Dual Citizenship
Background
Citizenship issues in Malawi are governed by the 1966 Citizenship Act, Chapter 15:01 of the Laws of Malawi. The 1966 law permitted Malawians under the age of 22 years to maintain dual citizenship, but it limited persons of full age and capacity to be dual citizens. On 12th December, 2018, the Malawi National Assembly passed the Malawi Citizenship Amendment Bill to amend the 1966 Citizenship Act, allowing persons of full age and capacity to hold citizenship of another country in addition to their Malawi citizenship. The dual citizenship bill was assented into law in March 2019 and operationalization of dual citizenship regulations were gazetted in November 2021 and announced to the general public through a Government Notice Number 59 of the Malawi Citizenship Act. In Malawi, dual citizenship is the status whereby a person is concurrently regarded as a citizen of two countries. Only Malawians by birth or descent are eligible to acquire dual citizenship. Persons who were naturalized, registered or conferred the citizenship of Malawi are NOT eligible for the Malawi dual citizenship.
Types of Dual Citizenship Application forms
There are three circumstances that qualifies citizens of Malawi by birth and descent to submit an application for the Malawi dual citizenship:
- Notification and Registration of dual citizenship
A person of full age who to his/her knowledge has obtained the citizenship of another country, is required to submit an application of notice and registration for the acquisition of a Malawi dual citizenship.
A notification and registration application has to be submitted in Form AA as set out in the First Schedule. (see appendix 1)
- Restoration of Malawi Citizenship
This is an application of a person of full age who lost the Malawi citizenship through the acquisition of another country’s citizenship due to the old Malawi citizenship law that prohibited dual citizenship of persons of full age.
An application for the restoration of Malawi citizenship shall be submitted in Form AC as set out in the First Schedule. (see appendix 2)
- Notification of dual citizenship upon attaining the age of 19 years
An application for registration as a dual citizen of full age for a minor who has attained the age of 19 years, and has realized that he/she is a dual citizen, shall be submitted in Form AE as set out in the First Schedule. (see appendix 3)
| Required Documents |
| Notification and Registration of dual citizenship 1. Covering letter 2. Fully completed application forms 3. Two passport size photographs 4. Certified photocopies of birth certificate 5. Certified photocopies of Malawi national identity card |
| Restoration of Malawi citizenship 1. Covering letter 2. Fully completed application forms 3. Two passport size photographs 4. Certified photocopies of valid or expired Malawi passport bio-data page of the applicant 5. Certified photocopies of Malawi passport bio-data page of any parent where applicant was included 6. Certified photocopies of applicant’s birth certificate 7. Affidavit of any of the parents attesting to the citizenship of the applicant, or a relative attesting to the citizenship of the applicant’s parents |
| Notification of dual citizenship upon attaining the age of 19 years 1. Covering letter 2. Fully completed application forms 3. Two passport size photographs 4. Certified photocopies of valid Malawi passport bio-data page 5. Certified photocopies of other country’s passport bio-data page 6. Certified photocopies of applicant’s birth certificate 7. Any other document evidencing Malawi citizenship of the applicant or any of the parents |
