Business Customs

Business customs are similar to those in Europe. Meetings may be conducted over coffee or more formal meals. Cocktail receptions are popular events for networking. For men, normal business wear is a suit and tie. Women also wear suits for business meetings. Warmer clothes are required during the cooler months, especially in the central regions. Humidity can be high in the summer, especially in the east.

Travel Advisory

The State Department consular information sheet can be found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/madagascar-travel-advisory.html

Visa requirements

Step 1: Madagascar embassy issues a one-month visa, which is extendable and convertible into a long-stay visa.
Step 2: Upon arrival in Madagascar, the applicant has one month to complete the necessary steps to finalize the long-stay visa; the later is equivalent to the resident card issued to foreigners from countries where there is no Malagasy embassy.

U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States are advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process. Visa applicants should go to the following link(s): State Department Visa Website.

Currency

The local currency symbol is MGA for the Malagasy Ariary. Currently, one USD can be exchanged for approximately 4,700 MGA.  The euro, USD, and Pounds Sterling are other currencies commonly accepted in Madagascar. Supermarkets, hotels, and gas stations generally accept credit cards. Public-use ATMs connected to U.S. ATM networks are readily accessible in major cities. Commercial banks accept traveler’s checks.

Telecommunications/Electronics

Madagascar has reliable private, international carrier services, telephone, email, and internet services in major cities. The power supply is 220V, and the common plug type is AFNOR in most hotels and restaurants. The population has limited access to electricity – 30 percent in urban areas and only six percent in rural zones.  Internet is available in hotels and at cyber cafés in major towns. There are four major cellular phone companies: Airtel, Orange, Telma, and Blueline. All of them use the GSM system. Two telecommunication companies – Telma and Blueline – have licenses to operate fiber optic networks. Madagascar has good internet speed compared to its regional peers, which compares favorably with developed countries. In recent years, call centers and BPO services have boomed in Madagascar, due in large part to access to quality internet services and low-cost labor.

Transportation

Air transportation is the best way to get around Madagascar, as travel by road is both long and difficult. Madagascar Airlines/Tsaradia flights connect the larger regional towns to Antananarivo. Maritime transport is mainly used for transportation of goods around the island to connect to the other seaports and neighboring Indian Ocean Islands (Mauritius, Comoros, Reunion Island, Seychelles). Visitors to the capital city of Antananarivo and other major towns can hire taxi cabs relatively cheaply; however, it is worth working through reputable vendors to ensure vehicles meet minimum safety standards.

Language

Malagasy is the official language, with French used as the administrative and business language. English is rarely spoken; one should not expect ordinary citizens or officials outside the capital or major towns to speak even minimal English.

Health

For specific information for travelers to Madagascar, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/madagascar

Visitors are strongly urged to purchase medevac insurance prior to arrival. Local hospitals are poorly equipped and do not meet U.S. standards, especially for emergency care, and evacuation to nearby locations (Mauritius, Reunion, South Africa) is strongly recommended for serious illness or injury.

Local time, business hours, and holidays

The Malagasy Time Zone is Greenwich plus three. Madagascar does not use Daylight Savings Time.

The typical hours of business are 08:30-17:00, with a lunch break between 12:00 and 13:00. Many businesses are open on Saturday for at least half the day. Government offices open 09:00-16:00, Monday through Friday. Banks are generally open 09:00-16:00, Monday through Friday.  Some banks are open half the day on Saturday.  In 2025, Madagascar has 12 public holidays:

                                              Table 11: Public Holidays in Madagascar in 2025

XX

Temporary Entry of Materials and Personal Belongings: 

No duty is levied on apparel and personal effects of a passenger arriving in Madagascar. Articles that are more than the concessions and allowances listed below are liable for duty. A passenger 18 years old or over may bring the following goods, free of customs duties:

• One portable musical instrument
• One portable medical apparatus and wheelchair
• One portable dialysis machine and consumables
• Two bottles of perfume and two bottles of eaux de toilette (per passenger)
• Tobacco: 200 units of cigarettes or 100 units of cigarillos, 50 units of cigars or 250 grams of smoking tobacco
• Alcoholic drinks: 2 liters per passport for each passenger 18 years old or older
• Jewelry: 250 grams of punched jewelry; 250 grams of costume jewelry
• Local currency: 400,000 MGA
• Electronic devices: one laptop, one phone, one tablet; one handheld camera, one handheld radio, and one other camera not for professional use