AC, restoration as a dual citizenK100,000
- Form AE, notification at 19K50,000
- Department fees page, 2022Fee
- Restoration of Malawi citizenshipUS$100
- Registration by third generationUS$700
- Renunciation of Malawi citizenshipUS$500
- Citizenship certification letterK40,000
- High Commission, LondonFee
- Restoration of Malawi citizenship£450
- Registration by third generation£450
- Renunciation of Malawi citizenship£65
Pay only against an official receipt. In October 2023 the Minister of Homeland Security held back about 400 dual citizenship applications that had no proof of payment and ordered an audit (The Times). Ask the office which fee applies to you, pay into the government account they give you, and keep the receipt with your copy of the forms.
How to apply
The department says it does not work with agents: apply yourself.
-
Pick your form
Use the cards above: AA if you took another citizenship as an adult, AC if you lost your Malawi citizenship and want it back, AE if you became a dual citizen as a child and are now 19 or older.
-
Download the form and its checklist
Both are free PDFs on the dual citizenship page. The checklist is handed in with your application, so tick it as you go.
-
Fill it in twice, in block capitals
Every document goes in duplicate. Forms AC and AE include a sworn statement by a parent or relative, made before a magistrate or a commissioner for oaths. Add your e-mail address and phone number: the checklists ask for them.
-
Gather certified copies
Usually your birth certificate, National ID or Malawi passport. Missing one? See our birth certificate, National ID and passport guides.
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Hand it in
In Malawi: at Immigration Headquarters in Blantyre or a regional immigration office (Lilongwe, Zomba, Mzuzu). Abroad: contact the nearest Malawi embassy or high commission first. The High Commission in London, for example, links to these same forms and lists its own citizenship fees.
-
Wait for the decision
The department aims to process citizenship applications within forty working days. It may call you for an interview or ask for more documents. If you are turned down, you can appeal with your reasons.
Children born outside Malawi
From the department’s categories of citizenship page.
A child born outside Malawi to a parent who is a Malawi citizen by birth is Malawian by descent automatically, and can get a Malawi passport as a minor. See our passport guide for children’s passports.
If that child also holds the citizenship of the country they were born or raised in, they can keep both. When they turn 19, they file Form AE to be registered as an adult dual citizen.
- Born abroad to a Malawian by birth
- Malawian by descent
- Child’s passport
- Malawi passport as a minor
- At 19
- Form AE, K50,000 on the checklist
Immigration offices
Citizenship applications go to headquarters or a regional office. Calling from abroad, replace the first 0 with +265.
- Headquarters, Blantyre
- 01 832 565
- Lilongwe
- 01 759 270
- Zomba (East)
- 01 527 255
- Mzuzu (North)
- 01 311 474
Department of Immigration pages
Dual citizenship FAQ
Does Malawi allow dual citizenship?
Yes. The Citizenship Act was amended in 2019 and the department started processing applications in January 2022. It applies only to Malawians by birth or descent.
I became British, American or South African years ago. Am I still Malawian?
If you took that citizenship as an adult before the 2019 change, the old law ended your Malawi citizenship. You can get it back as a dual citizen with Form AC (restoration).
How much does Malawi dual citizenship cost?
The department’s checklists list K100,000 for Forms AA and AC and K50,000 for Form AE, but they date from 2022 and other official pages show different figures. Confirm the fee with the office before paying, and get a receipt.
Can a naturalised Malawian hold dual citizenship?
No. People who became Malawian by naturalisation, registration or conferment are not eligible.
How long does it take?
The department aims to process citizenship applications within forty working days.
Can an agent apply for me?
The department says it does not recognise agents. Apply yourself, through an immigration office or a Malawi mission abroad.
Do my children born abroad need to apply?
A child born abroad to a parent who is Malawian by birth is Malawian by descent automatically. If they hold another citizenship too, they file Form AE once they turn 19.
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