ExploCountry guide · Eastern Africa
Madagascar travel guide: visa, best time, weather and plugs
Entry rules for every passport, the best months to go, live weather, public holidays and the plug you need for Madagascar. Capital: Antananarivo.
Do you need a visa for Madagascar?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 0 passports can enter Madagascar without a visa and 196 more get a visa on arrival or an eTA.
All 198 passports for Madagascar · Visa checker · Passport validity checker for Madagascar
Madagascar at a glance
- Capital
- Antananarivo
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Currency
- Malagasy ariary (Ar, MGA)
- Languages
- French, Malagasy
- Calling code
- +261
- Drives on the
- right
- Power
- Type C, D, E, J, K · 127/220 V · 50 Hz
Best time to visit Madagascar
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Apr–Nov. Dry season for lemurs and baobabs.
General guidance on weather, crowds and wildlife, not a forecast. The chart below shows what the weather actually did last year.
Weather in Antananarivo
Month by month last year
- Daily high and low (°C), monthly average
- Rain (mm in the month)
Next public holidays in Madagascar
Nationwide holidays only, from Nager.Date. Check dates locally before you book: they can move.
Power plugs and voltage in Madagascar
- Type Ctwo round pins
- Type Dthree large round pins
- Type Etwo round pins and an earth hole
- Type Jthree round pins, earth off centre
- Type Ktwo round pins and a round earth pin
Mains power is 127/220 V at 50 Hz. Phone and laptop chargers usually accept 100 to 240 V, so they only need the right plug. Hair dryers, kettles and other single-voltage appliances need a matching voltage or a converter.
Do I need an adapter for Madagascar?
Hand-curated, so a good first answer: confirm before you fly.
More before you go
- Passport validity. Many countries want 3 to 6 months of validity left. Check your dates for Madagascar or read the six-month rule explained.
- Other places you can go. Where can I go? lists the places your passport reaches that are also in season, and the passport ranking shows how yours compares.
Nearby countries
Questions
Do I need a visa for Madagascar?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 0 passports can enter Madagascar without a visa, 196 passports can get a visa on arrival, 1 passport needs a visa in advance and 1 passport is not admitted. Pick your passport on this page, or see the full list on the all-passports page for Madagascar.
When is the best time to visit Madagascar?
Apr–Nov. Dry season for lemurs and baobabs.
What plug type and voltage does Madagascar use?
Madagascar uses plug types C, D, E, J, K at 127/220 V and 50 Hz. Check that your devices accept that voltage before you plug them in. Plug data is hand-curated, so confirm before you fly.
Which side of the road do they drive on in Madagascar?
Traffic keeps to the right in Madagascar.
What currency does Madagascar use?
Malagasy ariary (Ar, MGA).
What is the calling code for Madagascar?
+261.
What is the capital of Madagascar?
Antananarivo.
How up to date is this information?
Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book. Weather and public holidays on this page are fetched live from Open-Meteo and Nager.Date.
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Get ExploEntry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.