Living in Madagascar as a Chinese National: Visas, Business, Safety and Community

About 50,000 Chinese nationals and overseas Chinese live in Madagascar, mostly in the capital Antananarivo and the east-coast port city of Toamasina (Tamatave), working mainly in trade and restaurants. Chinese passport holders need a visa: for short stays you can get an e-visa online or a visa on arrival at the airport; for long-term work or business you first need a “visa transformable” and then convert it to a long-stay visa after arrival.

In September 2025 mass protests broke out in the capital and a Chinese-run shopping mall was looted and burned. In October 2025 the military took power, and the country is now led by a transitional president. Safety and legal compliance should come first for anyone living or trading there.

Key facts

Where Chinese people live and work

According to the 2025 edition of China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) country guide, about 50,000 Chinese live in Madagascar: roughly 40,000 recent migrants and 10,000 members of the old community, concentrated in Antananarivo and Toamasina. See our Chinese population in Africa data for how the figures compare.

Most families of the old community trace their roots to Shunde and Nanhai in Guangdong. They began arriving on the east coast in the late 19th century by ship via Mauritius and Réunion, and are now mostly third- and fourth-generation; many no longer speak Chinese. Newer arrivals work mostly in trade, restaurants and other services, and some are staff of Chinese companies.

China has been Madagascar’s largest trading partner and largest source of imports since 2015. Bilateral goods trade was US$1.68 billion in 2024. China mainly exports textile materials, electrical equipment and machinery, and imports nickel, zirconium and other minerals plus seafood. China’s direct investment stock stood at US$220 million at the end of 2024, mainly in manufacturing, mining, trade services and fisheries. Chinese contractors are also rebuilding several national roads.

For associations, chambers of commerce, Chinese schools and Confucius Institutes, see the Chinese community in Madagascar.

Visas and residence

For short visits (family, business scouting or tourism) you can apply for a tourist e-visa at evisamada.gov.mg or at the e-visa counters on arrival; the official site says online and arrival prices are the same. Tourist, business and other “non-immigrant” visas cannot be converted into long-stay visas. They can only be extended at a police station, up to a total of three months.

If you plan to work, invest or bring family long-term, first get a one-month “visa transformable” from the Madagascar embassy in China. After arrival, apply for the long-stay visa at the EDBM (Economic Development Board of Madagascar). You receive a long-stay visa in your passport and a resident card (carte de résident). Foreign employees also need a work permit from the Ministry of Labour. Documents, fees and common problems are covered in Madagascar visas and work permits.

Doing business

Foreigners can generally own 100% of a company. Companies register at the EDBM one-stop shop or online through the Orinasa platform. The usual forms are the SARL (limited liability company) and the SA (public limited company), and minimum capital is low. Finance, insurance, mining, oil, telecoms, healthcare and pharmaceuticals need separate approval from the relevant authority. Foreigners cannot buy land directly but can lease it for up to 99 years.

The standard income tax rate is 20%, VAT is 20%, and employer social security and health contributions come to about 20% of payroll. Registration steps, tax and chambers of commerce are covered in registering a company in Madagascar.

Safety

MOFCOM’s assessment is that security is broadly stabilising, but drug trafficking, smuggling and armed gangs have not been dealt with, and kidnappings for ransom targeting wealthy foreign businesspeople still occur. Protests over water and power cuts began in the capital on 25 September 2025; the UN said at least 22 people died. A Chinese-run mall was looted and burned, and the embassy told Chinese traders to close their shops and limit outings. In mid-October army colonel Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as president.

In 2026 the Chinese embassy also issued warnings about illegal gold mining and phone scams. Precautions and emergency numbers are in our Madagascar safety guide.

Cost of living and daily life

Supermarket prices in the capital listed in the MOFCOM guide (September 2025):

• Power cuts: only 39.4% of the population had electricity in 2023, and outages are frequent. Shops and factories need a generator or solar backup.
• Payments: large hotels, main supermarkets and bank ATMs accept Visa and other cards; markets and small traders take cash only; most government offices accept only cheques or bank transfers. Mobile wallets such as Orange Money, MVola and Airtel Money are widely used.
• Foreign currency: since July 2021 travellers may take out foreign currency worth up to €10,000. Amounts over €1,000 need an exchange receipt, or the excess can be confiscated. Declare foreign cash on arrival and keep the declaration.
• Flights: as of September 2025 the direct Guangzhou flight and the route via Mauritius had not resumed. Most people connect via Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines), Dubai or Paris.
• Exit checks: customs checks departing passengers closely. Lemurs, chameleons, tortoises, rosewood, ebony and other protected species may not be taken out.

Policy environment and common risks

MOFCOM warns that Madagascar has many laws but enforces them loosely, and the government sometimes changes earlier commitments. Tax incentives negotiated for large projects often fail to materialise because ministries do not coordinate. The ariary has weakened steadily since 2018, so build a margin into your costs. The government has also stepped up tax audits of companies, including Chinese ones.

On staffing, the new Investment Law in force since July 2023 caps foreign employees at 20% of a company’s workforce (according to MOFCOM). In August 2024 Madagascar adopted a new Labour Code (Law No. 2024-014), and EDBM’s work permit requirements now cite it. Government offices work five days a week, and the legal working week is 40 hours.

Malagasy partners or staff travelling to China can apply at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Antananarivo (Golden Business Center, Bâtiment B, Morarano Alarobia; tel. +261-20-7832116; applications 9:00–15:00 on weekdays).

Embassy and emergencies

For what the embassy can and cannot do, see our consular protection guide. For neighbouring island states, see the Indian Ocean guide.

References

1. Country Guide for Foreign Investment and Cooperation: Madagascar, 2025 edition (MOFCOM / Chinese Embassy Economic and Commercial Office, 2025)
2. Madagascar official e-visa portal (Madagascar National Police, 2026)
3. Visa transformable information sheet, version 1 (EDBM, 2025)
4. Long-stay visa (worker) information sheet, version 15 (EDBM / Ministry of the Interior, 2026)
5. Work permit information sheet, version 8 (EDBM / Ministry of Labour, 2025)
6. Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Madagascar (Chinese Embassy in Madagascar, 2026)
7. Embassy reminds Chinese citizens in Madagascar to travel safely during the National Day and Mid-Autumn holidays (Chinese Embassy in Madagascar, 2026)
8. Chinese embassy: mass protests in Antananarivo, Chinese-run shops affected (The Paper, 2025)
9. Madagascar protests: Chinese mall looted, 60 million yuan in losses (The Standard (Hong Kong), 2025)
10. Violent response to youth-led protests in Madagascar leave at least 22 dead, U.N. says (Associated Press / PBS NewsHour, 2025)
11. Madagascar coup leader Randrianirina sworn in as president (Reuters (via Citizen Digital), 2025)
12. Ambassador Ji Ping pays farewell call on Transitional President Randrianirina (Chinese Embassy in Madagascar, 2026)
13. Embassy diplomats visit overseas Chinese in Toamasina and Fénérive (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, 2026)