Entry requirements · Madagascar

Traveling to Madagascar

What to do before you leave, checked against official sources.

Visa
Visa on arrival · 60 days
Yellow fever vaccine
Depends on where you come from
Safety
Increased caution

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, the visa is issued on arrival in Madagascar, for a stay of 60 days. Check the steps to complete online before you leave.

Visa at the airport (30 or 60 days) or e-visa. Under 15 days: free, with a €10 fee. Extendable up to 90 days.

Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even if the answer often comes sooner.

Apply on the official site

Entry and visa

Visa depends on your nationality, passport valid 6 months
  • Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or with a Madagascar embassy or consulate.
  • If you need a visa, you can get it on arrival at the airport, or before you leave from the embassy or a consulate of Madagascar.
  • For a stay of less than 15 days, the visa is free, but a border control fee of 10 euros is charged.
  • From 15 to 60 days, you pay for the visa. Airport fees listed by France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry's travel advice): 35 euros for 30 days, 40 euros for 60 days.
  • Our advice: if you go through the embassy, apply at least two weeks before departure, as the official sources give no processing time. A rejected document or a blocked payment can hold everything up.
  • A 90-day visa cannot be bought at the border. To stay up to 90 days, you must apply in the country, on top of the 60-day visa, for a 30-day extension at the immigration office in Anosy (Antananarivo): a completed form, proof of accommodation or a hotel booking, 2 passport photos and 80,000 ariary. The total stay cannot exceed 3 months.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your date of arrival in Madagascar.
  • This tourist visa cannot be converted into a long-stay visa and does not allow you to work.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Entry and stay (updated September 15, 2026), Embassy of Madagascar in France, entry and residence visas

Health

Malaria everywhere, yellow fever depending on origin
  • Yellow fever: the vaccination certificate is required from the age of 9 months for travelers coming from a country at risk, including after a transit of more than 12 hours at an airport in such a country. It is not required if you arrive directly from a country with no risk.
  • Reminder: since 2016, a single dose is valid for life for most adults, and so is the certificate (WHO). A second dose is recommended before a new trip if you were vaccinated before the age of 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow booklet (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center if in doubt.
  • Malaria is present year round throughout the country, especially in coastal regions, and has been rising since 2012. Protect yourself from mosquitoes and ask your doctor about preventive treatment. Any fever during your stay or in the 3 months after you return means seeing a doctor without delay.
  • Update your routine vaccines, especially measles, which is rising in 2026. Hepatitis A is recommended for everyone. Typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies, dengue and chikungunya are worth discussing depending on your trip.
  • Plague is present in the highlands, generally above 800 m, with small outbreaks mostly between September and April. Dengue has been reported on the northeast coast (Antalaha, Sambava) and around Mahajanga (Majunga).
  • Drink only sealed bottled or purified water, and avoid medicines sold on the street.
  • Hospitals do not meet European standards: serious cases are transferred to Réunion or France. Insurance covering hospitalization and repatriation is essential.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Health (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Latest news (updated September 10, 2026), Institut Pasteur, Madagascar page

Money

Ariary, capped withdrawals, cards useful in towns
  • The currency is the ariary (MGA), issued by the Central Bank of Madagascar. France Diplomatie gave 1 euro = 4,881 ariary as of June 2, 2026, as a guide.
  • Bank cards are commonly accepted in shops and hotels in the larger towns.
  • ATMs are becoming more common, but not all of them accept every card. A withdrawal is capped at 400,000 ariary (about 80 euros), or 800,000 ariary (about 160 euros) depending on the bank.
  • Outside Antananarivo, banks often refuse traveler's checks. Bring an international card to withdraw cash in the larger towns, and carry cash for the countryside.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, Overview of Madagascar (updated June 5, 2026), Wikipedia, Central Bank of Madagascar

Safety

Heightened vigilance everywhere, high crime
  • According to the French foreign ministry (France Diplomatie), the whole country is at heightened vigilance (yellow). No area is strongly advised against or advised against unless you have an essential reason.
  • Crime is high: pickpocketing, muggings and burglaries are frequent in the larger towns. In Antananarivo, tourist spots (the Rova, Avenue de l'Indépendance, Analakely market) are particularly targeted.
  • Don't travel at night, whether on foot in town or on the national highways. Armed gangs regularly attack vehicles on the main roads, especially in the south. Choose flying or a rental car with a driver.
  • Avoid the Anosy and Betroka area in the southeast, affected by cattle theft and armed clashes. In Anjozorobe, check the situation before you go, after several kidnappings.
  • Calm has returned for several months after the 2025 protests that led to a change of regime. Water and power cuts still trigger protests, sometimes with roadblocks: avoid gatherings.
  • From January to April, cyclones can hit the island, especially the east coast, with flooding and cut-off roads.
  • Useful numbers: police 17, gendarmerie 119, fire department 118 (from a mobile phone).
  • Also check the travel advice from your own government, which may be stricter.
  • For French travelers: French Embassy, +261 20 22 398 98.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Security (updated September 15, 2026, map dated March 10, 2026), France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Latest news (updated September 10, 2026), France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Useful contacts (updated August 27, 2026)

On the ground

Malagasy and French, type C/E plugs, UTC+3
  • Malagasy and French are the official languages.
  • Plugs are type C and E, at 230 V and 50 Hz. Power and water cuts are frequent, especially in Antananarivo.
  • Madagascar is on UTC+3 all year: 2 hours ahead of Paris in winter, 1 hour ahead in summer.
  • The country calling code is +261. Local SIM cards are cheap, while roaming with a foreign SIM is very expensive.
  • Traffic drives on the right. For French travelers, a French driving license is enough for a stay of less than 3 months. Seat belts, and helmets on motorcycles, are mandatory.
  • Always ask permission before photographing someone, and respect local taboos (fady), especially near tombs. Drug offenses are severely punished.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of Madagascar (updated June 5, 2026), France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), WorldStandards, Madagascar: plugs and voltage, timeanddate, time changes in Madagascar, timeanddate, EAT time zone, Wikipedia, Left- and right-hand traffic

When to go

Dry season from April to November
  • The dry season runs from April to mid-November. In Antananarivo, August is the least rainy month.
  • The rainy season runs from mid-November to early April. January is the wettest month in Antananarivo, with about 424 mm.
  • In the highlands, it is cool from June to August: in July, about 20 °C during the day and 10 °C at night in Antananarivo. In January, it is about 27 °C during the day.
  • From January to April, cyclones can make roads impassable. Avoid hiking in the Isalo canyons and along rivers during the rainy season, because of flash floods.
  • The national holiday (Independence Day) is June 26.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: WeatherSpark, climate in Antananarivo, France Diplomatie, Madagascar, Security, France Diplomatie, Overview of Madagascar

Rules can change without notice: before you leave, always check with the embassy of Madagascar and your own government's travel advice.

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