Lilongwe— A new era in Malawi’s passport service has begun this month as the Ministry of Homeland Security confirmed the permanent deployment of a revamped passport processing and issuance system.
The rollout, hailed by officials as a milestone in modernizing travel documentation, follows a disruptive cyber breach in 2024 and a transition from a temporary fix to a permanent, ICAO-compliant solution engineered by Madras Security Printers.
Background to the transition
In March 2024, Malawi’s passport issuing system suffered a significant cybersecurity breach that disrupted services nationwide. In response, the government contracted E-Tech Systems in April 2024 to provide a temporary solution. While the interim system relatively stabilized operations, it also produced ongoing problems, including passports failing to scan, which led to isolated incidents of arrests or delays for some Malawians traveling abroad under suspicion of carrying forged documents.
To address these shortcomings, a contract was signed with Madras Security Printers, an Indian outfit, to implement a permanent passport issuance system. Since the exit of E-Tech Systems, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has been working with the new contractor to build a more robust and trusted platform.
The Installations and upgrades reached a migration phase that prompted a temporary pause on new applications, processing, and printing, while essential registrations with stakeholders, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), were completed. This was a period most Malawians seeking the department’s services grew anxious and became unprecedentedly frustrated. Not anymore!
While Malawians’ frustrations were at their peak, in the background there was system testing, integration with key agencies such as the National Registration Bureau and banking partners, as well as extensive user testing. All these have since been completed.
And here is the good news:
Most passport applicants will reckon that for decades, applying and paying for a passport was one thing and getting their printed passports was also another. Usually, immigration staff members who are so conditioned to corruption could demand money for their private pockets to “check if the passport is printed”. This could be done even where they were aware that the passport was printed. They could misinform the applicant that it was not, and ask for a kickback to expedite its printing. This was corruption.
In a move to combat this stinking vice, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has embarked on a new strategy whereby a public update containing a database of all passports that have been printed is being posted on its official Facebook page and website. So far, from the database shared, the department has printed a total of 1000 passports since its rollout. The move will not only promote transparency, but will also be useful to applicants who will, while avoiding unnecessary transport costs, be informed of their passport status and proceed to collect it when they are aware that it has been printed.
Further, officials have disclosed that the permanent system is designed to bring passport services closer to Malawians by expanding beyond the initial regional centers of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mangochi, and Mzuzu. New centers are set to open in Salima, Mzimba, Karonga, Kasungu, and Chikwawa, with Lilongwe rolling out immediately and other centers expected to achieve full installations in the coming weeks. The decentralization aims to deliver faster, easier access to passport processing and issuance, a move that is also hoped to decongest other centres.
Key features of the new system
Through a public statement issued by the Minister of Homeland Security, Ezekiel Peter Ching’oma, the government has highlighted a suite of improvements intended to boost security, efficiency, and user experience: An electronic passport (e-passport) with a securely embedded chip, designed to ICAO standards has been incorporated. Further, an online portal for applicants to submit their documents. Not only that, the system also comes with an online, electronic (including mobile money) and onsite payment options.
The statement discloses a setting up of Dedicated Passport Data Capturing and Collection Centers while streamlining workflows to reduce redundancies where possible.
Assurances to the public and ongoing commitments
While acknowledging the disruptions of the migration period, the government has stressed that all paid-for and pending printing applications would be prioritized and cleared within 21 days. New applications are to be processed with renewed speed and efficiency.
In line with ICAO standards, the department will dispatch specimens of the new passport to Malawi’s foreign missions and partner countries to ensure seamless immigration processing for Malawians abroad.
In an interview with this publication, Minister Ching’oma has welcomed the rollout and underscored the government’s commitment to public service reform. He said, “I would like to thank all Malawians for their continued patience during this transition time, which has given us the new system that will significantly improve the passport issuance service by bringing it closer to the people through decentralization.”
Looking ahead
Experts and social commentators have commended the government for eliminating woes that endured in the department. “With the new system in place, Malawi’s passport processing and issuance is positioned to be faster, safer, and more accessible, reflecting a broader push toward modernization and improved citizen services”, said a former diplomat Dr. Reymond Chikadza. A renowned critique of the government, Joshua Chisa Mbele also commended the government for fixing the system: “On Passports: The new Contractor has begun printing Passports. They have been printing on testing-basis. They are soon going into full production mode. This I can confirm with my Neck on the Block. The Hon Minister did not fully disclose the pains. He was put under immense pressure. We have solved this problem. We have learned our lessons. Thank You Department of Immigration”, Mbele said in his Facebook post made on 19th August.
Officials say rollouts will continue across additional centers next week, with ongoing refinement to ensure timely clearance of pending applications and a smoother international travel experience for Malawians. Citizens are urged to monitor the immigration website and local offices for guidance on center openings, application instructions, and timelines for completing pending applications.
