Travel to Malawi – Top Medical Schools

Malawi: travel information

How do you get to Malawi?

Airplane

There are no direct flights from Europe to Malawi. The flights go via South Africa (Johannesburg), Kenya (Nairobi), Zambia (Lusaka), Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) or Zimbabwe (Harare). The country’s international airports are in Lilongwe and Blantyre.

Ship

ferries operate on Lake Malawi between Mamba Bay in Tanzania and Nkhata Bay in Malawi.

Rail

Rail trains go to Zambia, but the route to Mozambique is still closed in the border area.

Car/bus

trunk roads lead from Malawi to Mozambique, Tanzania (across the Songwe River) and Zambia.

Travel in the country

Air connections Domestic air connections exist between Blantyre, Lilongwe and the regional airports Club Makokola and Mzuzu in the south of the country. There are also 37 airstrips. Small planes can also be chartered.

Bus

There are good bus connections between the cities of the country. In addition, luxury express coaches run between Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

Railways

The country’s rail network covers a total of around 800 km and extends from the border with Zambia in the west to the border with Mozambique in the east.

Ferry connections

Various shipping companies offer tours on Lake Malawi, the country’s rivers are not navigable.

Car traffic, taxis and roads

The road network of Malawi covers almost 15,000 km and is largely passable in all weather conditions. An asphalt expressway leads from Karonga to the south of the country. An international driver’s license is required for rental cars. The few taxis in the larger cities cannot be hailed in the street.

Traffic rules

There is left-hand traffic in Malawi. The maximum speeds shown can of course be reduced or increased by traffic signs. Regardless of the information provided here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC, the AvD or the traffic clubs in the country concerned.

Maximum speed in

urban areas: in built-up areas there is a speed limit of 50 km/h.

Country roads: there is a speed limit of 80 km/h on country roads.

Motorways: there is a speed limit of 100 km/h on motorways.

Alcohol limits

The official alcohol limit in Malawi for drivers of motor vehicles is 0.8 alcohol.

International license plate

According to Abbreviationfinder, Malawi’s international license plate is:

Malawi: entry and exit regulations

Formalities, visas

Travelers from Germany and Switzerland do not need a visa for a stay in Malawi of up to 90 days. For Austrian citizens, however, there is a visa requirement. A passport is required, which must be valid for six months beyond the planned duration of the stay, as well as a return or onward travel ticket.

Visa department of the Embassy of the Republic of Malawi

Westfälische Straße 86

D-10709 Berlin

Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 84 31 54 0

Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 84 31 54 30

[email protected]

www.malawi- botschaft.de

Currency

The national currency of Malawi is the Kwacha

1 Kwacha = 100 Tambala

Importing and exporting the national currencyThere is no limit to the importation of the national currency, the export is limited to 3,000 Malawi Kwacha per person.
Importing and exporting foreign currenciesThere is no limit to the importation of foreign currencies, but a declaration is required. The export is limited to the amount declared upon entry.

Souvenirs, import and export of goods

Cheap or country-specific goods, souvenirs

– handicrafts made from raffia, reeds, sisal or palm or corn leaves

– furniture made of wood and rattan

– weaving and fabrics or clothing with batik or beadwork

– soapstone and ceramic articles

– traditional musical instruments

– wood carvings that go with the most beautiful of all of Africa

Importing and exporting goods

The following articles can be imported into Malawi duty-free by people aged 17 and over:

200 cigarettes or 225 g tobacco products, 1 l spirits, 1 l beer and 1 l wine.

The importation of weapons and drugs of all kinds is prohibited.

Malawi: travel medicine, vaccinations and warnings

Infectious Diseases

The following infectious diseases are not to be expected in Malawi, which do not occur or only rarely occur in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

Malaria: There is a high risk of malaria year-round across the country, including cities. Over 90% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
HIV, AIDS
Amoebic dysentery
Bacterial agitation
Schistosomiasis
Cholera– but there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Intestinal infectionsfrom contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
Hepatitis A and B
Polio, polio
Plague– occurs particularly in the north of the country
tetanus
Meningococcal meningitis
pest
Sleeping sickness
rabies
Typhoid– however, there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.

Recommended vaccinations

when traveling to Malawi are recommended vaccinations against the following diseases:

Cholera– but only among travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Diphtheria– a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
Hepatitis A and B
Polio, polio– vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
Tetanus– a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
Rabies– but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
Typhoid– but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Meningococcal meningitis

Compulsory vaccination

For all persons older than one year and coming from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever.

Yellow fever vaccination for children

In most countries where a yellow fever vaccination is compulsory, this also applies to children over one year of age, in some countries even from six months. It should be noted that vaccination against yellow fever had a number of side effects, such as encephalitis. Around two-thirds of those affected were children under six months. Therefore, under no circumstances should children under this age be vaccinated. But children under one year of age should also not be vaccinated if possible. If in doubt, yellow fever infection areas must then be avoided. Any vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out in specially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers!

Malaria prophylaxis

When traveling to the country, especially when traveling to the areas mentioned above, it is strongly advised to undergo malaria prophylaxis. If the side effects seem too worrying, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.