Malawi or Mozambique
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Malawi | Mozambique | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | — | 5 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | — | — |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 478 · estimate | $ 731 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 22,1 | $ 32,2 |
| Life expectancy | 67.56 | 63.8 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.78 | 3.59 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.9 | 5.2 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Malawi — 8, Mozambique — 18. Types present in both: work, study and investment. Mozambique adds: family.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Malawi: not a single route publishes its fee. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 50,000 USD a month. Mozambique: not a single route publishes its fee. Routes with a published decision deadline: 7; the shortest is 5 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Malawi after 5 years, Mozambique after 10 years. Citizenship: Mozambique after 5 years; the other country publishes no term.
Malawi in brief
Malawi is one of the poorest and at the same time one of the calmest countries on the continent: homicides at 1.78 per 100,000 (UNODC; the figure is from 2012, as the agency publishes nothing more recent for the country), political stability at −0.38 on the World Bank scale from −2.5 to +2.5 — markedly better than its neighbours in the region. The air is cleaner than in most developing countries: average PM2.5 concentration 16.7 µg/m³. The immigration set-up is simple and the department states it plainly: the visa grants entry, while living and working require a permit. The work permit (TEP) is applied for by the employer, and until it is decided the applicant must stay outside Malawi; it can be renewed twice. Permanent residence is available after five years of ordinary residence, and also to the foreign wife of a Malawian citizen, to retirees with assured income and to adult dependants of a PRP holder. The business permit requires an investment of at least $50,000 from a lawful source outside the country and is valid for five years. The department publishes no processing deadlines for any permit, but it does publish a deadline for the applicant: the fee must be paid within 30 days of approval. Cats and dogs may be brought in only under a permit from the chief veterinary officer obtained in advance.
Mozambique in brief
Mozambique is a Portuguese-speaking country in south-east Africa with a coastline on the Indian Ocean; the official language is Portuguese. Land is state-owned: neither the country's own citizens nor foreigners have ownership of land, only the right to use and develop it (DUAT), granted by the state. Malaria is widespread across most of the territory year-round. Coastal areas, including Beira, are regularly hit by tropical cyclones during the rainy season (December–March) — in March 2019 Cyclone Idai destroyed a significant part of Beira. Large offshore natural gas fields are being developed in the north of the country (Cabo Delgado province, Palma district), and the same province has been the site of an armed conflict since 2017: as of early August 2026 the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Cabo Delgado province except the town of Palma and the area around Pemba and Afungi, to which it advises against all but essential travel.
Other comparisons
Malawi or… Nigeria · Rwanda · Tunisia · Algeria · Tanzania · Kenya · South Africa · Angola
Mozambique or… Gabon · Madagascar · Sierra Leone · Uganda · Zambia · Eswatini · Lesotho · Republic of the Congo
More on each: Malawi · Mozambique. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.