All investors are required to obtain an Investment Certificate before they establish their business in Malawi. Prospective investors are required to put up investments of not less than US$ 50,000 as minimum investment capital to be able to obtain an investment certificate from the Malawi Investment and Trade Center (MITC). To obtain this certificate the following should be submitted to MITC:

 
1. Investment Application Form
2. Detailed Business Proposal /Plan
3. Certificate of incorporation
4. Copy of memorandum and articles of association
5. Scanned/Photocopied Passport Personal Information pages of Shareholders. If the shareholder is another company provide the certificate of incorporation of the shareholding company
6. Brief description of positions to be held by expatriates
7. Project Brief (3-5 Paged Summary of Project which will be sent to the Environmental Affairs Department to determine whether project requires Environmental Impact Assessment Study)

The application fee for the certificate is US $200 (non-refundable) and issuance fee is US$ 800. The application fee of US$200 is paid to MITC at the time that the application pack is being submitted.   The issuance fee of US$ 800 is payable upon the approval and collection of the Investment Certificate. Payment is in US$ Cash or equivalent Malawi Kwacha.

The Internal Approval Committee (IAC) hosted within MITC appraises the projects for approval or rejection.  All applications submitted to MITC are processed by the committee. Issuance period of the certificate is within 10 working days upon submission of a complete application package.
 
Once the certificate is issued, MITC assists investors to get any additional licenses and permits that the investors might need to start their operations.

Once an investor obtains an investment certificate, they are required to get a Business Resident Permit(BRP) that allows him/her to stay in the country to carry out his/her business operations. The following documents should be submitted in duplicates for the application for BRP:

1. Fully completed application forms
2. Passport size photographs
3. Business Registration Certificate/ Certificate of Incorporation/Memorandum and Articles of Association
4. A police clearance report from country of origin
5. Business plan/profile
6. Bank statement with not less than US$50,000
7. The Bank Statement must be from a Malawian Bank
8. The US$50,000 needs to have been transferred into this account from outside the country
9. The Bank account should be a Business Account registered in the name of the business entity
10. It is recommended that the Bank Account should be a Foreign Currency Denominated Account (optional)
11. MITC Investment Certificate
12. A covering letter from the applicant
13. Passport copy

The investor is required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of US$100 and issuance fee of US$7, 500.
The application is then submitted to MITC and then forwarded to Department of Immigration with a recommendation for consideration. The process from submission of all documentation and endorsement in passport takes no more than 10 days.

For all key and time posts there is need to obtain Temporary Employment Permits. The key post permits are valid for 2 years and renewable whilst time post can be renewed up to three times. The following documents have to be submitted in duplicates to MITC.

1. Fully completed application form
2. Covering letter from the employer
3. Certified copies of educational certificates
4. Certified copies of professional certificates
5. Evidence that the post was advertised in the local press and CVs of the local Malawians who took part in the interview for Time positions
6. A letter of no objection from the previous employer in case the applicant changes jobs within Malawi
7. 2 passport size photographs of the applicant
8. Proof of arrangement of understudy
9. Thumb print
10. Registration certificates and certificate of incorporation of the employer
11. Medical report from Malawian Public hospitals
12. Original police clearance letter from country of origin

All those on time posts need to have an understudy who has to take over the post. This has to be done after 6 years because TEPs cannot be renewed for more than 6 years.

The investor is required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of US$100 and issuance fee of US$2,000.

The applications are then submitted to MITC and then forwarded to Department of Immigration with a recommendation for approval. The process from submission of all documentation and endorsement in passport takes no more than 5 days.