UK warns its citizens travelling to Malawi of ‘muggers and bag snatchers’: Visa fees from 1 July

Britain is advising its citizen planning to visit Malawi that despite the country being peaceful they should be cautious about “muggers and bag-snatchers.”

In a statement posted on the UK government website, the British citizen are advised that most visits to Malawi are trouble-free, but “you should take sensible precautions to protect yourself from muggers and bag-snatchers.”

The statement said: “Most thefts from visitors take place around the main bus stations in Lilongwe and Blantyre, and at the main ports for the Ilala ferry.”

Britain has also advised its citizens that from 1 July 2015 Malawi will introduce a visa fee of $75 (K33 375) payable on arrival for UK visitors (and nationals of other countries that charge a visa fee for Malawian nationals).

According to a June 17 2015 circular addressed to ‘All Diplomatic Missions and International organisations accredited to the Republic of Malawi’, delivered to all diplomatic missions in the country, the visa payment shall exclude nationals from all Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), diplomats and government officials.

UK nationals and those from the United States of America (USA) are among those who will be paying the fee.

“The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, has effective 1st July, 2015, introduced an entry fee of $75 into the Republic of Malawi for nationals whose countries require Malawians to pay visa fees,” reads the second paragraph of the circular.

Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security has said it is not aware of such a circular hich is bearing a stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has a signature at the bottom in blue ink but does also mention Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security as being party to the introduction of the new visa fees.