Eastern Africa · UN member
Madagascar: Travel Guide & Requirements
Republic of Madagascar · Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
Madagascar is a country in Eastern Africa with its capital in Antananarivo. It has a population of 32.7 million (#49 in the world) and covers 587,041 km². The official languages are French and Malagasy. The currency is the Malagasy ariary (MGA, Ar).
Where is Madagascar? Map of Madagascar
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique.
- Region
- Eastern Africa
- Coordinates
- 20° S, 47° E
- Neighbours
- none (no land borders)
- Coastline
- 4,828 km
- Madagascar
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Madagascar showing Antananarivo (capital) and the largest cities: Toamasina, Antsirabe, Mahajanga, Fianarantsoa, Toliara, Antsiranana, Sambava and Antalaha.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Madagascar
- Passport
The UK government says that, for people travelling on a full British citizen passport, the passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date they arrive in Madagascar and at least 2 blank pages.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 198 need an eVisa. Check yours or see Madagascar entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement. The UK FCDO tells British visitors to be ready to show onward or return tickets on arrival; the eVisa portal itself does not mention tickets.
- Proof of funds
No official requirement.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement.
- Vaccinations
The UK government says you need a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
- Arrival card
The UK government says that, because of the Ebola outbreak, all travellers must complete a health declaration form, declare any travel through an affected country in the previous 21 days, and undergo health screening on…
- Customs allowance
The UK government says foreign cash or travellers' cheques worth EUR 7,500 or more must be declared — keep the certified declaration, or the money could be seized when you leave — and that you may bring in up to 400,000…
- Travel advice
Some caution needed — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Madagascar
- Safety: Madagascar is generally safe for travellers, but some caution is needed: the US State Department rates Madagascar Level 2 (“Exercise Increased Caution”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: September to October — when daytime highs in Antananarivo are around 20–23°C.
- Money: the Malagasy ariary (MGA) — 1 US dollar is about 4,508.8 MGA.
- Plugs: type C and E, 220 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 117, Ambulance 124, Fire 118.
- Language: French and Malagasy are official; English is also spoken.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas.
- Time zone: UTC+3 in Antananarivo.
- Capital: Antananarivo. About 32.7 million people live in Madagascar.
- Outdoors: 12 national parks.
Key facts
Madagascar at a glance
Languages spoken: Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)
Geography & history
About Madagascar
Madagascar was one of the last major habitable landmasses on earth to be settled by humans. While there is some evidence of human presence on the island in the millennia B.C., large-scale settlement began between A.D. 350 and 550 with settlers from present-day Indonesia. The island attracted Arab and Persian traders as early as the 7th century, and migrants from Africa arrived around A.D. 1000. Madagascar was a pirate stronghold during the late 17th and early 18th centuries and served as a slave trading center into the 19th century. From the 16th to the late 19th century, a native Merina Kingdom dominated much of Madagascar. The French conquered the island in 1896 and made it a colony; inde…
Read the full history
Madagascar was one of the last major habitable landmasses on earth to be settled by humans. While there is some evidence of human presence on the island in the millennia B.C., large-scale settlement began between A.D. 350 and 550 with settlers from present-day Indonesia. The island attracted Arab and Persian traders as early as the 7th century, and migrants from Africa arrived around A.D. 1000. Madagascar was a pirate stronghold during the late 17th and early 18th centuries and served as a slave trading center into the 19th century. From the 16th to the late 19th century, a native Merina Kingdom dominated much of Madagascar. The French conquered the island in 1896 and made it a colony; independence was regained in 1960. Free presidential and National Assembly elections were held in 1992-93, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing half the country to secede. In 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. He won a second term in 2006 but, following protests in 2009, handed over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. After a lengthy mediation process, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won in a runoff and was inaugurated in 2014. In 2019, RAJOELINA was declared the winner against RAVALOMANANA. In 2023, RAJOELINA won another term in an election that most of the opposition boycotted, including RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA and RAVALOMANANA, who claimed it was rigged in favor of RAJOELINA. International observers, however, saw no evidence of systemic fraud, leading the international community to accept the election results.
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Climate
tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Highest point
Maromokotro 2,876 m
Natural resources
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Natural hazards
periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in recorded history
National symbols
traveller's palm (ravenala), zebu
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Madagascar
The default speed limits in Madagascar are 50 km/h in built-up areas. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.8‰. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 5050 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and citiesWHO data (2017)
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1949 GenevaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Alcohol limit0.8‰ blood alcohol (0.08% BAC)
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsNo national child-restraint law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)22.5 per 100,000 peopleHigher than most countries (median 12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0) and WHO. Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Madagascar safe to visit?
Madagascar is generally safe for travellers, but some caution is needed: the US State Department rates Madagascar Level 2 (“Exercise Increased Caution”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Addition of information on Ebola entry requirements (‘Entry requirements’ page)
Updated 9 Sep 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Madagascar
The best time to visit Madagascar is September to October, when daytime highs in Antananarivo are around 20–23°C. November to May and August are also a good time to go. November is the warmest month (24°C by day), July the coldest (8°C at night), and January the wettest with about 475 mm of rain.
- Jan23°C15°C
- Feb23°C15°C
- Mar23°C15°C
- Apr22°C13°C
- May20°C11°C
- Jun17°C9°C
- Jul17°C8°C
- Aug18°C8°C
- Sep20°C9°C
- Oct23°C12°C
- Nov24°C14°C
- Dec24°C15°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Madagascar
Plugs & sockets
220 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
National parks
12 national parks in Madagascar
- 6,251 km² protected
- oldest from 1927
Largest: Masoala National Park · Nosy Ve-Androka National Park · Isalo National Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
Malagasy ariary exchange rates today
Madagascar uses the Malagasy ariary (MGA, Ar). One US dollar buys 4,508.8 MGA; over the last 30 days the MGA has lost 2.2% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in MGA
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Madagascar ranks
How Madagascar compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Madagascar
93 airports and airfields — 4 large, 19 medium and 70 small, plus 0 heliports. 16 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
No land borders
Madagascar has no land borders with other countries. Coastline: 4,828 km.
Military
Malagasy armed forces
Madagascar ranks #130 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $120 million (2025).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Antananarivo (3.9 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining
Export partners
USA 16%, France 15%, Japan 8%, China 6%, S. Korea 6% (2023)
Top exports
garments, nickel, vanilla, cloves, gold (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Madagascar
Next public holiday
All Saints' Day — Sunday, 1 November 2026. Then Christmas Day (25 Dec).
Malagasy passport
Ranked #149: 28 countries visa-free, 28 with visa on arrival, 3 with an eTA and 38 with an eVisa.
Malagasy passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Madagascar's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Madagascar
Dial +261 before the local number. Internet domain .mg.
Climate footprint
4.5 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 0.14 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Madagascar: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Madagascar
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Frequently asked questions about Madagascar
What do I need to travel to Madagascar?
How long must my passport be valid for Madagascar?
Where is Madagascar?
What is Madagascar known for?
What is the capital of Madagascar?
What language is spoken in Madagascar?
What currency does Madagascar use?
What is the calling code of Madagascar?
Does Madagascar have land borders?
How strong is the Malagasy passport?
What is the speed limit in Madagascar?
Is Madagascar safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Madagascar?
What plug type does Madagascar use?
How many airports does Madagascar have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.