Malawi’s first ever electronic passports (e-passports) will be printed on by January 14, as revealed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services’ Chief Immigration Officer Masauko Medi.

A prior statement by the department outlined that will be used concurrently with the machine readable passports for a specified period during which period the holders of the old type of passports will be encouraged to replace and acquire the new e-passports.

On the other hand, Medi hailed the new system is more secure and applicants will no longer need to travel to their respective districts of origin to have the district commissioner authenticate their home of origin as that requirement will be covered by the national identity card.

Speaking of digital initiatives, a website addressed as evisa.gov.mw is offering digital visa applications. The innovative e-Visa platform is aimed at providing sound migration management and achieve timely issuance of relevant documents to eligible persons for national security and socio-economic development.

The platform offers Tourist Visa, Official Visa, Transit Visa, Diplomatic Visa and Courtesy Visa. These types of visas can further be classified into single entry, multiple entry and transit entry depending on the nature of the visit, as single entry visa is valid for three months and can be used once upon entry into Malawi.