Listen up, y’all. You wanna get yourself a Malawi passport, huh? It ain’t rocket science, but you gotta know a few things. Don’t go around thinkin’ it’s gonna happen overnight, ya hear?
First things first, what kinda passport you needin’? They got the regular one, like what most folks get. That one takes a while, maybe 20 workin’ days, they say. Then there’s some fancy ones, for them big shots, the diplomats and such. Those last longer, but that ain’t for the likes of us, I reckon.
Now, where do you start? Well, you gotta get yourself that application form, see? You can pick it up at any Immigration office, and they don’t charge nothin’ for it, which is good. Or, if you’re fancy with them computers, you can download it from the internet, from the Department of Immigration place in Malawi. But don’t go askin’ me how to do that, I ain’t no computer whiz, that’s for sure.
Fillin’ out that form, that’s another story. You gotta write things down neat and proper, not like my chicken scratch. And then you need somebody official to sign it, like a magistrate or a commissioner for oaths. Sounds fancy, huh? Just find some important-lookin’ fella in a suit, they usually know what to do.
- Get the application form
- Fill it out real good
- Get it signed by an official
- Go to the District Commissioner’s Office to prove where you from
And don’t forget, you gotta prove you’re from Malawi, ya know. You gotta go to the District Commissioner’s Office, wherever you come from, and they’ll stamp somethin’ or other to say you’re legit.
Then you gotta gather up all them papers they want. Birth certificate, that’s a big one. And if you got anythin’ else to prove who you are, bring it along. They like to see a lot of papers, makes ’em feel important, I guess. This whole thing ain’t quick, mind you. They say it takes at least 14 workin’ days, but sometimes it takes longer. You know how these things go, nobody’s in a hurry except you.
Now, about them new e-passports they got. They had some trouble with them computers, someone hacked ’em or somethin’. Said some folks wanted money to fix it. Can you believe that? Holdin’ up passports for ransom, what’s this world comin’ to? But they say they fixed it now, so you should be able to get your e-passport printed without any problems. But don’t hold your breath, things don’t always go as planned.
If you wanna check how your application’s doin’, you can go online, they got a website for that. But like I said, I ain’t no good with them computers. Maybe your kids or grandkids can help you with that part. They say with a Malawi passport you can go to some countries without needin’ no visa. That sounds nice, seein’ the world and all. But for most places, you still gotta get a visa, so don’t go thinkin’ you can just hop on a plane and go anywhere you please.
And listen, some of them fellas over in America, they say it takes them six to eight weeks to get a passport. Can you imagine waitin’ that long? And they gotta use some special courier service, sounds like a big hassle to me. We got it easier here, even if it still takes a while.
So, there you have it. That’s what I know about gettin’ a Malawi passport. It ain’t easy, but it ain’t impossible either. Just be patient, get all your papers in order, and pray that them computer folks don’t get hacked again. And if you got any questions, don’t ask me, I told you all I know. Go ask them fellas at the Immigration office, that’s what they’re there for. Good luck to ya, and safe travels, whenever you finally get that passport in your hand.
Remember, a Malawi passport is good for 10 years, except for them parliament folks, theirs is only good for five. Don’t ask me why, that’s just how it is. Just make sure you keep track of when it expires, you don’t wanna be stuck somewhere without a valid passport, that wouldn’t be good at all.