Key facts
Key facts for business in Malawi
The short answer
Company registry in Malawi: Registrar General (Department of the Registrar General). Tax authority: Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Malawi before you act.
| Legal system | Common law (with customary law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, Chichewa (national language) |
| Currency | Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
| Regional blocs | SADC, COMESA |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 2021 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1966 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 2 Dec 1967 |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Malawi
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Registrar General (Department of the Registrar General) | registrargeneral.gov.mw |
| Investment promotion | Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) | mitc.mw |
| Tax | Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) | mra.mw |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) | rbm.mw |
| Work and residence permits | Department of Immigration (Republic of Malawi) | immigration.gov.mw |
| Courts and justice | Malawi Judiciary | judiciary.mw |
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Registrar General (Department of the Registrar General).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Department of Immigration (Republic of Malawi).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Malawi is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Malawi for business matters
Likongwe & Company
Lilongwe
M and L Partners
Blantyre
Sacranie, Gow and Company
Blantyre, Lilongwe
Sauti & Company Law Consultants
Blantyre, Lilongwe
4 firms in Malawi list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Malawi.
Checking a lawyer in Malawi
Who admits lawyers: Malawi Law Society (licensing under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act, 2017); admission by the High Court of Malawi
Professional title: Legal Practitioner
Official roll: members.malawilawsociety.net
Search the Malawi Law Society's online member directory of licensed legal practitioners (members.malawilawsociety.net) and check its disciplined-members register.
Sources: malawilawsociety.net, members.malawilawsociety.net. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Malawi: questions
Where do you register a company in Malawi?
With Registrar General (Department of the Registrar General) (registrargeneral.gov.mw). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Malawi.
Is Malawi a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 2021 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Malawi accept apostilles?
Yes – Malawi is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 2 Dec 1967 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in Malawi?
Malawian kwacha (MWK).