Workflow checklist
- Identify the registry. cripc.gov.mw
- Check access requirements. Account required: Optional. Local ID required: No.
- Plan budget. Price range: USD 0.00. Payment methods: Not published on the live cripc.gov.mw or mbrs.gov.mw/search HTML.
- Anticipate friction. Captcha / 2FA: Unknown. English UI: Yes.
- Plan turnaround. Expected: Unknown.
- Verify recency. Last verified: 4 Sept 2026. Confirm current pricing at the official registry before submitting.
TL;DR. https://mbrs.gov.mw returns HTTP 302 to https://cripc.gov.mw (HTTP 200, title Malawi’s official registrar for business). The homepage states Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre (CRIPC) assumed the mandate of the former Registrar General’s Department from 1 April 2026. That is a live redirect plus live text, not an invented successor. orca.gov.mw is NXDOMAIN. Public Search is https://mbrs.gov.mw/search (HTTP 200, title Welcome): Individual or Entity plus a search box, with Signin/Signup. MWK 10,000-80,000 fees and Instant are not live-cited. priceMax 0 means Unknown. lastVerifiedUtc is 2026-09-04 because this live check was recorded.
What is the official Malawi business registry?
The live official hub is https://cripc.gov.mw (HTTP 200). The fetched homepage names CRIPC and states it is Malawi’s government agency for business registration and intellectual property. Effective 1 April 2026, CRIPC assumed the mandate and functions of the former Registrar General’s Department. The old registryUrl host https://mbrs.gov.mw 302s to that hub.
orca.gov.mw is NXDOMAIN. Do not keep orca.gov.mw as a working URL.
The services page at https://cripc.gov.mw/services (HTTP 200, title Services - Companies Registrations & Intellectual Property) describes company types (including private limited, single-member, limited by guarantee) as service copy. That is not a search-result grid.
What can you search?
Live Public Search at https://mbrs.gov.mw/search (HTTP 200):
- Label: Search for Individuals or Entities
- Type select: Individual or Entity
- Text: Type to search…
- Signin and Signup links on the same page
A submitted query and result-row fields were not fetched. Do not invent director-name columns or status lists as live results.
Create Account / Sign In appear on cripc.gov.mw. The search page itself exposes the lookup form without a login wall in the fetched HTML. accountRequired is Optional.
A news item titled BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP STAKEHOLDERS TRAINING is not a public UBO register. Do not invent UBO search from that heading.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Cost (MWK) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Search (mbrs.gov.mw/search) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Certified extract | Unknown | Unknown |
| Company registration services | Unknown | Unknown |
MWK 10,000-80,000 and USD 6-45 figures are not on the fetched HTML and are dropped. priceMax 0 means Unknown, not verified free. Instant is not live-cited. The search HTML has no fee table.
Do you need a local account or ID?
Search form is on a public page with Signin/Signup. No Malawi ID field was observed on that search HTML. accountRequired is Optional. captchaOr2fa is Unknown.
Is the website in English?
Yes. cripc.gov.mw and mbrs.gov.mw/search are English.
What’s the turnaround time?
Unknown. Instant is not live-cited. 5-10 business day extract times are not on the fetched HTML.
Is there an API?
No public API is live-cited on cripc.gov.mw or the search page.
What you legally cannot do
Terms of use were not a separate legal page in this fetch. Do not bulk-scrape. Do not invent a public UBO register from a training announcement.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- Use cripc.gov.mw as the hub (live 302 from mbrs.gov.mw).
- Public Search is mbrs.gov.mw/search. Individual or Entity.
- orca.gov.mw is NXDOMAIN.
- ORCA as a live operator name is stale on this fetch. The live name is CRIPC.
- FATF 2022 grey-list removal was not live-cited from this HTML.
Alternatives if you cannot use Public Search
- Hub: https://cripc.gov.mw
- Search: https://mbrs.gov.mw/search
- OpenCorporates (https://opencorporates.com): Direct GET with a Chrome UA on 2026-09-04 returned HTTP 200, title OpenCorporates, 194,727 bytes; the per-jurisdiction listing path returned an HAProxy Challenge page (200, 1,536 bytes); the DEC-055 Dual harness (curl_cffi Chrome, Direct and SOCKS, run by Ara on 2026-09-04 and posted on this PR) returned Direct 200 / SOCKS 200 for opencorporates.com. Non-official aggregator; coverage not verified here.
Local data suppliers
No Malawi bureau was live-checked in this batch.
FAQ
Is orca.gov.mw the register?
No. orca.gov.mw is NXDOMAIN. The live hub is cripc.gov.mw. Search is at mbrs.gov.mw/search.
Is basic search free?
Not live-cited. No fee table on the search HTML. priceMax 0 means Unknown.
Does Malawi have a public UBO register on this fetch?
Not live-cited. A beneficial-ownership training announcement is not a register search.
Last verified: 2026-09-04. Live GET: mbrs.gov.mw 302 to cripc.gov.mw HTTP 200 (CRIPC from 1 April 2026). orca.gov.mw NXDOMAIN. Public Search HTML at mbrs.gov.mw/search. MWK fees not on those pages. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.