High Commission of India

Lilongwe, Malawi

High Commission of India

Lilongwe (Malawi)

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Passport and Consular Services: Overview

Receipt of applications	Working Days - 0900 hrs to 1100 hrs
Delivery of documents	Working Days - 1500 hrs to 1600 hrs

    • Online Passport Application

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR PASSPORT AND CONSULAR SERVICES

• It must be ensured that in the online application for passport renewal, all the details of passport particulars like Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Family Details and Address should be SAME as in existing Indian passport. In case of any change, document proof will be required for consideration.

• Applicants should visit personally at the High Commission to apply for the above services with all documents in Original and CLEAR photocopies. Incomplete applications and submission by courier etc. will not be accepted.

• Application status can be tracked online. Also, applicant can check their receipt No. on the link: https://www.hcililongwe.gov.in/page/status/ if it is ready for collection. Those living in remote areas and appeared personally at the time of application submission, may send original receipt through their family members to collect their documents after checking on the above link.

• As per extant guidelines, Police verification is mandatory for PCC applications and also may be conducted for passport application which may take longer in processing. Therefore applicants are advised to apply well in advance. Generally, Passport can be renewed within one year before date of expiry. However, in case of change in passport particulars, addition of spouse name, change in address, exhaustion of pages etc, the passport can be renewed earlier irrespective of date of expiry. 

• In case of New Born child in Malawi, parents should make sure the name of the child is same in Malawi Birth Certificate, Online Birth Registration form and Fresh Passport Application form.

• Married couples are advised to endorse their spouse’s name in their passport immediately after marriage. In case of application for Fresh Passport for New Born it is mandatory for parents to have spouse name endorsed on their passports.

• The applicant should furnish correct and complete details in the application form and mention a valid phone number and email ID for contact.

• In case of OCI Card application and Surrender/Renunciation Certificate for applicants who have acquired Malawian nationality must ensure that the name should be same as in the Indian Passport, Malawi Passport and online application. Applicant must bring both the registration certificates issued by the Malawi Government in original with clear photocopies. Date of acquisition of foreign nationality should be as in the Registration Certificate not the date of Malawi passport.

• Applicant must bring the original Indian passport at the time of applying for Renunciation/Surrender Certificate. After verification, the Indian passport will be cancelled and returned to the applicant.

• Applicants are advised to visit the High Commission for submission of applications from 9 AM to 11 AM on working days. Applications after consular hours will not be accepted.

• Applications for issue of passport (new passport, renewal of passport, duplicate passport/passport in lieu of lost or damaged passport), Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), Surrender of Indian Passport (Renunciation Certificate) & Emergency Certificate are to be made online through the link https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/ . Hard copies of all filled in applications are to be submitted along with relevant documents and clear photographs at the High Commission.

• Applications for Attestation of documents / Power of Attorney, Affidavits etc. are to be submitted in Miscellaneous form in hard copy at the High Commission along with relevant documents and photographs.

A. BIRTH REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE

B. ISSUE OF NEW PASSPORT (for infants)

C. PASSPORT RENEWAL

D. ISSUE OF DUPLICATE PASSPORT

E. ISSUE OF EMERGENCY CERTIFICATE (EC)

F. POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE (PCC)

G. ATTESTATION OF DOCUMENTS

H. RE-ISSUE OF INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT (IDP)

I. ATTESTATION ON POWER OF ATTORNEY

J. RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP (SURRENDER CERTIFICATE)

K. PASSPORT STATUS INQUIRY

L. IMPORTANT ANNEXURE / AFFIDAVITS LINKS

A. BIRTH REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE:

BIRTH REGISTRATION OF CHILDREN BORN OUTSIDE INDIA

Link for Online Registration of Birth: https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/

Applicants are requested to register birth of their child born in Malawi with the High Commission immediately after receiving Birth Certificate from Malawian authorities. Also please note that the name of the child should be same in Birth Certificate, Online Application for Birth Registration and Passport Application for the child. Applications for birth registration and passport may be submitted at the same time at the High Commission. Parents must ensure that their spouses names are endorsed in their passports. Otherwise parents would need to renew their passports to add spouse name.

Under the Indian Citizenship Act, a child born on or after 03.12.2004 shall be a citizen of India by descent if either of the parents (father or mother) is an Indian citizen at the time of birth of the child and the birth of the child has been registered with the concerned Indian Mission abroad within one year of the birth and the parents of the child have to submit a declaration that the child does not hold nationality or passport of another country.

Indian passport to the child can be issued only after the birth of the child is registered with the Indian Mission. Children who are born in Malawi to Indian parents should be registered with the High Commission of India in Malawi.

If the birth of the child born abroad is not registered with the concerned Indian Mission within one year of the birth of the child, prior approval of the Central Government authorities in India will be required for registering the birth of the child and this will be a very time consuming process. Passports to the child cannot be issued until the birth registration process is completed.

Applications for registration of birth of a minor child under Section 4(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 shall be made in Form-I of the Citizenship Rules, 2009. Parents of the child born abroad must first complete and register the application online from the Website https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/ in order to start the processing of getting Indian citizenship for the child. Instructions to complete and register the form are available on the Website. The print out of registered applications should be submitted to the Mission, along with the following documents:

1. Copy of the Birth Certificate of the Child.

2. Copy of the Indian passports of both the parents.

3. Copy of the certificate of Indian citizenship of the parents, if acquired by registration / naturalization.

4. Copy of the appostiled marriage certificate of the parents.

5. A declaration that the minor child does not hold the passport of any other country.

6. Fees, as applicable at the time of registration.

The ORIGINALS of the above-mentioned documents must be presented for verification at the Indian Mission at the time of submission of the application.

B. ISSUE OF NEW PASSPORT (for newly born children)

Link to apply online for Passport: Online Passport Application

Please click the link to see Photo Specification

Application for a new passport for an infant can be made along with the application for registration of birth. However, the application for issue of Passport will be processed after completion of formalities for registration of birth.

The print out of registered applications should be submitted to the Mission, along with the following documents:

1. Copy of the Birth Certificate of the Child.

2. Copy of the Indian passports of both the parents.

3. Copy of the certificate of Indian citizenship of the parents, if acquired by registration / naturalization.

4. Copy of the appostilled marriage certificate of the parents.

5. A declaration that the minor child does not hold the passport of any other country.

6. Declaration signed by both parents or legal guardian for passport of minor child in Annexure D.
   

C. PASSPORT RENEWAL (when existing passport is expiring or has expired / pages have been exhausted)

Please click the link to see Photo Specification

Please click the link for Steps for Online Applications

Link to apply online for Passport: Online Passport Application

• Indian nationals can apply for reissue of their passports anytime within one year before the expiry of existing passport. In case of change in passport particulars, addition of spouse name, change in address, exhaustion of pages etc., the passport can be renewed earlier with submission of relevant documentary proof.

• Documents required: Print out of completed online Passport form + Passport in original with photocopy of personal particulars pages + Residence Permit / Dependent Pass (if resident in Malawi) + 3 colour photos of 51mm x51 mm with white background + Passports of Parents (in case of applicant being less than 18 years old) (original + photocopy). The standard Indian passport booklet contains 36 pages. One may also apply for a ‘Jumbo’ booklet which contains 64 pages.

• The normal validity of a passport for applicants who have attained 15 years of age on the date of application will be 10 years; otherwise it will be 5 years. If the passport has expired more than one year before the time of application for renewal of passport, an additional AFFIDAVIT stating that the applicant has not acquired any other nationality has to be furnished. If the pages of the existing passport have been exhausted, a new passport is issued with a fresh 10 or 5 years validity as the case may be. The documents required remain the same.

• In case of MINOR applicant, Declaration signed by both parents or legal guardian for passport renewal of minor child in Annexure D

D. ISSUE OF DUPLICATE PASSPORT (when existing passport has been damaged, lost or stolen)

Link to apply online for Passport: Online Passport Application

Please click the link to see Photo Specification

Please click the link for Steps for Online Applications

Indian national whose passport is lost, damaged or stolen within the boundaries of Malawi can apply for issue of duplicate passport at this High Commission.
The following documents are required: Print out of completed online Passport form (https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/) + Copy of lost/damaged/stolen passport + Police Report for Lost Passport (original + photocopy) + Annexure F + Residence Permit/Dependent Pass if resident in Malawi + Copy of visitors visa and Air ticket etc. (original + photocopy) + Fee (As prescribed Consular Fees). Processing of a duplicate passport may take from three to ten weeks, if its details are available online; otherwise it may take upto six months.

E. ISSUE OF EMERGENCY CERTIFICATE (EC) (TO ENABLE APPLICANT TO URGENTLY RETURN TO INDIA WHEN PASSPORT HAS BEEN LOST, DAMAGED, STOLEN OR WRONGLY WITHHELD)

Link to apply online for Emergency Certificate: https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/

In case the existing passport is lost, damaged or stolen or is wrongly withheld by employer and the applicant needs to travel urgently, an Emergency Certificate (EC) may be issued if the consular officer is satisfied of the nature of urgency. An EC can only permit travel back to India.

Documents required: Print out of online application form + Application explaining the circumstances and reasons for urgency + Previous Passport copy or details + Police Report for Lost or stolen Passport (original + photocopy) + Fee (As prescribed Consular Fees). An EC is issued within 3 working days including day of application.

F. POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE (PCC)

Link to apply online for PCC: https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/

Please click the link to see Photo Specification

Please click the link for Steps for Online Applications

As per latest guidelines for PCC by the Govt. of India, fresh Police verification will be conducted for every application for PCC by the concerned authorities in India. Mission can issue PCC only after receipt of CLEAR police verification report from India.

Applicants are requested to apply for the PCC or Passport well in advance enabling us to provide the services timely.

Documents required: Print out of completely filled in online application for PCC + Passport (original + photocopy) + 2 Passport size colour Photos in white background (51 mm x 51 mm) + Fee (As prescribed Consular Fees).

Note:Apostille Convention:  The Hague Convention, to which India and Malawi are signatories, abolishes the requirement of legalization for Foreign Public Documents.  With the certification by the Hague Convention ‘Apostille’, the document is entitled to recognition in India and vice versa and no certification by the High Commission of India is required.  The Convention applies to public documents which have been executed in the territory of one Contracting State and which have to be produced in the territory of another Contracting State.  In case Indian Government/authority documents are to be presented to authorities in Malawi, these should be apostiled in India.  For details, please check the website “Legalization of Documents” at http://www.mea.gov.in/apostille.htm.

“Please note no Commercial Documents are attested by the High Commission. This should be apostiled from Malawi Government Authorities for presenting in India.”

High Commission of India

Lilongwe (Malawi)

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PUBLIC NOTICE

ATTESTATION/APOSTILLE OF INDIAN DOCUMENTS

India, since 2005, is a member of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 that abolished the requirement of legalization of foreign public documents.

Apostille is acceptable in 115 member-countries of the Convention (for more info please visit the website: www.hcch.net). Any document apostilled in one member country is acceptable in all the other member-countries, signatory to the referred convention of 1961 thus greatly simplifying the process of attestation by making it needless to get the documents attested in each or for each of the countries separately.

All Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin in Malawi who require to get Indian documents apostiled are informed herewith that these documents should be apostiled in India and the procedure listed in Ministry’s website at http://www.mea.gov.in/apostille.htm is to be followed. In case the applicant is

not in a position to visit India, he/she is advised to nominate some of his/her

relatives/friends in India and send the document to him/her to have the Indian

document apostiled on his/her behalf in Consular Section, Ministry of External

Affairs, New Delhi.

The detailed information regarding attestation and other passport miscellaneous services is available on the High Commission Website www.hcililongwe.gov.in.

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G. ATTESTATION OF DOCUMENTS

Indian Documents that can be attested by the High Commission of India in Lilongwe are:

• Educational Documents - Issued by Educational Institutes in India 

• Indian Marriage Certificate

• Indian Passport

• PAN Card

• Indian Driving License 

• OCI Card

• Any other document issued by Indian Authorities

IMPORTANT: The above documents (except Indian Passport & OCI card) can be attested by the High Commission only if the documents are attested/apostilled by CPV Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi. Please visit the website https://mea.gov.in/apostille.htm for more information on apostilling.

Documents required: Completed Filled in Misc. Service Form+ Document required to be attested (in duplicate) + Passport (original + photocopy) + 2 colour Photos (51 mm x 51 mm) Photo Specification + Fee (As prescribed Consular Fees) The attestation is done within two working days including day of application.

H.  RE-ISSUE OF INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT (IDP)

Purpose: Applicants who hold valid International Driving Permit and intend to renew it can apply at the High Commission.

Fee: MK 8900/- (including ICWF charges)

Procedure: Applicants must visit personally at the High Commission with Passport, Indian Driving License and IDP, all in originals with clear photocopies and two passport size photographs (Photo Specification)

Mission will issue a receipt after verifying the original documents.

Thereafter, applicants need to directly apply for fresh issue of IDP through the portal www.parivahan.gov.in and upload the requisite documents, including the receipt issued by the High Commission and pay the requisite fee online on the webportal. On receipt of application through the portal, the licensing authority, on verification of the documents, shall issue the IDP and shall courier it directly to the address of the applicant.

I. ATTESTATION OF POWER OF ATTORNEY

Documents required: Completed Filled in Misc. Service Form+ Document required to be attested (in duplicate) + Passport (original + photocopy) + 2 colour Photos (51 mm x 51 mm) + Fee (As prescribed Consular Fees). The attestation is done within two working days including day of application.

J. RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP (SURRENDER CERTIFICATE)

An Indian national, including a minor, on acquisition of foreign nationality and Passport, is not entitled to retain his/her Indian Passport and has to immediately surrender the Indian passport for cancellation.

Documents required:

• Print-out of both Online application form and Online Declaration of Renunciation of Indian Citizenship duly filled and signed. Application for Surrender Certificate and Declaration is to be made only Online on the below website:

Link for Online Application for Surrender Certificate: https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in

Link for Online Declaration of Renunciation of Indian Citizenship: https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/Renounce

• Three recent passport size photos (2x2 inches) with a clear white background as per Photo Specification.

• Original Indian Passport and clear photocopy.

• Original Malawian Passport and clear photocopy.

• Letter from the Malawi authorities stating that you have been offered Malawian Citizenship (original and clear photocopy).

• Any other document asked by the Consular Section for verification/authentication.

Please note that it is MANDATORY to bring the Indian Passport physically at the High Commission.  After verification, Indian passport will be cancelled and returned to the applicant.

Please see the Renunciation Fee at the link Consular Fees

K. PASSPORT STATUS INQUIRY

Passport Renewal time can vary depending upon Police Verification in India and delivery services of printed Passports from India to Malawi. Applicants are requested to apply for the Passport well in advance enabling us to provide the services timely.

Applicants can check the status using their payment receipt No. on the link: https://www.hcililongwe.gov.in/page/status/  or track their applications using their registered login ID. Applicants should clearly indicate their mobile telephone number/email id in the application form in case High Commission intends to contact the applicants.

L. IMPORTANT ANNEXURE / AFFIDAVITS LINKS

Please click here: New Annexures/Affidavits

• Form for Miscellaneous services

• Form for Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

• Personal Particulars Form (PPF)

• Affidavit for Lost or Damaged Passport Application

• Affidavit for Minor child Passport Application

• Affidavit for Minor child Passport Application by Single Parent

• Affidavit for Change of Name

• Affidavit in Lieu of Marriage Certificate

Public Advisory on Passport

1. Indian citizens living in India and abroad are advised to apply for urgent re-issuance of their passports in the following cases:-

(i). HANDWRITTEN PASSPORTS

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set a deadline of the 24th November, 2015 for globally phasing out of all non-Machine Readable Passports (MRPs). From the 25th November, 2015 onwards, foreign Governments may deny Visa or entry to any person travelling on a non-Machine Readable Passport.

The Government of India has been issuing Machine Readable Passports since 2001. The Passports, however, issued before 2001 and particularly those issued during mid 1990s with a validity of 20 years will fall in the category of non-MRPs. All handwritten passports with pasted photographs are also considered non-MRPs.

By the end of November 2014, it is estimated that there are approximately 2.86 lakh handwritten passports in circulation. Approximately 6 crore Indians hold valid passports.

Indian citizens residing in India and abroad and holding such passports with validity beyond the 24th November, 2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of their passports well before the deadline in order to avoid any inconvenience in obtaining valid visa or international travel.

(ii) PASSPORTS VALID FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS

Many international travellers may not realise that having an unexpired passport is sometimes not enough to obtain Visas or to enter certain foreign countries. Indian citizens traveling on Passports which may expire in less than six months should renew their passports before any upcoming international travel. It is especially important to check the passports needs of any minor who may be accompanying their parents as passports for minors have a shorter validity period (5 years) than passports for adults (10 years). The universal practice in vogue now is; "Once your passport crosses the nine-year mark, it is time to get new passport".

(iii) EXHAUSTION OF VISA PAGES

Some countries do not accept passports which may have fewer than two pages remaining. Please check your passport to ensure that you have enough visa pages. There is no provision of additional booklets/pages and you will be required to apply re-issuance of passport following standard procedures. Frequent travellers may opt for Jumbo Passport containing 64 pages.

2. All Passport Issuing Authorities have instituted a simple and fast-track procedure for renewal of passports. For more details related to passport services, website –  www.passportindia.gov.in may be accessed. Indian citizens living abroad should visit the website of respective Indian Mission/Post.

NOTE:

• Original documents will be returned after verification at the counter.

• Additional documents may be sought and a personal interview may be warranted, in certain cases.

• Fee paid is non-refundable.

• Fee paid receipt should be produced at the time of collection of Services.

• Each Service is subject to a surcharge of prescribed Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) charges, in addition to the passport/consular fee.

• If documents are either deposited or collected by an authorized person on behalf of applicant, he/she must produce a letter of authority from the applicant to submit/collect the documents on behalf of the applicant. The letter of authority should be signed by the applicant and the authorized person; it should contain identification details of the authorized person which shall be verifiable.

• For any further query, please e-mail: cons.malawi@mea.gov.in

• Suggestions/complaints may be sent to hoc.malawi@mea.gov.in

• Phone Number for enquiry:

+265 (0) 111 755 348 & 0111 755 337 (Time: 1200 hrs - 1300 hrs and 1500 hrs - 1600 hrs)

Updated on 02.06.2023