# Malawi travel eSIM guide > Malawi mobile guide: TNM's MK500 starter pack and SIM registration, its per-minute tariffs in kwacha, visitor roaming, visa fees in US dollars, bag-snatching and road risks, and 998, 999 and 990. Page: https://esimnest.com/malawi/guide/ Telekom Networks Malawi, known as TNM, is the local operator whose own website this guide reads: it publishes a starter pack price in kwacha, a SIM registration step and its tariff plans. Airtel Malawi also has a website, but its bundle page shows only a mobile number field and no price list, so this guide cannot quote its prices. This guide reads TNM's pages, the Malawi e-visa portal and the UK Foreign Office, and says where we found nothing, including a visitor eSIM and TNM's current data bundle prices. By eSimNest Team. Facts last checked 2026-10-03 against the sources listed at the end. ## TNM's starter pack, registration and activation TNM's frequently asked questions answer how to become a subscriber: buy a starter pack from TNM dealers or TNM shops at MK500, register the SIM card, then dial 100 to activate the number. The page does not say what identity document a foreign visitor needs to register. For an existing line, it says a PUK code is obtained by calling 105 or visiting a TNM shop with a valid National ID, and it does not say what a visitor would show, so ask in a shop before you plan around buying a SIM on arrival. Internet bundles are bought by dialling *202# and following the instructions, or in the TNM Smart App, and balances can be checked by dialling #123# or *100#. The page says 4G is activated by dialling *100# and following the instructions, and airtime is added by dialling *111* followed by the recharge pin and #. It also describes a usage bonus: using MK1000 of airtime on the internet gives an instant 50 MB bonus valid for 24 hours, available up to 20 times a month. ## Per-minute tariffs and recharge bonuses TNM's prepaid tariff page describes three rate plans. Yofewa offers one rate of K57 per minute for calls on the network and across the network, and customers subscribe by dialling *365#, with free opt-in and opt-out. Yaboo offers K118.20 per minute on the network and across the network. Yanga is a plan with discounts depending on the time and location of the call, and the page gives its base tariff before discounts as K 120.00 per minute, with subscription by dialling *150*1#. The page does not say which plan a new SIM starts on, so check after activation. The bonuses page sets out a digital recharge bonus in minutes. A recharge of 1,000 to 1,199 gives 5 bonus minutes, 2,000 to 2,999 gives 10 and 10,000 or more gives 50, valid for 48 hours and usable only for calls from TNM to TNM numbers. Its business rules say only recharges made through Mpamba, EVD and banks qualify, and that recharges under MK200 do not. ## Visitors roaming on TNM TNM's international dialling and roaming page has a section for visitors. It says that on arrival in Malawi the TNM network will automatically be selected when you switch on your phone at all entry points, and it lists steps for manual selection if that does not happen: go to settings, phone settings and network selection, choose manual, then select TNM or CP 900. It advises checking before you leave that your home network has a roaming agreement with TNM, that your phone will work on the network and that your charger will work, noting that Malawi uses a 3-pin flat plug of the UK type. The page says TNM has more than 300 roaming partners in over 100 destinations. The part of the page we read gives no visitor roaming rates, so check your own operator's roaming price. ## What we could not confirm: data bundle prices, Airtel and eSIM TNM's bundles page showed only the message that the service is unavailable when we opened it, so we cannot state current data bundle prices or validities. Its product brochures page lists documents by title, including a monthly unlimited night bundle and 5G home broadband terms, but we did not read their contents. We found no TNM page on the pages we opened offering an eSIM to visitors, so we do not state that one exists. Airtel Malawi's website has a page for recharging or buying bundles, but it asks for a mobile number and shows no price list without one, so we found no Airtel bundle prices or visitor registration rule. TNM's menu and Airtel's footer both link to coverage pages, which we did not read, so we state no coverage. ## Visa on arrival or e-visa, and the health form The UK Foreign Office page for British citizens, last updated on 3 July 2026, says you must apply for a visa to enter Malawi. It says single or multiple entry visas can be obtained on arrival and advises bringing US dollars in cash: 50 US dollars for a single-entry visa, 150 for a 6-month multiple entry visa and 250 for a one-year multiple entry visa. Online e-visas are available on the Malawi Immigration website. The passport needs an expiry date at least six months after arrival. It addresses travellers on a full British citizen passport. The official Malawi e-visa portal says you create an account, complete the application, pay the visa fee and a convenience fee by Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card, then download and print the approval, which you must show on arrival at the port of entry. It also says officials reserve the right to deny entry to an e-visa holder. The portal carries a public notice headed Visa on Arrival Eligibility for Designated Countries, which we could not read in full, so check the notice for your nationality. The Foreign Office says you must have a yellow fever certificate if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk and a polio vaccine certificate in some circumstances. Arriving passengers must complete a Traveller Health Check form, accessed on arrival through a QR code or completed in advance. There are strict rules on goods taken into or out of Malawi, and that anything possibly prohibited, taxable or dutiable must be declared. ## Bag-snatching, break-ins and the rainy season The Foreign Office says there is a risk of mugging and bag-snatching, that most thefts from tourists take place around main bus stations in urban areas, and that valuables and cash are best left in a hotel safe if possible. It reports occasional kidnappings for ransom, which have generally been for financial gain or motivated by criminality, and says people have been robbed after eating drugged food and should not accept food or drink from strangers. It reports a risk of burglaries and violent assault, including by armed gangs, and says a group of UK tourists was violently assaulted and robbed in 2025 in their hotel in Mulanje. It reports an increase in break-ins in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Limbe. Police sometimes ask to see ID, so always carry a copy of your passport, visa or residence permit. On the law, the Foreign Office says same-sex sexual activity is illegal and may result in a custodial sentence, that penalties for drug use and smuggling can be severe including for cannabis, and that it is illegal to buy uncut precious gemstones or to buy, sell or trade protected wildlife products, including ivory. It says cyclones and floods are common during the rainy season from November to April and often cause landslides and road closures, and that earthquakes are a risk in Malawi. ## Roads, minibuses and emergency numbers The Foreign Office says driving in Malawi can be hazardous with a high rate of road fatalities, with potholes, animals, abandoned vehicles, cyclists and vehicles travelling at night without lights causing serious accidents. It advises always wearing a seatbelt and avoiding travel after dark, and says emergency services are basic. It reports frequent fuel shortages with long queues, so do not assume fuel will be available on your route, and says police use breathalyser tests, speed cameras and on-the-spot speeding fines. Public minibuses and pick-up trucks are often in poor condition and overloaded, while larger coach services between the major towns are more reliable. The Foreign Office lists these emergency numbers for Malawi: ambulance 998, fire 999 and police 990 or 997. It states that emergency numbers are unreliable in Malawi and that there may be other numbers for the areas you visit, which your hotel or the local police can give you. Emergency calls: Many travel eSIMs carry data only, and a data-only profile may not place a normal phone call. Keep a voice-capable SIM for emergencies, such as your home SIM or a local plan, and save the local emergency number from this guide. Plans and current prices for Malawi: [eSIM for Malawi](https://esimnest.com/malawi/). ## Questions ### How much is a TNM SIM card? TNM's FAQ says a starter pack costs MK500 from TNM dealers or shops, after which you register the SIM and dial 100 to activate the number. ### Does TNM sell a visitor eSIM? We found no TNM page on the pages we opened offering one, so we do not state that it does. ### How do I buy data on TNM? TNM says to dial *202# and follow the instructions, or use the TNM Smart App. We could not read its current bundle prices. ### Do British visitors need a visa for Malawi? The UK Foreign Office says you must apply for a visa, available on arrival or as an online e-visa. Its listed arrival fees are 50 US dollars single entry, 150 for 6-month multiple entry and 250 for one-year multiple entry. Its page is written for British citizen passports. ### Is there a health form for arriving passengers? The UK Foreign Office says arriving passengers must complete a Traveller Health Check form, accessed on arrival through a QR code or completed in advance. ### Is it safe to take minibuses? The UK Foreign Office says public minibuses and pick-up trucks are often in poor condition and overloaded, and that larger coach services between the major towns are more reliable. ### What are the emergency numbers in Malawi? The UK Foreign Office lists 998 for ambulance, 999 for fire and 990 or 997 for police, and says the numbers are unreliable. ## Sources - [TNM: frequently asked questions](https://www.tnm.co.mw/personal/support/faqs) - [TNM: prepaid tariff plans](https://www.tnm.co.mw/personal/products/prepaid-tariff-plans) - [TNM: bonuses](https://www.tnm.co.mw/personal/products/bonuses) - [TNM: international dialling and roaming](https://www.tnm.co.mw/personal/products/international-dialling-and-roaming) - [TNM: bundles](https://www.tnm.co.mw/personal/products/bundles) - [TNM: product brochures](https://www.tnm.co.mw/personal/downloads/product-brochures) - [Airtel Malawi: recharge or buy bundles](https://www.airtel.mw/data-bundle) - [GOV.UK: Malawi entry requirements](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malawi/entry-requirements) - [Malawi e-Visa portal](https://evisa.gov.mw/) - [GOV.UK: Malawi safety and security](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malawi/safety-and-security) - [GOV.UK: Malawi getting help](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malawi/getting-help)