Madagascar is a long way from most visa offices, and the official information about it is thinner than for most countries. So we have kept this guide to what government pages actually say. The most useful one for Indian travellers is the advisory from the Embassy of India in Antananarivo. It says Indians can get a visa from the Embassy of Madagascar in New Delhi or on arrival at Ivato International Airport, and that "a confirmed return or onward ticket and proof of hotel booking/local accommodation must be presented at immigration". That last line shapes everything below.
Madagascar visa: key facts for Indian travellers
| Question | What official sources say |
|---|---|
| Is a visa required on an Indian passport? | Yes. "Prior visas can be obtained from the Embassy of Madagascar in New Delhi, or upon arrival at Ivato International Airport (Antananarivo)."[1] |
| Ticket rule at the border | "A confirmed return or onward ticket and proof of hotel booking/local accommodation must be presented at immigration."[1] |
| Passport | At least 6 months' validity from your planned date of departure and two blank pages.[1] |
| Visa on arrival lengths | GOV.UK, writing for British travellers, describes 30- or 60-day single-entry tourist visas on arrival, payable in US dollars, euros or ariary.[2] |
| Online eVisa | Madagascar runs an official eVisa portal at evisamada.gov.mg. We could not load its information pages in October 2026.[3] |
| Fees for Indians | Not confirmed on an official page we could open in October 2026. |
Who needs a visa for Madagascar?
Indian passport holders do. The Indian embassy's advisory doesn't present it as visa-free; it names two places to get the visa: the Malagasy embassy in New Delhi before you go, or the airport on arrival.[1]
Other nationalities are treated in their own governments' advice. Writing for UK nationals, GOV.UK allows up to 15 days without a visa after paying a 10-euro administration fee, and must "be ready to show your onward or return tickets".[2] We could not confirm on a Malagasy government page whether that 15-day arrangement applies to Indian passports, so don't plan around it. Treat yourself as needing a visa, as the Indian embassy does.
Non-Indian passport? Read your own foreign ministry's travel advice and the Malagasy embassy that covers your country.
Embassy visa or visa on arrival?
Both routes are described as available to Indians.[1] They suit different travellers.
| Embassy of Madagascar, New Delhi | Visa on arrival, Ivato | |
|---|---|---|
| When it's decided | Before you fly | At the airport, after a long journey |
| Flight document you'll show | Whatever the embassy's list asks for; confirm the wording with the embassy | "A confirmed return or onward ticket", per the Indian embassy[1] |
| Risk if something's missing | You fix it and resubmit | You're already in Madagascar, or your airline may refuse boarding |
| Who it suits | First-time visitors, families, anyone with a tight schedule | Travellers with a paid return ticket and all papers in order |
Our opinion: if you live in or near Delhi, or can courier your file, get the visa before you go. It removes the single biggest uncertainty on a trip that usually involves two or three flights. The visa-on-arrival route is fine if you are organised, but you cannot use a held reservation for it; the wording is "confirmed".
Where a reservation fits, and where it doesn't
This is the honest part. The only official wording we could confirm for Indians, from the Indian embassy, asks for a confirmed return or onward ticket at immigration.[1] Nothing about a hold makes it confirmed or paid. So for arrival in Antananarivo, it is the wrong document. Buy the real ticket.
A reservation can still be the right tool at an earlier point:
- Embassy visa applications where the checklist the embassy gives you asks for a flight itinerary, flight details or a reservation. Ask for the list in writing and read the exact word used.
- Earlier visas on the same trip, for example a Schengen or UK visa for a stop on the way, where the consulate asks for a reservation.
- Planning a multi-country trip through the Indian Ocean or East Africa, where several visa files each need dates before you commit money.
If the embassy's list says "round trip ticket", "confirmed ticket" or similar, believe it. A hold may well fall short of that wording. Either buy a refundable fare, or ask the embassy in writing whether a reservation is acceptable. We would rather you spend a day getting an answer than a week sorting out a refusal.
Don't do this: fly into Ivato with only a held reservation, planning to apply for a visa on arrival. The stated requirement is a confirmed return or onward ticket, and you would have no fallback at the airport.
What happens at check-in in India or a hub
Airlines check passengers against the entry rules of their destination before boarding. When the destination expects a return or onward ticket, check-in staff may ask to see it, particularly on a one-way booking. We cover the logic in airline check-in versus immigration and in denied boarding without an onward ticket.
The simple fix is a round-trip booking from India. If you are continuing elsewhere after Madagascar, for example on to Mauritius or Réunion, carry the paid ticket for that onward flight and know the entry rules of that next country too. Our Mauritius guide covers the island most people pair with Madagascar.
Combining Madagascar with a second island
Many travellers fit Madagascar into a longer Indian Ocean trip, and that is where the dates get tangled. Each country you visit checks its own entry, so the ticket you show in Antananarivo might be your flight onward to the next island, not home.
Work it out as a chain. Picture a plan of eight nights in Madagascar, then five in Mauritius, then home to Chennai. At Ivato, the ticket that proves you will leave is the Antananarivo to Mauritius flight. At the Mauritius border, it's the flight back to India. Both need to be real, paid bookings by the time you reach those desks, and both dates need to sit comfortably inside each country's permitted stay.
Réunion is a French overseas department, so it has its own visa rules, published by the French authorities on France-Visas. Don't assume a Schengen visa covers it; read the official French page for overseas territories before adding it to your plan.
For any visa you apply for before departure on such a trip, a single multi-city reservation that shows every leg is often clearer than several separate bookings. It tells one consistent story to every officer who reads it.
Routes from India and transit points
Getting from India to Antananarivo means changing planes at least once, typically in the Gulf, East Africa or on an Indian Ocean island. Each connection has its own permission rules, and they depend on your passport, the airport and whether you stay airside. Check them on the transit country's official website before booking anything.
A practical example. Say you want to fly Mumbai to Antananarivo with a change of planes in an East African hub, then come back the same way after twelve days. Before anything else, confirm three things: that you can transit that hub on an Indian passport, that the outbound and return are on one booking if possible, and that your passport has six months left from your departure date from Madagascar. Then decide between the embassy visa and the visa on arrival.
Single-booking itineraries are easier to explain at every desk. If your route uses separate tickets, the check-in agent at the first airport may only see the first leg. Our page on transit and layover rules goes into this.
Some of those hubs have their own visa guides on our site: see Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa if you plan a stopover rather than a quick connection.
Yellow fever, malaria and insurance
Flight paperwork is not the only thing checked on arrival. GOV.UK says a yellow fever vaccination certificate is needed if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.[2] If your route includes time in such a country, read the official vaccination advice for your exact itinerary before you book; a connection or stopover can change your answer.
The Indian embassy's advisory adds some health and safety points that are worth taking seriously:[1]
- Malaria is present across the country, particularly in coastal regions, so speak to a doctor about prophylaxis.
- It recommends travel insurance that explicitly covers emergency medical evacuation.
- It strongly advises Indian tourists to register with the Embassy of India in Antananarivo on or before arrival.
- It warns against night travel by road outside the main cities.
What your flight document should show
Whether it's a reservation for an embassy file or the paid ticket for the border, the same details matter.
- Your full name exactly as printed in your passport.
- Arrival in and departure from Madagascar on dates that match your hotel bookings.
- A departure date that leaves your passport with six months of validity, per the Indian embassy's advice.[1]
- The whole route, including the connection you will really take.
- A PNR that opens on the carrier's own booking lookup page.
Check any reservation yourself before handing it in: how to verify a reservation before submission shows the steps.
A sensible order of work
If you choose the embassy, ask for its current checklist and fee.
The Indian embassy lists proof of hotel booking or local accommodation.
Order it shortly before submission: holds last up to 2 weeks, and each carrier sets its own expiry.
Needed at immigration whichever visa route you use.
Mistakes to avoid
- Relying on a 15-day visa-free rule you read about for another nationality.
- Arriving with only a held reservation when the stated rule is a confirmed ticket.
- A passport that runs short. Six months from your departure date, plus two blank pages.[1]
- Ignoring the connection country's rules, especially on separate tickets.
- No accommodation proof. Immigration may ask for it alongside the ticket.[1]
- Calling a reservation a ticket on a form or cover letter. Describe it accurately.
If you need a reservation: price and delivery
For embassy paperwork, and for other visas along the way, we provide held bookings under a live PNR in your name that the carrier's site will display. They are unpaid, so they won't get you on a plane, and at Ivato you'll want the confirmed ticket discussed earlier.
A single fee covers each traveller for a one-way or return hold; multi-city routes cost a fee per pair of legs. The PDF is emailed in roughly 10 minutes. Payment is through Razorpay by UPI, card or netbanking; order status appears on the tracking page. Details are on the price page; background is in flight reservation for visa, and hotel proof is covered in hotel booking for visa.
Itinerary for an embassy file?
A checkable PNR for the visa stage. From ₹699 / $9 a person.
Madagascar visa FAQ
Can Indians get a Madagascar visa on arrival?
Yes. The Embassy of India in Antananarivo says Indians can get a visa from the Embassy of Madagascar in New Delhi or on arrival at Ivato International Airport. At immigration you must show a confirmed return or onward ticket and proof of accommodation, so arrive with a paid ticket and your hotel bookings ready.
Can I use a dummy ticket for the Madagascar visa on arrival?
We wouldn't. The Indian embassy's advisory says a confirmed return or onward ticket must be presented at immigration, and a held reservation is not a confirmed ticket. For arrival, buy your return or onward flight. A reservation is better suited to embassy applications whose checklist asks for an itinerary.
Is the 15-day visa-free entry available to Indians?
GOV.UK describes a 15-day visa-free visit, with a 10-euro fee, for British travellers. We could not confirm on a Malagasy government page that it applies to Indian passports, and the Indian embassy's advisory describes Indians as needing a visa. Plan on getting one, and check with the Malagasy embassy in New Delhi.
How much does a Madagascar visa cost for Indians?
No official page we could open in October 2026 stated a current fee for Indian passports; the Malagasy government and eVisa sites failed to load. Ask the Embassy of Madagascar in New Delhi before you travel, and carry US dollars or euros if you plan to use the visa on arrival.
How long should my passport be valid?
The Indian embassy advises at least six months' validity from your planned date of departure from Madagascar, with at least two blank pages. Check this before you buy flights, because a passport renewal in India can take longer than the visa itself.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate?
GOV.UK says a certificate is required if you are coming from a country listed as a yellow fever transmission risk. A direct trip from India is different from a route with time in a risk country. Check the official advice for your exact route, including stopovers, before you fly.
Should I register with the Indian embassy?
The Embassy of India in Antananarivo strongly advises Indian tourists to register with it on or before arrival. It also suggests travel insurance that covers medical evacuation and recommends avoiding road travel at night outside the main cities. Registration costs nothing and helps if you need consular help.
Related guides
Pairing Madagascar with another island or a stopover? See the Mauritius, Kenya and Ethiopia guides. For return-ticket rules generally, read countries that require proof of onward travel and onward versus return tickets. Our onward ticket page, requirements by country, the Schengen guide and the home page cover the rest.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Embassy of India, Antananarivo, General travel advisory for Indian nationals (visa options, ticket and accommodation rule, passport validity, health and registration).
- GOV.UK, Foreign travel advice, Madagascar: entry requirements (written for British citizens).
- Government of Madagascar, eVisa portal (information pages could not be loaded in October 2026).
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · how to verify a PNR.