Overview
The Songwe M1 Bridge crosses the river between Malawi and Tanzania. Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania are working on the creation of a One Stop Border Post at the Songwe-Kasumulu entry point, which aims to facilitate the free movement of persons and goods (SARDC, 2016). The objective of this project is to establish a single customs and immigration centre at the Songwe-Kasumulu border.
Border Crossing Location and Contact |
|
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Name of Border Crossing |
Tanzania: Kasumulu |
Province or District |
Mbeya district |
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Border Crossing |
Kasumulu (5 km) |
Latitude |
-9.589674 |
Longitude |
33.776242 |
Managing Authority / Agency |
Tanzanian Revenue Authority (TRA) |
Contact Person |
Mr. Omany Majanwa, Officer-in-charge +255 764 484 882 |
Travel Times |
|
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Nearest International Airport |
Songwe Airport (521 km) Truck Travel Time: 2h 30 min Car Travel time: 2h 30 min |
Nearest Port |
Dar es Salaam Port (905 km) Truck Travel Time: 21 hrs Car Travel time: 21 hrs |
Nearest location with functioning wholesale markets, or with significant manufacturing or production capacity |
Mbeya (111 km) Truck Travel Time: 2h 30 min Car Travel time: 2h 30 min |
Other Information |
The route to reach Kasumulu from Mbeya is paved and in good condition. |
Hours of Operation |
|
---|---|
Mondays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
Tuesdays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
Wednesdays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
Thursdays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
Fridays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
Saturdays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
Sundays |
08:00 – 19:00 |
National Holidays |
No |
Seasonal Constraints |
No seasonal constraints. |
Daily Capacity
On average, 125 trucks and tankers and 20 private vehicles are crossing Malawi border from Tanzania daily. In addition, a lot of pedestrians are transiting the border crossing every day. The border crossing authorities give priority to certain type of vehicles. Thus, tankers have priority to cross the border, then private vehicles, and finally the cargo trucks. That said, the volume of activity at the border is relatively low and there is no major congestion problem.
Customs Clearance
Usual documents are required for the custom clearance including invoice, packing list, permits, and the contract signed between the customer and the clearance agent, if any. The truck driver has to present his passport to the authority. Note that the goods could be subject to examination upon entering country. The fees vary in function of the origin, destination, and the number of axles. For small vehicles, the fees are mainly based on the longer of the journey in Tanzania.
For more information on customs in Tanzania, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.
For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.