Check motor insurance in Malawi — certificate

Short answerChecked 31 October 2026

In Malawi the insurer issues a certificate of insurance for each vehicle and trailer; it must be in the vehicle at all times on a public road and a police officer may inspect it (Road Traffic Act, section 151). Making, holding or altering a false certificate is an offence. To check a certificate, make sure the insurer named on it is one of the 8 general insurers on the Registrar of Financial Institutions' list of 30 June 2026, that whoever sold it is a licensed agent or broker, and ask that insurer to confirm the policy number. A COMESA Yellow Card can be checked on the Digital Yellow Card system.

Free PDF: Motor insurance in Malawi guide 2026

6 chapters in one PDF, every source listed. Free, no sign-up.

Get the free PDF

Your situation is different? Ask.

Answers come from the law, the regulator and the insurers' own documents, with the source under each answer. General information, not advice.

What excess will I pay on a claim?Am I covered if I use the car for business?What should I check before I renew?

On this page · 5 sections

Check a certificate in four steps
False certificates and cancelled policies
Driving to a neighbouring country: the COMESA Yellow Card
FAQ
Sources

Check a certificate in four steps

Read the certificate: the insurer, the policy number, the vehicle registration and the period of cover. The insurer must be approved for motor cover (section 143(a) of the Road Traffic Act).
Find the insurer on the Registrar's list of licensed institutions (general insurers: Britam Insurance Company Malawi Limited, Co-operatives General Insurance Limited, General Alliance Insurance Limited, Libertas General Insurance Company Limited, NICO General Insurance Company Limited, Prime Insurance Company Limited, Reunion Insurance Company Limited and United General Insurance Company Limited).
Check the seller: agents, brokers and bancassurance agents are on the same list. Since 2010 it is an offence to act as an insurance agent or broker without a licence (Insurance Act, sections 27 and 39).
Call the insurer on the number on its own website and ask it to confirm the policy number and dates. Keep a copy of the certificate and of the receipt.

False certificates and cancelled policies

Anyone who manufactures or possesses a false policy or certificate, or alters one, commits an offence: a fine of up to K5,000 and one year's imprisonment for a first offence, and up to K10,000 and two years after that (section 151(4), consolidated text of 31 December 2014).

When a policy ends without your consent before its term, the insurer must notify the Director of Road Traffic and the Commissioner of Police at once, and you must surrender the certificate (section 154). An insurer may issue a duplicate certificate only after checking that the original was lost or destroyed (section 155).

Driving to a neighbouring country: the COMESA Yellow Card

The COMESA Yellow Card is third party motor cover recognised in Burundi, Djibouti, the DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Digital Yellow Card system is used to issue and to verify cards. More: travel insurance.

Already insured?

Understand my policy Prepare a claim

Next step

1. Find the cover that fits

Frequently asked questions

Must I carry my insurance certificate in the car in Malawi?

Yes. Section 151(2) of the Road Traffic Act requires the certificate of insurance to be in the vehicle at all times while it is on a public road.

How do I know my insurer is licensed in Malawi?

Look for it on the Registrar of Financial Institutions' list of licensed institutions, published by the Reserve Bank of Malawi (latest: 30 June 2026). See check an insurer.

Is there a public online database of motor certificates in Malawi?

Tulinde did not find one published by the Registrar or the Directorate of Road Traffic. Confirm the policy with the insurer itself; Yellow Cards can be verified on the COMESA Digital Yellow Card system.