Permits & licences
Harvesting, moving or trading forest produce, or doing business in a forest reserve, needs the right licence or permit. Here is what applies.
When you need one
What needs a licence or permit
Under the Forestry Act and the Forestry Regulations, 2026:
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Using forest land, or forest produce from customary land, public land, a forest reserve or a protected forest area
A licence issued under the Forestry Act.
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Harvesting between 1 November and 31 March
A special licence from the Director of Forestry.
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Building, grazing, cultivating, cutting, burning or keeping bees in a village forest area
The written permit of the village natural resources management committee that holds the area.
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Running a business in a forest reserve
Sawmilling, logging, bee-keeping, tourism, water abstraction and other activities: an application, and the fees in the Third Schedule.
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Exporting forest produce
An export licence and export permit, with a transfer certificate for each consignment.
Protected tree species, listed in the First Schedule to the Regulations, may not be harvested.
1 November – 31 March
The closed season
Harvesting forest resources is prohibited from 1 November to 31 March every year, while forests regenerate during the rains. The only exception is a special licence issued by the Director of Forestry.
Plan harvesting so that it is finished before 1 November.
Remove produce cut under a licence within one month of the licence expiring. The period can be extended once.
Licensed produce remains Government property until the prescribed fees are paid in full.
How it works
Getting a forest produce licence
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Step 1: Go to your district forestry office
You
Explain what you want to harvest or do, where, and in what quantity.
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Step 2: Assessment
Forestry officer
An officer may visit the site to confirm species, volumes and boundaries, and may set special conditions on the licence.
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Step 3: Pay royalties and fees
Before removal
Royalties are set per cubic metre, per pole or per stacked cubic metre in the Regulations.
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Step 4: Harvest within the conditions
Licensee
Fell and clear waste as the Regulations require, and remove produce within the licence period.
Fees & royalties
Selected fees and royalties
A selection from the Second and Third Schedules to the Forestry Regulations, 2026.
| Item | Basis | MWK |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty — Class I indigenous timber (e.g. Mvule, Msikidzi, Msimbiti) | Per cubic metre | 210,000 |
| Royalty — pine (Payini) | Per cubic metre | 145,000 |
| Mobile sawmill — application | Non-refundable | 150,000 |
| Mobile sawmill — operational fee | Per sawmill, per sawing season | 665,000 |
| Logging — application | Non-refundable | 150,000 |
| Logging — operational fee | Operational logging fee | 665,000 |
| Bee-keeping in a reserve — application | Non-refundable | 150,000 |
| Bee-keeping in a reserve | Per beehive | 70,000 |
| Export of forest produce (local) | Licence fee | 665,000 |
| Transfer certificate | Per consignment | 50,000 |
| Picnic, sight-seeing or trekking | Entry, per person | 3,000 |
Questions
Frequently asked
How long do I have to remove produce I have cut?
Produce must be removed within one month of the date the licence expires. The Director of Forestry can extend that period once.
Who owns the produce while I am harvesting?
Licensed produce remains Government property until the prescribed fees have been paid in full. Anything you are not licensed to take remains Government property.
Which trees can never be harvested?
The protected tree species listed in the First Schedule to the Forestry Regulations, 2026. Download the Regulations to see the list.
What are the penalties?
Contravening the Regulations carries a fine of K5,000,000 and imprisonment for ten years. Under the Forestry (Amendment) Act, 2025, entering a forest reserve without authority carries a fine of K3,000,000 and five years, and trafficking charcoal carries ten years.
How do I report a load without a permit?
Tell your nearest forest office or use the contact form. Say what you saw, where and when.