Malawi or Nigeria
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 | Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | — | — |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | — | — |
| Pets | difficult | difficult |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | $ 2 000 |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 478 · estimate | $ 863 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 22,1 | $ 18,6 |
| Life expectancy | 67.56 | 54.63 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.78 | 15.75 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Malawi — 8, Nigeria — 60. Types present in both: work, study and investment. Nigeria adds: family, talent, repatriation and retirement.
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. Nigeria: fees range from 600 to 2,000 USD. Routes stating an income threshold: 6; the lowest is 250,000 USD a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 50; the shortest is 2 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Malawi 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.
Nigeria in brief
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and its largest economy, with an English-speaking business environment and a prominent tech scene in Lagos. The work route is built around the employer rather than the person: the company obtains an expatriate quota from the Ministry of Interior and accepts immigration responsibility, the foreigner enters on a 90-day STR visa and, already inside the country, receives a CERPAC card valid for two years and renewable. The service publishes a processing standard for residence visas — 10 days from the interview and biometrics, including applications by spouses and other dependants. Permanent residence exists, but not through a period of residence: it is open to spouses of citizens, to investors bringing in capital above a set threshold, to highly skilled professionals and to certain retirees. Bringing in cats and dogs requires rabies antibody titration with the blood sample taken at least three months before departure, so preparation starts about six months ahead. The background figures: life expectancy 54.6 years (World Bank, 2024), homicides 15.75 per 100,000 (UNODC, 2023), average PM2.5 concentration 65.7 µg/m³ — almost thirteen times the WHO guideline (World Bank, 2023), and all four World Bank governance indicators deeply negative, including political stability at −2.0 on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5.
Other comparisons
Malawi or… Rwanda · Tunisia · Algeria · Tanzania · Kenya · South Africa · Angola · Gabon
Nigeria or… Madagascar · Sierra Leone · Uganda · Zambia · Eswatini · Lesotho · Mozambique · Republic of the Congo
More on each: Malawi · Nigeria. 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.