• ENTRY FORMALITIES

Entry and stay visa with one single entry are provided to tourists by Malagasy diplomatic or consulate representations overseas, or at the airport of disembarkation.

• HEALTH

No vaccination is compulsory for travelers coming to Madagascar, except if they have been on transit in an infected zone.  Anti-malaria prophylaxis and one injection of gamma globulin against hepatitis are however highly recommended, as well as prevention treatments against cholera and yellow fever.  Regarding pandemics which occur once in a while in the world, Malagasy health authorities have the same level of information and of reactivity as their overseas counterparts. 

• COMING TO AND TRAVELLING WITHIN MADAGASCAR

BY AIR

• INTERNATIONAL AIR LINKS

9 airline companies operate in Madagascar

-          On the Europe axis:

AIR MADAGASCAR

AIR FRANCE KLM

CORSAIR

AIR ITALY

-          On the Asia axis (Bangkok, Gangzhou) :

AIR MADAGASCAR

-          On the International Regional axis (Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Indian Ocean Islands) :

AIR MADAGASCAR

AIR FRANCE

AIR AUSTRAL

AIR MAURITIUS

AIR LINK

KENYA AIRWAYS

COMORES AVIATION

In addition to Antananarivo, the following cities are served by intenational flights:

Diego Suarez, Nosy be, Majunga, Tuléar, Fort Dauphin, Tamatave, Sainte Marie. 

For additional information on domestic flights and their frequencies, please read the Companies’ schedules.

• IN-COUNTRY AIR LINKS

Due to its size and the insufficient road network, Madagascar boasts one of the world’s densest in-country air link networks.  The attractiveness of this network is its ability to provide good connections with international flights.

In addition to Air Madagascar’s regular flights, others are operated by several airline companies. All these companies can provide health evacuation flights.

SHIP CRUISES

Madagascar’s location makes it an ideal crossroads for cruise ship tourism in the Indian Ocean area.  In addition to providing a wide range of stop-overs, Madagascar is located at a crossroad of three major itineraries:  the transverse Durban itinerary could highly benefit from the new Ehoala port in Fort-Dauphin.  The second includes Kenya and the East African coast; the third one is the circuit between all Indian Ocean islands.  

Cruising is the tourism type which directly benefits local service providers and populations.  For example, every time the cruise ship Romantica mobilizes all actors of the local economy, from the rickshaw pullers to restaurant operators, to the Bazar Be sellers, to some hundred guides.  This ship owned by the Costa Company can accommodate 1776 individuals and is based in Reunion Island.  It regularly serves Mauritius, Madagascar (Tamatave, Diego Suarez, Nosy Be), and the Seychelles.

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ROADS

• ROAD TRANSPORT

The taxi brousse remains the back bone of road transport.  On the lengthiest axes, three types of vehicles are available: large buses nicknamed “Boeing” by regular users; medium carrying capacity buses and Japanese mini buses.

• CAR HIRE

Professional car renting companies have their association called the Groupement des Loueurs de Voitures de Madagascar (GLVM) or Madagascar’s Grouping of Car Renters.  The choice ranges from small cars to 4 WD vehicles.  Usually, car rental comes with the services of a driver.  A few companies allow rental without a driver, provided a deposit is paid.  The international driver’s license is valid in Madagascar.

• URBAN MEANS OF TRANSPORT

The capital, Antananarivo and its suburbs are served by a dense network of public transport.  However, for visitors to the country, it can prove challenging to use.  Taxis are easily recognizable thanks to their cream color and their roof lantern.   In large coastal cities, rickshaws ride at a lower speed than the bicycle rickshaws, which are faster but less picturesque. 

THE TRAIN

The train is usually used for the transport of merchandise in Madagascar.  The only two lines available for regular transport of travelers are the Fianarantsoa – Manakara on the Southern network, and the Moramanga – Tamatave on the Northern network. 

Madarail owns and operates two “charter” trains for important groups of tourists: The TransLémurie Express and the Micheline.