Malawi e-Visa Photo (evisa.gov.mw upload: scanned photograph, not a camera capture): size and requirements
The Malawi e-Visa Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches), or 413 x 531 pixels for online upload. Not published; white is our rendering choice for the reference frame; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-10 against Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, Republic of Malawi - official e-Visa portal FAQ and 'Apply for e-Visa' steps, with the ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 reference frame.
For the photograph uploaded with a Malawi e-Visa application on evisa.gov.mw (transit, single-entry and 6- or 12-month multiple-entry visas, Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services), where the FAQ asks for scanned documents rather than camera-captured photos. No size, background or file rule is published, so the frame and head band here are the ICAO reference. Not for a Malawian passport, for which the office captures the picture live.
Make the photo yourself only if you then print and scan it, or confirm with e-Visa support that a digital file is accepted: the FAQ says applicants must upload scanned documents, not camera-captured photos. See all Malawi documents.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches), or 413 x 531 pixels for online upload
- Head height
- Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height ('photograph' with no dimensions; ICAO Doc 9303 crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent of the height applied)
- Background
- not published; white is our rendering choice for the reference frame
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Allowed without glare or tint
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 413 x 531 px (300 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckScans, not snapshots: asked whether picture files of the passport, photo or residence permit can be uploaded instead of scans, the FAQ answers 'E-Visa applicants must upload scanned documents and not camera captured photos.' A phone photo uploaded straight from the camera roll risks rejection; print our 35 x 45 mm file and scan it, or ask the portal's support (evisa.support@immigration.gov.mw) whether a clean digital file is accepted.
- CheckWhat the form asks for: 'It requires you to give the travelers information as per the data page of your passport, travel details, photograph, and other related documents.' No size, background or file limit is published and the PhotoGuidelines page answers 404 - our frame is the ICAO reference.
- CheckFees from the FAQ: 'Transit Visa US$50', 'Single entry US$50', 'Multiple entry for 6 months US$150', 'Multiple entry for 12 months US$250'; 'Malawi eVisa applications must be paid in United States Dollars.' by credit or debit card, non-refundable.
- CheckTiming: 'E-Visa applications are processed within three (3) working days.'; validity runs from the date of issue; the approval letter is downloaded from the applicant's account and 'You should not travel to Malawi before a eVisa has been obtained.'
- CheckSince 24 February 2026 nationals of the portal's Category Two countries may take a visa on arrival, but the department still encourages applying online first; Category One nationals must hold a visa or prior authorisation before departure.
Source and verification
No national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard applies. Last checked 2026-10-10 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, Republic of Malawi - official e-Visa portal FAQ and 'Apply for e-Visa' steps, with the ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 reference frame.
E-Visa applicants must upload scanned documents and not camera captured photos.
It requires you to give the travelers information as per the data page of your passport, travel details, photograph, and other related documents.
E-Visa applications are processed within three (3) working days.
Single entry US$50
Malawi eVisa applications must be paid in United States Dollars.
You should not travel to Malawi before a eVisa has been obtained.
Submitted portraits should be 45.0 mm x 35.0 mm (1.77 in x 1.38 in) in dimension.
The crown-to-chin portion of the facial image shall be 70 to 80 per cent of the longest dimension defined for Zone V, maintaining the aspect ratio between the crown-to-chin and ear-to-ear details of the face of the holder.
Quotes 1, 3-5 are from source.url (sources/mw/evisa-faq.txt, direct curl with tags stripped on 2026-10-10; non-breaking spaces normalised). Quotes 2 and 6 are from https://www.immigration.gov.mw/visa/visa-application-process/ (sources/mw/immigration-visa-application-process.txt; the same text is on https://www.evisa.gov.mw/, sources/mw/evisa-home.txt). Quotes 7-8 are ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/icao-9303-part3-portrait-excerpt.txt, Wayback capture 2024-09-12). eligibility 'restricted' from quote 1; physical 35 x 45 mm, head 0.7-0.8 from quotes 7-8; digital 413 x 531 px JPEG, maxPhotoAgeMonths 6, background 'white', dpi 300, glasses and headCovering are ICAO-style defaults and our rendering choices - the portal publishes no file format or size limit that we could read.
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
