|
Trip planning & travel advice |
Important information
From September 2022, visa fees for trips of up to 15 days are suspended (see below).
There are no longer any Covid requirements for entering Madagascar. The requirements for pre-embarkation and on-arrival tests were scrapped on 11 August 2022. There is also no requirement to be vaccinated against Covid to enter Madagascar. A phased reopening of Madagascar's borders began in October 2021, with all airlines resuming services by July 2022.
Routes from South Africa, however, remained suspended for unrelated political reasons until January 2023, when that ban was finally lifted.
There are no longer any Covid requirements for entering Madagascar. The requirements for pre-embarkation and on-arrival tests were scrapped on 11 August 2022. There is also no requirement to be vaccinated against Covid to enter Madagascar. A phased reopening of Madagascar's borders began in October 2021, with all airlines resuming services by July 2022.
Routes from South Africa, however, remained suspended for unrelated political reasons until January 2023, when that ban was finally lifted.
For detailed information on travel and tourism to Madagascar, see the books section for recommended travel guide books. Below are a few key excerpts from the Bradt Travel Guide to Madagascar regarding tour operators, airlines and visas.
Tour operators
A number of operators offer trips to Madagascar, either as package itineraries or tailor-made tours. Among the most experienced are Rainbow Tours and Reef & Rainforest. For further suggestions, see the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA).
Those interested in group travel may like to know that Anglo-Malagasy Society Secretary and travel writer Daniel Austin often leads small-group tours to Madagascar, typically with a focus on the island's wildlife.
Those interested in group travel may like to know that Anglo-Malagasy Society Secretary and travel writer Daniel Austin often leads small-group tours to Madagascar, typically with a focus on the island's wildlife.
AirlinesThere are no direct flights to Madagascar from the UK. Air France flies from several UK cities via Paris a few times a week. Kenya Airways is generally a cheaper option with flights from London Heathrow via Nairobi, but sometimes with long layovers. Ethiopian Airlines offers another route via their hub in Addis Ababa through to Tana or Nosy Be. Although generally a more expensive option, South African Airways is a reliable operator to Johannesburg, from where you can connect to Tana or Nosy Be with their regional partner Airlink. The last single-stop option from London is via Mauritius with Air Mauritius but this can entail a lengthy stopover. Turkish Airlines offers a comfortable alternative route from various points in the UK via Istanbul four times a week at surprisingly competitive rates, but note that the plane makes a brief stop in Mauritius before reaching Tana.
In 2019, Emirates filed an application with the Civil Aviation Authority of Madagascar to open a route from Dubai – then of course the Covid pandemic hit and there was no further news. But in November 2022, there were indications that the airline was conducting a feasibility study into pursuing the project. Travelling from elsewhere in Europe: In addition to Air France, Air Madagascar also flies direct between Paris and Tana, taking 10½ hours – sometimes with a stop in Marseille. From most other European countries, it is necessary to transit via one of the aforementioned hubs (Paris, Istanbul, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Mauritius or Johannesburg). From Italy, Neos operates weekly flights direct to Nosy Be from Milan, but only during the high season. Travelling from other Indian Ocean islands: The airlines and tourist boards of the Indian Ocean islands are co-operating increasingly closely, and have been expanding flight links across the region in recent years. Air Austral connects the main four Malagasy airports with Réunion. Air Mauritius also flies to Tana from Mauritius. Air Austral subsidiary Ewa Air has routes from Mayotte to a few cities in Madagascar. Within Madagascar, domestic flights are mostly operated by Air Madagascar subsidiary Tsaradia. VisasVisa rules are the same for all nationalities. Every foreign tourist requires one and they are easy to obtain at the airport on arrival, although if you prefer you can get it in advance of your trip at the Malagasy embassy in your country (this option may be more expensive). Electronic visas are starting to be phased in with a view, ultimately, to replacing the visa-on-arrival system entirely. If you decide to get an e-visa in advance, be sure to use the official website evisamada.gov.mg as there are fake versions ready to scam the unwitting tourist! At the time of writing, the e-visa website cannot yet take online payments; you simply obtain a document called an ‘authorisation to disembark’ from the website, and then pay at the airport – so for now there is little advantage of the e-visa option over visa on arrival.
From September 2022, to encourage tourism, visa fees for trips of up to 15 days are waived (although a €10 border formalities fee is still payable). For longer trips, here are two categories of visa: up to 30 days (115,000Ar/€35/US$37) and 31–60 days (135,000Ar/€40/US$45), payable in cash in euros, dollars or ariary. The 90-day tourist visa is no longer available. However, once in Madagascar, it is possible to get a 30-day extension to a 60-day visa at the Ministry of the Interior (or, in theory, at any police commissariat). This entails going there with four passport photos, a photocopy of your bank card or foreign exchange receipt, a photocopy of your return flight ticket, two photocopies of your passport, and 80,000Ar in cash. |
|