Malawians will no longer have to worry about their national identity cards expiring.
Homeland Security Minister Peter Mukhito has directed the National Registration Bureau (NRB) to start issuing national identity cards without expiry dates, effective today, September 16, 2026.
Mukhito issued the directive in Lilongwe during the launch of the Nzika Digital ID Wallet, an initiative aimed at modernising Malawi’s identity management system.
The development means eligible Malawians will no longer have to renew their national identity cards simply because the cards have reached their expiry dates, subject to the details of the new arrangement announced by government.
The directive marks a major change from the previous system under which national ID cards carried expiry dates and had to be renewed.
NRB’s existing guidance states that national IDs have traditionally expired after defined periods and required renewal.
The announcement comes alongside the launch of the Nzika Digital ID Wallet, which allows citizens to store and present government-issued identity credentials digitally through their mobile phones.
The official wallet supports credentials including the Citizen Identification and can present them through a QR code.
Government says the digital identity initiative is intended to make identification more convenient while reducing reliance on physical ID cards and the costs associated with printing them.
The NRB has described the digital wallet as part of efforts to modernize Malawi’s identity management system.
