Moving Back to Malawi: Duty-Free Household Goods and Your Car (Returning Residents)

Malawi Revenue Authority rules · checked November 2026

Moving back to Malawi

Coming home for good? Your clothes, household goods and up to two cars can come in duty free, if you follow the rules.

Ship within 6 months
Car owned 1 year
Once every 5 years

Quick answer: Malawians moving home for good can bring their clothes, used household goods and up to two cars per family without paying duty. The goods must arrive within six months of you, household goods must have been owned and used for at least six months, and a car for at least a year. The car relief is once every five years and does not cover pick-ups, minibuses or lorries.

Start here

What do you need?

Tap a card to jump to it.

What comes in freeHousehold goods, clothes, tools.Duty free Bringing a carTwo per family, owned for a year.Cars Papers for customsWhat to have ready at the border.Checklist Settling inID, licence, money, citizenship.After

The rules

Four numbers to remember

6monthsShip your goods within six months of arriving.

6monthsHousehold goods must have been yours and used for six months.

1yearYour car must have been yours and used for a year.

5yearsThe car relief can be used once every five years.

Duty free

What comes in free, and what does not

Under customs code 430 for people moving home (MRA tariff). Goods must be for your own use, not for sale.

Duty free

Clothes, new or used
Furniture and household goods you have used for 6 months
Tools, garden and workshop equipment
Up to two cars per family

You pay duty on

New furniture and appliances (bring the invoices)
Building materials
Goods to sell or give away
Pick-ups, minibuses, lorries and buses

Firearms need a special government permit, and pets need an import permit from the veterinary department. Arrange both before you ship.

Cars

Bringing your car home

The car relief has the strictest rules. Read them before you ship.

Two per familyOr one for a single adult who is working

Owned for 1 yearBefore you ship it or before you arrive, whichever is earlier

Any passenger carSeven-seaters too: the five-seat limit was dropped in February 2024

Do not sell itSell, lend, hire or give it away and the duty becomes payable

You can use the relief once every five years. Pick-ups, minibuses, lorries, buses and other commercial vehicles do not qualify. Arrive in Malawi before the car does.

After customs clears the car, keep the Customs Clearance Certificate: you need it to register the car. To drive on a foreign licence, see our driving licence guide.

Per family: Up to 2 cars
Owned: 1 year or more
Relief: Once in 5 years

Checklist

Papers to have ready at customs

From the movers association customs guide. You sign the duty-free forms in person.

PassportWith stamps showing you lived abroad for over a year

Proof you have finishedLetter ending your job or studies abroad

InventoryEvery item, with serial numbers for electrical goods

Bill of ladingOr airway bill for air freight

Car papersRegistration and purchase invoice in your name

Duty waiverApply to MRA customs under code 430

You, in personArrive before your goods and sign at customs

Invoices for new itemsNew goods pay duty

Steps

Moving home, step by step

1

Before you leave

Make a full inventory and keep your car’s registration and purchase papers.
2

Arrive first

You must be in Malawi before your goods and car.
3

Ship within six months

Count from the day you arrive. MRA can allow longer, so ask early if you need it.
4

Apply for the duty waiver

At MRA customs, with the papers above. The processing fee is K30,000.
5

Clear and register

Sign for the goods in person, then register the car with its clearance certificate.

Short trips

Visiting, not moving? The K300,000 allowance

For goods in your luggage when you come back from any trip abroad (MRA leaflet).

Each traveller can bring in K300,000 worth of goods for personal use without duty, and each family member gets their own allowance. It only covers goods you carry with you, not gifts or items for other people.

If you go over by less than K10,000 you pay 30% of the extra. Above that, normal duty applies to the amount over K300,000.

Allowance: K300,000 per person
Covers: Goods in your luggage
Not: Gifts or goods for others

Settling in

After you land

Sort these early: banks, phone networks and employers will ask for them.

National ID Passport Dual citizenship Foreign driving licence Bringing money home

Took another citizenship while abroad? Check your Malawian citizenship before you move. Our dual citizenship guide has the forms.

Ask MRA

Malawi Revenue Authority call centre

Toll-free 672 +265 1 832 685 WhatsApp 0996 278 690 [email protected]

Questions

Moving back to Malawi FAQ

Can I bring my car to Malawi duty free?

Yes, if you are moving home for good, have owned and used the car for at least a year, and it is a passenger car, not a pick-up, minibus or lorry. Up to two cars per family, once every five years.

How long do I have to ship my things?

Six months from the day you arrive. MRA can allow longer if you ask.

Do I pay duty on new furniture?

Yes. Only goods you have owned and used for at least six months come in free. Bring invoices for anything new.

Can I sell the car after I bring it in?

If you sell, lend, hire or give it away, you can be asked to pay the duty you were let off.

Does a seven-seater qualify?

Yes. In February 2024 MRA removed the five-seat limit for returning residents’ passenger vehicles.

What is the K300,000 allowance?

It is for goods in your luggage when you return from any trip. Moving home for good uses the separate duty-free rules above.

Next steps