Malawi Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in malawi, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements and Documentations
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According to customs regulations, the following documents can be demanded by customs officials:

  • Advice notes
  • Bill of lading
  • Certificate of origin
  • Commercial invoice
  • Malawi Revenue Authority Form 12
  • Customs declaration for Mozambique (transit document)
  • Delivery order
  • Malawi Revenue Authority Form 19
  • Inspection report from scanner (transit document)
  • Packing list
  • Release order
  • Report order

MRA customs forms are available on the MRA Customs and Excise page and other important import information is available on the Malawi Trade Portal Website.

There are a few additional requirements based on the mode of transport into Malawi:

Transport by road vehicle:

  • A complete list of the goods carried
  • Copies of all waybills
  • Copies of consignment notes

Transport by aircraft:

  • Manifests of the cargo signed by an authorized person at the point of departure
  • Lists of the passengers and crew
  • Lists of any goods on board which are accompanying passengers (i.e., baggage)
  • The clearance, if any, from the last foreign port
  • The aircraft’s journey logbook

Transport by train:

  • Copies of invoices
  • Waybills
  • Delivery and advice notes
  • Other documents for goods which will enter at that port
  • Lists of all goods carried on the train other than the cargo
  • A “Clean Report of Findings” from the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) affiliate in the exporting country is also required