Sufficiently Stamped

As our temporary residence permits have yet to materialize (surprise, surprise – the wheels of government turn slowly indeed) and we’d reached the end of our 30 day tourist visa (hard to believe it’s already been a month) this morning it was time for an outing to immigration. Fun!

We arrive right at nine, planning to beat the crowds, only to find the office had been open since 7:30am. We wander in to the visa section, thinking perhaps the early crowds have come and gone. Muli bwanje’s all around and we sit down to fill out a simple one-page form. So far so good. The immigration officer signs our completed forms and we get stamp #1. Hauling out a stack of kwacha, I think we’re home free, only to be told we must go to the other department to pay our extension fees.

Flash forward to the other side of the building, a room packed with several different queues of people waiting for various things. We’re directed to the teller queue, only five people long. Great. Well, it would be great if each person didn’t take at least five minutes. Hmmm...

Flash forward again and we’re at the teller, a charming young man in a striped shirt and short tie (apparently a Malawian fashion; many are worn no longer than mid-chest) whose booth is either bizarrely sunk into the floor, or equipped with the world’s shortest desk. Either way, he processes our paperwork quickly, adding stamp #2 and #3 to our single-page forms and printing out a receipt in quadruplicate(?), each copy of which receives its own stamp. We receive two of these apiece and are cordially waved on to the next window.

At this mysterious second window another clerk, this one wearing what appears to be the matching tie and vest combo from a wedding tux (complete with faux-diamond stickpin) records the information from our receipts into a giant ledger, peels off a carbon copy for us (to which he duly applies stamp #4), applies stamp #5 to our original form (just for completeness) and sends us on our way.

Back over at the visa section, the original immigration officer examines our paperwork again, applies stamp #6 to the form (which is duly filed… or something) and, finally, we get lucky stamp #7 in the passport itself, clearing us for another 30 days in country.

Start to finish: seven stamps in sixty minutes.