🦎 Madagascar

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 31% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

Your passport determines the visa rules, and a Malagasy embassy can confirm them. For travellers who need a visa, sources mention either one issued at the airport on arrival or an e-Visa requested online. They disagree about the allowed stay and about whether your nationality can use the e-Visa, so ask a Malagasy embassy before booking. Pack a return ticket, hotel details and a passport that is valid for 6 months. Anyone arriving from a risk country needs a yellow fever certificate. For malaria prevention, ask a doctor.

Madagascar tourism (Office National du Tourisme) ReferenceTourism information for Madagascar.

Culture and travel - take note

'Fady' are local taboos in Malagasy culture, differing between places; for example, on some days people avoid particular activities or foods. A guide should be asked about the fady before a visit to a sacred place, tomb or village, and they should be respected. People should be greeted, shoes taken off at homes, and clothing kept modest. Ask permission before photographing people. Slow roads are the norm: RN7, the main route, can take many hours, so allow spare days in the schedule, with no travel at night. Between about January and March, cyclones are possible. In the national parks keep to marked trails, and neither feed lemurs nor touch wildlife. Because security can change, check other advisories too, along with the travel advice from your own government, before departing. The languages spoken are French and Malagasy. Guides and drivers should be tipped. Halal food is limited.

Emergency

Reported numbers: police 117, ambulance 124, fire 118 - confirm with your hotel or guide.

Good to know

Cash-based economy

The currency is the Malagasy ariary, which may not be exported. Canadian advice describes a cash-based economy: some credit cards are accepted at major hotels, restaurants and shops, while cash machines are limited and mostly in Antananarivo. Euros are widely accepted and US dollars sometimes in the capital, major cities and tourist areas. Because of a foreign currency shortage, some banks will not convert local currency back into foreign currency.

Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Madagascar (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Local laws and customs

Fady, ID and protected items

Local taboos known as fady vary by region and can cover foods and clothing, so UK advice suggests asking a tour operator or local guide in remote areas. Police make random ID checks and may not accept passport copies. Drug penalties are described as severe, and Canadian advice says civilians may not wear camouflage clothing and photographing military or government sites is prohibited. Collecting or exporting protected animals, plants or items made from them, such as rosewood, is illegal. Same-sex activity is legal from age 21, UK advice says.

Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Madagascar, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Madagascar (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Taxis and scams

Arranged taxis, not shared vans

Pre-arranged taxis and hotel transport are preferred in UK advice, which also says to avoid multi-passenger taxi vans because of the risk of robbery and to ask for a different driver if you are concerned about the vehicle or driver. Canadian advice suggests airport and hotel taxis, noting the driver's name and plate number, and asking for the meter or agreeing the fare beforehand.

Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Madagascar, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Madagascar (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Unaccredited guides and fake police

People presenting themselves as guides, mainly on beaches and in coastal tourist areas, are a concern in Canadian advice, which says to hire only a national guide accredited by the Ministry of Tourism and to ask to see the badge. UK advice mentions reports of criminals falsely claiming to be police, so ask for ID.

Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Madagascar, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Madagascar (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Who can help

local government

Office National du Tourisme de Madagascar (ONTM)

Helps with: Madagascar's national tourism office. Contact it for tourist information and any request about travel in the country. Its website also lists regional tourism offices.

Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Madagascar or planning a trip there.

Email: [email protected]

Address: Lot IBG 29C Antsahavola, B.P. 1780, Antananarivo

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Croix-Rouge Malagasy (Malagasy Red Cross)

Helps with: Madagascar's national Red Cross society. It runs first aid training, disaster preparedness and response, and health and hygiene programmes in all 22 regions, with about 9,500 active volunteers.

Who qualifies: People in Madagascar who need its first aid, disaster relief or health services.

Phone: 020 22 221 11

Email: [email protected]

Address: 1 Rue Patrice Lumumba, Tsaralalana, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Madagascar

Helps with: The UN migration agency. In Madagascar it supports emergency shelter and displacement response, border management, and the return and reintegration of Malagasy nationals.

Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +261 20 23 308 09

Email: [email protected]

Address: Porte 108, 1er etage, Immeuble SONAPAR, Zone Galaxy Andraharo, Antananarivo 101

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes (BNGRC)

Helps with: Madagascar's national office for risk and disaster management. Its website reports on cyclone and emergency preparedness and on ongoing emergencies.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Madagascar affected by a disaster or looking for official disaster information.

Phone: +261 34 05 480 68

Address: Avaratra Antanimora, Route Mausolee, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Police and ambulance emergency number 17 (landline)

Helps with: Reaches the police and the ambulance service in Madagascar from a landline. UK government travel advice says to dial 117 from a mobile phone.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.

Phone: 17

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government