Practical info : before coming
Prepare your trip to Madagascar quietly. You will find here the practical information regarding time difference, vaccines where necessary, or the on arrival visa you will have to request at the airport.
Entry and visitor visa to Madagascar
The one entry and visitor visa to Madagascar is delivered by the diplomatic and consular missions or at the disembarkment airport (Ivato airport).
The visa fees are 115,000 Ar (Ariary, about 35 euros) for a stay of a month or less than a month, 135,000 Ar (about 40 euros) for a stay between 1 and 2 months, 175,000 Ar (about 50 euros) between 2 and 3 months.
Frais de participation
During the four day, paricipation fees are 100 000Ariary for malagasy people, and 150 € for foreigners (about 590 000Ariary)
Each participant is in charge of the transportation from the airport to the hotel.
Additional fees will be request for excursion in friday after-noon if you want to visit touristic area like Ambohimanga or Haute Ville.
Climate in Madagascar
The climate in Madagascar varies very much from region to region. On the central highlands where the capital city is, Antananarivo, the weather is mild. Think of bringing some warm clothes. April to October is the dry season.
Arrival at the airport
Customs officers often require that you open your suitcases. Your luggage lockers should then be within reach.
Airport-hotel transfer
Some hotels provide transfer. Should it not be the case, you will have to take a taxi and pay about 20 euros for your transport from Ivato airport to downtown.
Choice of accommodation around the university campus and map of the city of Antananarivo
- https://madagascar-tourisme.com/fr/obt_heb/
- https://www.google.com/maps/search/H%C3%B4tels/@-18.9138579,47.5235277,14.44z?hl=fr
Practical information and security
Currency and exchange in Madagascar
The Madagascar currency is the Ariary. It is not convertible, thus it is advised that you change money locally. Exchange bureaus are available in town, in airports and in some hotels. Avoid illegal street traders. Most banks have a cash machine which work with international VISA cards and Mastercard.
Some Ariary, the Malagasy currency, can be withdrawn from a cash machine within the terminal at Ivato airport.
Near the main entrance gate of the university campus, there is a cash machine of the Bank of Africa (BOA). Some Ariary can be withdrawn if using an international VISA card. Another cash machine can be found less than one kilometer away from the campus, at the BNI Madagascar bank.
Time difference
At this time of the year (summer in Europe), Madagascar is GMT/UTC +3.
Vaccins for Madagascar
No vaccination is required of tourists to Madagascar, except for those who made a transit in an infected zone. Anti-malarial prophylaxis and an injection of gamma globulin are recommended, and so are preventions from cholera and yellow fever. If on transit for less than 12 hours in Addis Ababa, a note from the management of the health monitoring of the epidemiological control points out that there is no risk for passengers to contract yellow fever, and that it is not necessary therefore for passengers to have yellow fever vaccine made in order to enter Madagascar.
Information on health centres
In case of medical emergency, the medical and social service of the University of Antananarivo which is on the campus can provide first aid. Where necessary, the MM24 clinic is within 1 kilometre away from the campus.
Purchases to be avoided
According to the Convention on the international trade of endangered fauna and flora species, it is forbidden to take out of Madagascar some lemurs, dugongs, turtles, boas, chameleons of Bemaraha, red frogs in Antongil, or also euphorbiacea, didieracea or apocynea. It is also prohibited to take out of Madagascar some objects that are classified as National Heritage like the aloalo, Zafimaniry wood-made objects and ancient documents.
For further information regarding the export of sensitive or precious things, please check the Website of the customs :
http://www.douanes.gov.mg/voyageurs