Travelling to Madagascar
CORONA RULES
Reopening of Madagascar’s borders
Madagascar is open
From June 2023, all airlines will fly with the same frequencies per week to Madagascar as before the pandemic, Air France and Ethiopian Airlines will even increase the frequencies from June 2023.
Since 11 August 2022, the entry requirements have changed, there are no test required anymore, neither before arrival nor at arrival.
We strongly recommend that tourists coming to Madagascar take out a good insurance, which covers the reimbursement of the cancellation fees, if they should be ill before departure from home.
ENTRY FORMALITIES
A visa is required to enter the territory of Madagascar: you can get a visa at the Consulate of Madagascar in your country, or easier, upon arrival at the international airports of Madagascar. Please check if your passport is still valid. You can easily obtain a visa at arrival at the international airports in Madagascar (Antananarivo, Nosy Be, Majunga, Diego Suarez, Tamatave) with a valid passport (must be valid 6 months beyond the traveling date) and a valid return flight ticket. Please note that to get a visa at the airport, you do not need to bring photographs. The fees are as follows
The fees are as follows :
For a stay less than 15 days: 10 €
for a stay of up to 30 days: 35 €
for a stay of 31 to 60 days: 40 €
E-visa : you can now apply on the website https://evisamada-mg.com/en/home for the visa up to 60 days stay, but please note that online payment is only possible with Visa and Master Credit cards, and it may take up to 72 hours until you’ll get the voucher for the Visa. The arrival visa is still possible, in the arrival hall when coming from the plane, follow the signs: get visa.
Please note that you’ll still need to fill in the immigration form which you’ll get either on the airplane or after arrival at the airport. If you prefer to get the visa before arrival, please check on this website, which Malagasy embassy or consulate is near you: http://www.madagascar-consulate.org/embassies-world.html But very probably, the visa costs will be higher there. For cruiseship passengers, who stay less than 24 hours in the port, the visa is for free. But if you or your clients will be arriving on a cruiseship, please check with us before, since this can change.
Please note that there are at least one fake E-visa website online,
https://www.e-visa-madagascar.com
and if you apply and pay there, you’ll have to pay again when you arrive, and will loose the money you’ve paid online, so please be aware of that Website!
Import and export of hard currency such as Euro or USD or other, and of local currency Ariary, please see below under “Money”.
After arrival and the health check and visa formalities, you can reclaim your luggage on the luggage belt. If you want, you can make use of the service of a porter, you’ll have to buy a chip costing 1 €/USD or 4000 Ariary, and give it to the porter as payment. But you can of course also use one of the free of charge luggage trolleys and bring the luggage to your car or bus. Once you have reclaimed your luggage and come out into the public area, your driver or guide will wait for you either inside the building or right outside. We recommend that you change some money at the airport, and perhaps buy a local SIM card, please also see below.
DEPARTURE FORMALITIES
You should be at the airport of Antananarivo Ivato and do the check in 3 hours prior to departure time for long haul flights (to Europe and Asia), and 2 hours prior to departure time for regional flights (to Mauritius, Reunion, Johannesburg, Nairobi etc.), and the latest 2 hours prior to departure for domestic flights. When checking in for the long haul flight, the airline should give you a little emigration sheet that you have to fill in, with your name, flight and passport details, and address. You’ll have to give this, together with your passport, at the counter when you enter the departure area (duty free area). Once you have entered the departure area, you can’t go out anymore and have to stay there until the plane leaves. You can’t go to the restaurants in the public area anymore. So if you want to use up your last Ariary (local currency), you’ll have to do it before check in. There’s a kiosk in the departure area (duty free area) with drinks and some small snacks, but you have to pay there in USD or Euro, and there’ll be a restaurant opening soon. There’s a free WiFi zone in the duty free area. Please note that you can’t take wooden objects in your hand luggage, please put them in your luggage for check in. Please be aware of the porters at the airport, if you can carry or pull your own luggage to the check in, politely refuse their services if they want to carry your luggage, because if you use their services, they’ll expect money, and some of them are not satisfied with some small change.
PLEASE CHECK THE COVID RULES FOR RETURN INTO YOUR COUNTRY, and if YOU NEED A PCR TEST BEFORE RETURNING, please let us know early so we can clarify how to organise this, it may then need an adjustment to your tour.
CUSTOMS
In Madagascar, it is forbidden to export rough gemstones, protected endemic plants or animals and valuable cultural monuments or woods. It is possible to get official export permit for some polished gemstones and some plants but it may take a few days to get it. So if you want to buy polished ammonites, fossilized wood, solitary games or other similar items, it is highly recommended to ask for export papers or at least an official invoice when you buy it at the handicraft market to avoid any problem with customs. And as said above, please note that you can’t take wooden objects in your hand luggage, please put them in your luggage for check in.
MONEY
Ariary (AR) is now the local money being used here in Madagascar, in the place of «Franc Malgache» (FMG). But many people still pronounce Franc Malagasy (FMG) when selling or buying something as they are used to it, but all payment must be done in Ariary (1 AR = 5 FMG). You can import and export Ariary to a max. value of 400’000 Ariary per person, but it can be used and bought only in Madagascar. It can’t be used in the duty free area, so better use up your money before checking in for the flight back home. The Ariary can be changed back into hard currency at the money exchange at the international and national airport in Tana, or if you leave the country from another city, better change only what you can use up. We estimate that clients who are on CP base (room and breakfast), will need around 30 to 35 Euro /day for the other meals, small tipps and drinks, if clients drink imported drinks like wine or whisky, they’ll need more. We recommend that you change around 150 to 200 € or 200 to 250 USD into local currency upon arrival, you should then have enough local money for a week or longer. The exchange rate at the airport in Antananarivo is usually better than the one at the banks downtown. Please note that it is difficult or impossible to change other currencies than Euro or USD, and when changing USD, the bills must be no older than around 5 years. Swiss Francs are accepted at banks in Tana, but not in the provincial towns.
To check the updated rates, please have a look at the official website of the Central Bank of Madagascar: www.banky-foibe.mg , but at public banks, you’ll get the buying rate which is lower than the middle exchange rate. Upon arrival, it is recommended to change money at the money changer office, or take money out at the ATM machine, both at the airport. They are normally always open at each international flight arrival and their rates are similar to the rates of the banks in town. After changing into Ariary, count the banknotes right there at the counter, there have been cases where some notes were missing, and don’t let the banknotes out of sight (for example, when the person behind the desk proposes you to put the notes in an envelope), as there have been cases where some notes were missing after that.
The Central bank of Madagascar has introduced in July 2017 new bills, the largest bill is now worth 20’000 Ar, and there are other bills with a value of 10’000, 5’000, 2’000, 1’000, 500, 200 and 100 Ar, and you’ll hardly see coins anymore. The old bills will still be valid for some years, you can find them here: hier www.banky-foibe.mg/billets-de-banque-ayant-cours-legale
Credit cards ( the most useful credit card is VISA CARD and Master card, American Express and Diners card are hardly accepted anywhere in Madagascar ) are only accepted in big hotels , restaurants and some shops mainly in Antananarivo. In the other big cities, you can get cash from Automatic Cash Machines (ATM) only with VISA CARDS and now at some machines of the CA/BNI bank also with Master Card. The Société Générale bank and Access bank also accept Union Pay credit cards. There’s also an ATM at the airport in Antananarivo, accepting Visa and Master Card and an ATM from Société Générale bank accepting also Union Pay Credit cards. Don’t rely on ATM machines only, they are often out of order, keep some cash in Euro or US Dollar for emergency on you. Maestro or EC cards are not accepted in Madagascar!
Import and export of hard currency such as Euro or USD or other, and of local currency: please note that the local currency Ariary can’t be converted abroad, you can only use it and exchange it in Madagascar. You are allowed to import and export the maximum amount of 400’000 Ariary (AR), which is worth around 100 €. About import and export of hard currency, the ministry of finance of Madagascar has recently introduced new rules: if you want to bring with you more than 1000 € per person cash, and you might re-export more than 1000 € after your trip, you’ll have to declare it at the customs when you enter the country (for example you’ll arrive with 5000 € cash because you want to buy some sapphires in Madagascar, but then you didn’t find what you were looking for, and you’ll take the money that you haven’t used on your trip, for example 4000 €, out of the country again. In this case, you better declare the 5000 € when you enter the country. Because now, hard currency of more than 1000 € which will be exported from Madagascar needs a receipt that you’ve bought it in an official exchange office in Madagascar, unless you’ve brought it in with you. The amount you can re-export is limited to 10’000 €. This won’t concern many tourists, since most will bring only little cash and perhaps credit cards, but we thought we better mention it, just in case. You can find the original text of this new rule here http://www.tresorpublic.mg/tresorpublic/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/circulaire_devises_voyageurs.pdf .
HEALTH AND HYGIEN
There is a risk of catching Malaria in Madagascar. So it is highly recommended to ask your doctor’s advice about any drug against Malaria before leaving your country. Anyway, you should know the symptoms of Malaria. And bring a good mosquito repellent with you! Please also bring a suncream to avoid sunburn, the sun is very strong here.
When going to Madagascar, you do not need any vaccination except for those who have been to some African countries (where there is a yellow fever), vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory. You don’t need a Yellow fever vaccination, when you are only transiting in a Yellow fever country, and stay there at the airport less than 12 hours. We also recommend the vaccination against Hepatitis A, as you can catch it also through for ex. a dirty drinking glass. And since there has been an epidemic of the measles in Madagascar since the end of 2018, we recommend the vaccination against this illness, if you haven’t already been vaccinated. This vaccination consists of two doses, which you should get with a space of minimum one month between the two doses, but we recommend that you consult your doctor in case of doubt.
As medical cures and medicines are only available at hospitals in big cities , you are invited to bring your own medical stuff with you. We also recommend that you make a good travel insurance, which will also cover the costs of flying you home or to better equipped hospitals on Reunion, Mauritius or Southafrica in an emergency.
Tourism in Madagascar is still at its early stage!
About food, do not eat raw vegetables and do not drink unstamped bottles of water. Please protect your head and skin against sun burn: use sun blockers.
SECURITY
Madagascar is safer than some other countries, but unfortunately, crime has increased a little bit lately. Especially in the city center of Antananarivo, mind the thieves and pickpockets. Leave your valuable belongings in your safe at the hotel, or put them in your suitcase in your hotel room and lock it with a padlock. You better leave your precious jewelry, necklaces etc. at home. Mind the fake porters at the airport and near some hotels. Keep an eye on your luggage and only give it to your driver or to official porters in uniform. Put a locker on your luggage that you’ll drop off at check in for a flight, and keep all valuables in the hand luggage, also camera etc.
If you want to go out, take a taxi to the restaurant or discotheque or go there with your reliable driver. Also mind the thieves in Tana, who profit from traffic jams and steal mobile phones, cameras or bags through the windows of cars.
TIME DIFFERENCE
Adjust your clock upon arrival at the airport: add 2 hours during summer time and 3 hours during winter time to GMT.
WEATHER AND SEASONS
There are only two seasons in Madagascar : Dry season and wet season. Wet season lasts in most areas a it more than 4 months ( from late December to April). In eastern Madagascar, it rains quite often all year long whereas it rarely rains in western Madagascar.
On the central parts of Madagascar, winter nights are so cold that the temperature may go down to +5°C. It may even go down to around freezing point in Antsirabe. So please bring warm clothes if you travel to Madagascar from May till September. From November till March, it is hot in southern and western Madagascar. The temperature in the coastal regions is generally higher than that in Antananarivo, which is situated on around 1400 m above sea level.
COMMUNICATION
Phone
In the cities, there are some people offering their phone for calls for relatively cheap rates, they are called taxi-phone. Besides, most cities are now covered by mobile phone network and even some small towns like Moramanga and a small island like Tsarabanjina in the north western Madagascar are also covered. There are so far three mobile phone operators here in Madagascar : ORANGE (dial 032, former Antaris), Airtel (dial 033, former Zain, Madacom and Celtel) and TELMA (dial 034, Malagasy Telecom).
So if you want to bring your own cell phone , of course with roaming option , you can always be reached whenever you are in the big cities of Madagascar. But from some reason, sending SMS from /to Madagascar sometimes doesn’t work. It is also a good idea to buy a local SIM card, as it is not expensive (less than 1 Euro), at some shops or Supermarkets or at the airport. The local SIM cards all permit Internet access with your smartphone, but if you want to use the internet on your mobile device, we strongly recommend to buy a flat rate, as the tariff per second is rather expensive, the rates vary according to the different providers. In Madagascar, communication by phone is relatively expensive and its quality is sometimes worse than in other countries.
Cybercafé / Internet
There are now some Cybercafés in every big city of Madagascar. Also many hotels in the cities offer now free WiFi. The Paositra Malagasy (Malagasy Post) also offers internet connection at their offices. It is very cheap but the connection speed is low, unless you are lucky and find one of the few places which offer ADSL. Even ADSL is in most cases slow compared what you are used to in Europe, but in some areas, they now have a fiber optic cable and fast connection. There’s a WiFi zone in the duty free area at the airport of Tana, please also see above under departure formailities.
LUGGAGE
It may happen that your luggage gets lost in the airport of Paris or other airports during transit flight luggage handling. If this should happen, your bags or suitcases will arrive in Madagascar a few days later. So it is recommended to put your very important stuff and some clothes and perhaps pyjamas in your hand luggage. Please also put all your personally needed medicaments in your hand luggage, if necessary with an attestation of your doctor, as if your checked in luggage get’s lost in Paris or somewhere, it can take up to 5 days or more until you’ll receive it, when you are already in the provinces. And worldwide, 1,3 Million pieces of luggage per year get lost forever. From Paris or other transit airports and on your connecting flights, you are sometimes allowed to have 30 kg of luggage allowance and some airlines give now 2 x 23 kg per person. But be cautious: Sometimes the airlines allow only 20 kg sharply. We recommend to review it on your flight ticket. Be careful with your hand luggage in transit. According to our info, if your transit time in Addis Abeba is less than 12 hours, you don’t need a Yellow fever vaccination.
The luggage allowance on domestic flights is also 20 kg only (or 30 kg in the Privilege class (15 kg on Twin Otter flights, and 22 kg with Madagasikara Airways). Put a locker on your luggage that you’ll drop off at check in for a flight, and keep all valuables in the hand luggage, also camera etc. Hand luggage allowance is 5 kg on domestic flights (10 kg in Privilege class), 7 to 12 kg on international flights. . Please note that you can’t take wooden objects in your hand luggage, please put them in your luggage for check in.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Please make sure that you have put your air tickets, money and Credit card and all the other travel document in your hand luggage or carry it on you. It can also be a good idea to have a copy of your travel documents somewhere in your main luggage. Your passport must be valid six months beyond the traveling date.
CLOTHES
During winter time, warm clothes and windcheaters are recommended especially in the Highlands, whereas light clothes made of cotton are needed all year long in the western Madagascar and during hot season. But you should always bring raincoats when visiting the humid eastern Madagascar and its rainforests.
SHOES
Light mountain boots are recommended when visiting national parks, especially the rainforest parks. Waterproof sandals are recommended for beaches. In other places, you can wear other comfortable shoes.
VERY IMPORTANT
Do not forget to bring a torch for nocturnal visits of parks and for any electricity cut-off.
FILMS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Films, battery and photography kit are expensive in Madagascar and specific films like APS or slide films are very rare. So you should buy them in your country. Bring enough memory cards and batteries for your digital cameras. Please also note the info below regarding Electricity, this can influence also the recharging of your batteries for the camera or video camera. Some hotels powered by own generators don’t have electricity plugs in the rooms, you can deposit your recharger and batteries at the reception. Very useful are additional battery packs and power banks.
ELECTRICITY
In Madagascar, the two pole plug and the French standard socket are the most used with a tension of 220 volts ( but it may go down to 160 volts in some areas at peak times ) The European plugs with two slightly flexible pins (as on for ex. Electric shavers) can be used in Madagascar. Power cuts can happen often, and some of the hotels you might stay at, will produce their own electricity, and will possibly switch off electricity at night and sometimes also for some hours during day time, so recharge your devices as soon as you check into your room. Some hotels perhaps don’t have electricity sockets in the rooms, but you can leave your devices there overnight at reception and they’ll get charged there. And then regarding adaptor for electricity sockets/outlets, none of the hotels are providing adaptors, so you must bring your own adaptor. In Madagascar, there are mainly the French type sockets Type E https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/madagascar/ , but often, they use a version without the ground pin, similar to type C. If your charger for mobile phone or batteries or your shaver has a plug similar to the one on the picture at type C, then you’ll be fine in Madagascar. If you want o bring a hair dryer, please ask at each hotel if you can use it, because some have electricity wiring or supply which doesn’t allow the use of hair dryers. We strongly recommend you to bring power banks, it’ll provide power to your mobile devices if there’s no possibility to recharge them. Please bring a good torch / flashlight with you!
BEHAVIOUR AND TABOO
Gratuities.
It has become a habit to tip someone who served you but it is not obligatory. Here are some ideas of gratuities which are expected:
– Around 7,50 € per day ( about 30’000 Ariary ) for a driver, and 15 € per day (60’000 Ar) for a guide (if traveling in a group, we’d recommend to give about 2 Euro/day/person for the guide, and 1 Euro /day/person for the driver)
– Around 5 € in total ( about 20000 Ariary ) for a park guide , depending on your satisfaction.
– Around 0,5 to 1 € ( about 2000 – 4000 Ariary ) per day for the chambermaid
– Around 5% of the bill at the restaurant
– 1000 Ariary per bag for a porter. Airport porters have now a fixed price
As Euro or Dollar coins cannot be changed into local money here in Madagascar, it is advisable to tip in Ariary.
Going Out
If you want to go out in the evening for dining or to go to a bar or disco, you must always have your passport with you (this is requested by the local authorities), and keep a copy of it, also from the visa stamp, also in your luggage at the hotel. We also strongly recommend to use a taxi from door to door when going out in the evening, ask the hotel to recommend you a taxi. Please also look under “security”.
Beggars
There are some beggars in some villages and mainly in the big cities, especially in Antananarivo. If you do not want to give something to them, neither talk nor look at them. But if you wish to give something to beggars (particularly to very old or disabled people), you can give them a little money, but better buy something to eat for the children than giving them money. Please never buy any sweets, since dentists are rare and expensive. For mothers, you can also give them little hotel soaps which you’ll find in your hotel bath room. There can also be beggars along the road in some areas, and they may be quite aggressive. We recommend that you don’t give them anything.
Taboo
In Madagascar, there are different local beliefs and taboos, known as «Fady», related mainly to tombs or some places. So please respect those sacred places or tombs: your driver or guide will instruct you on what you should not do and respect during your trip.
Sex tourism
It is forbidden in Madagascar for tourists to have sex with prostitutes, you can be punished for this with a fine and/ or imprisonment. Travelers who abuse children sexually will be punished according to the laws in their own country. Our company Le Voyageur is strictly against child abuse and we are also member of www.thecode.org, who are active in the fight against sexual child abuse, the Code also co-operates for this with ECPAT (End child prostitution and trafficking of children for sexual purposes). You can help us in this fight against child abuse if you report us and/or via the local phone number 147 if you should notice during your Madagascar tour a case of child abuse or a strong suspicion of this.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The best updated and trustworthy guidebooks on Madagascar are probably the latest editions of the «Lonely Planet» guidebook and the books by Hilary Bradt.