Reality Brief: Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez)

Current alerts

No official alerts recorded for this region.

Alerts checked on October 2, 2026 against the sources cited.

Essentials before you arrive

• According to France, the visa is free for stays under 15 days (10 euros administrative fee), then charged: 35 euros for 30 days, 40 euros for 60 days. It is issued by a consulate or on arrival at the airport, cannot be extended or converted and does not allow work. A 90-day stay cannot be bought at the border: the extra 30 days are requested at the Anosy migration office.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, entry and residenceGuide: Entry and residence

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with 2 blank pages, or entry will be refused.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Madagascar travel advice: entry requirementsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: MadagascarGuide: Entry and residence

• Police and ambulance: 17 from a landline, 117 from a mobile; fire 18 or 118; gendarmerie 19 or 119.

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Madagascar travel advice: getting helpFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, useful contactsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: MadagascarGuide: Health

• Crime is high: sometimes very violent attacks in isolated areas, parks and beaches; theft and burglary are common in towns. Never walk in town at night, carry nothing conspicuous, withdraw cash in shopping centres and do not venture alone into isolated regions.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• Never travel on national roads at night; prefer flying or a rental car with a driver, and do not travel alone. Ferries and boats are often in poor condition. A French licence is valid for 3 months on a short stay.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, safetyFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, useful informationGuide: Safety and emergencies

• The currency is the ariary (MGA); euros are widely accepted. The economy is mainly cash-based; cards are accepted in shops and hotels in major towns, ATMs are spreading but do not take every card.

  Government of Canada, Travel advice: MadagascarFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, useful informationGuide: Money and banking

• Sexual offences, drugs (even cannabis sold openly in some areas) and trafficking in protected species are severely punished; adultery is an offence. Respect "fady" (taboo) places, do not linger near tombs and ask before taking photos.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, useful informationGuide: Daily life and local laws

Living in Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez)

• Take extra care in Anjozorobe (kidnappings). Avoid the Anosy and Betroka region (clashes over cattle theft) and Pic Saint-Louis. Do not hike in the Isalo canyons in the afternoon during the rainy season. In Diego-Suarez, use an official guide for Montagne d'Ambre; in Toliara, avoid La Batterie beach alone.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• Crime is high: sometimes very violent attacks in isolated areas, parks and beaches; theft and burglary are common in towns. Never walk in town at night, carry nothing conspicuous, withdraw cash in shopping centres and do not venture alone into isolated regions.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

Field experience

• Tip

  Pharmacies, clinics and hospitals

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): pharmacies (7), clinics (3), hospitals (6). Locate those near your home in the first days and check opening hours and on-call services locally.

• Tip

  Where to shop for food

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): markets (2), supermarkets (11). Compare a few basic prices between market and supermarket before settling into habits.

• Tip

  Banks, cash machines and exchange

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): banks (12), currency exchange (1), money transfer (2). Withdraw and change money at these official places, preferably during the day, never in the street.

• Tip

  A shop for your SIM card

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): phone and internet (4). Go with your passport: SIM registration is often mandatory.

• Tip

  Consulates in the city

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): consulates (1). Note the address of your country's consulate or the nearest embassy.

• Emergency numbers

  Police and ambulance 117 (mobile), fire 118, gendarmerie 119.

  117118119

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Madagascar travel advice: getting helpFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Central police station

  Police.

  +261 34 05 998 59

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Madagascar, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026