Visitor’s visa and residence permit
A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other Schengen countries for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days. A residence permit gives you the opportunity to work in Norway and to stay for more than 90 days.
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, is responsible for applications for visitor's visas from Malawian citizens and others legally residing in Malawi. It is also responsible for applications for residence permits from Malawian and Zambian citizens and other legally residing in the two countries. If the applicant is not a resident of Malawi or Zambia, a reason for applying here must be provided.
Submission
All applicants submit their application for a visitor's visa or residence permit at the Norway Visa Application Centre in Lilongwe located in Corporate Mall in Paul Kagame Road (next to Road Traffic). Diplomatic passport holders must also apply at the Visa Application Centre in Lilongwe.
To book an appointment with the Norway VISA Application Centre in Lilongwe, go to www.vfsglobal.com/norway/malawi.
Family members of EU/EEA nationals
If you are a close family member of an EU/EEA citizen residing in Norway, or a Norwegian citizen who is living in another EU/EEA country on a permanent basis and you are going to travel together with, or visit, this person, you will normally be given a visa. EU/EEA family members can apply directly at the Embassy and can book an appointment by email.
By close family member means:
- spouse/partner/cohabitant
- child who is under the age of 21 or supported financially by the parent
- parent who is supported financially by their child
For more information, please visit Directorate of Immigration's (UDI) website.
Processing time
The processing time for a visitor's visa is normally 15 calendar days from the day the Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria receives a complete application. In some cases, it may take longer. If the Embassy asks you for additional documents or information, it will take more time to process your application.
Applications submitted in Malawi
Due to the courier time from Lilongwe to Pretoria, applications from Malawi can take up to 21-24 working days.
Apply well in advance of your travel
The Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria recommends that you apply at least 4 weeks prior to departure. You may register and submit your application 6 months before your planned trip.
The processing time is counted from the day the application is received at the Embassy until the passport is picked up by the VFS courier in Pretoria. Therefore, please take the courier/transport time between VFS Global in Malawi and the Embassy in Pretoria into account when calculating your estimated processing time.
Residence permits
Residence permits are processed by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) in Norway. You can find information about processing times for different permits here.
You will receive notification when the application has been processed.