How to buy property in Malawi from abroad

Last checked 2026-10-03

Under the Land Act 2016, private land in Malawi is freehold, leasehold or a registered customary estate. As amended, the law says land shall not be granted or sold to a person who is not a citizen of Malawi, and only citizens can own customary land.

The steps

  1. Hire your own Malawian lawyer.
  2. Search the title at the Lands Registry for the owner and any charges.
  3. For a customary estate, confirm it is registered as private land, and talk to the traditional authorities and neighbours.
  4. Have a surveyor confirm the plot.
  5. Sign the transfer and register it at the Lands Registry.

Selling or letting from abroad

Many people abroad own property in Malawi: a house they built, family land, or a home they inherited. You can usually sell it or let it out without travelling, but owners who live abroad are also a common target for fraud. These are the general steps. The rules, taxes and forms in Malawi are for a lawyer there to confirm.

Selling from abroad

  1. Confirm the property is registered in your name. If it belonged to a relative who has died, the estate usually has to be settled and the title transferred to the heirs before anyone can sell it.
  2. Hire your own lawyer in Malawi, not one introduced by the buyer or an agent.
  3. Get a current official search of the title, so you know what the buyer's lawyer will see.
  4. If someone will sign for you, give them a power of attorney limited to this one property and this one sale, with an end date. Ask your lawyer how it must be signed and authenticated (before a notary, by apostille or through the embassy) and whether it must be registered.
  5. Ask your lawyer which taxes and fees fall on the seller, such as tax on the gain and transfer or stamp duties, and whether any tax clearance is needed before the transfer.
  6. Have the buyer pay into your lawyer's client account or your own bank account, never to a relative or agent personally.
  7. Ask your bank and lawyer how to move the money abroad, and keep the paperwork that shows where it came from.

Letting it out from abroad

  • Use a written tenancy agreement and keep a copy yourself.
  • Choose a manager or agent you can check up on, and agree in writing what they collect, what they charge and when they pay you.
  • Ask about tax on rent. Many countries tax rent earned there even when the owner lives abroad, and some make tenants withhold tax from rent paid to owners abroad.
  • Have someone you trust visit regularly, and check the title register now and then. Forged sales of absent owners' property are common.

Warning signs for owners abroad

  • An agent or relative asking for a general power of attorney over everything you own.
  • A buyer who wants to pay in cash, or to pay someone other than you or your lawyer.
  • Pressure to sign before your own lawyer has seen the documents.
  • Someone else listing or showing your property without your knowledge.

Own a home in Malawi? List it for sale or rent yourself, free.

Common questions

Can Malawians abroad buy land in Malawi?

Yes. Malawian citizens can buy freehold, leasehold and customary estates. Check the title at the Lands Registry first.

Can foreigners buy land in Malawi?

The amended Land Act says land shall not be granted or sold to non-citizens. Foreign companies can only hold land under a licence from the Minister.

What is a customary estate?

Customary land in a traditional land management area that has been registered as private land.

Can I sell my property in Malawi while living abroad?

Usually, yes. Most sales from abroad go through a local lawyer and a representative holding a power of attorney limited to the one sale. Ask a lawyer in Malawi how that power of attorney must be signed and registered.

Do I pay tax when I sell property in Malawi?

Often. Many countries tax the gain on a property sale and charge transfer or stamp duties, including for owners who live abroad. Ask a lawyer or tax adviser in Malawi what applies before you agree a price.

Can I list my own property on ResidentFinder?

Yes. Owners can list a home for sale or for rent themselves, without an agent, and listing is free. Buyers and renters contact you directly through ResidentFinder.

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Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and is not definitive. Laws, fees and procedures change; confirm every step with a licensed lawyer in the country before you pay anything.