Madagascar Visas and Work Permits: Visa Types, Documents and Process for Chinese Citizens

Chinese ordinary passport holders need a visa for Madagascar. For short family visits, business scouting or tourism you can apply online for a tourist e-visa or get one on arrival at the airport e-visa counters, but this kind of visa cannot be converted into long-term residence. To work, run a company or bring family long-term, you must first get a “visa transformable” from the Madagascar embassy in China, then apply after arrival to the Economic Development Board of Madagascar (EDBM) for a long-stay visa and resident card.

Foreign employees also need a work permit, applied for by the employer. Below we cover visa types, steps, documents, fees and common problems. Rules and fees change often, so check again with EDBM or the Madagascar embassy in Beijing before you apply.

Ways to enter

Tourist e-visa fees

The official site, evisamada.gov.mg, does not publish prices. VisasNews reported that from 16 February 2026 the 15-day visa rose from €10 to €30, with other tiers unchanged:

Note: in September 2026 the Chinese embassy reminded citizens that Malagasy immigration officers may check the purpose of entry. Travellers who cannot explain their real purpose, lack supporting documents, have unusual travel records or are suspected of illegal work may be refused entry. Working on a tourist visa is illegal.

Work visas and work permits

The 2025 edition of China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) country guide says Chinese citizens going to work in Madagascar must first obtain a work permit. With it they apply at the Madagascar embassy in China for a work entry visa (a visa transformable valid for 30 days), then apply to EDBM for a long-stay visa within 30 days of arrival. Once approved, a work residence visa is usually valid for up to three years and can be renewed if there is good reason.

Steps

1. The employer registers a local company and obtains a tax number and statistics card (see registering a company in Madagascar).
2. The employer applies for the employee’s work permit (permis de travail) through EDBM’s e-work platform (e-work.edbm.mg). The processing fee is €100, paid in ariary at the EDBM front office at the central bank’s monthly rate.
3. The employee applies for a visa transformable at the Madagascar embassy in China with the work permit, employment contract and other documents.
4. Within 30 days of arrival, the employee files the long-stay visa application at EDBM in person.
5. EDBM takes biometrics, issues a receipt and runs a background check (enquête de moralité).
6. Pay the visa and resident card fees, then collect the long-stay visa (in the passport) and the resident card.

Work permit documents (EDBM, January 2025 version)

• Two application letters to the Minister of Labour (one original, naming the company officer who will file and collect the file)
• Four original employment contracts that comply with Malagasy labour law
• Employee and company information forms, plus sworn statements by the employee and the company (forms on the EDBM website)
• Ordinary companies with 20 or fewer Malagasy staff: copy of the tax card, opening declaration or annual workforce report, and a certificate of existence from the Fokontany (neighbourhood office) issued within one month
• Free-zone companies: copy of the approval decree and a staffing table

MOFCOM also lists documents often needed for the work visa: the employment contract, health insurance valid for one month, company registration papers, statistics card and code, and tax number certificate.

Share of foreign staff

Madagascar does not set an overall number of foreign workers, but employers must explain why they need a foreigner (for example, no local candidate can do the job). According to MOFCOM, the new Investment Law in force since July 2023 caps foreign employees at 20% of a company’s workforce. Because the paperwork is heavy, MOFCOM advises using an experienced local lawyer or agent.

Investor visas and family reunification

Shareholders or managers of a company in Madagascar can apply for the investor long-stay visa. EDBM’s June 2026 checklist includes:

• Six recent photos; application letter to the Minister of the Interior; information form and sworn statement
• Copy of the first three passport pages; certificate of residence in Madagascar; foreigner registration certificate from the police prefecture or district office
• Company statutes, statistics card, trade register (RCS) extract less than three months old, copy of the tax card
• Letter from a local bank confirming the account; opening balance sheet or certified accounts
• First application only: original criminal record certificate from your home country, less than six months old, and a copy of the visa transformable with a clear entry stamp

Spouses and children use the family reunification category. They need a birth or marriage certificate and a copy of the visa of the family member already in Madagascar, plus that person’s work permit if they are an employee. First applications also need a criminal record certificate and a copy of the visa transformable. EDBM asks for birth and marriage certificates issued within the last six months.

Long-stay visa and resident card fees

These are the fees in EDBM’s June 2026 sheet for workers; check with EDBM whether investor and family fees are the same. Visa fees are set in ariary. Resident card fees are set in euros and paid in ariary at the central bank’s monthly rate, in cash, by bank transfer or by banker’s cheque.

EDBM also issues a one-month visa transformable locally (Ar 140,000), but only for foreigners whose country has no Malagasy embassy or consulate. China has a Madagascar embassy, so Chinese citizens should apply at home.

Renewals and extensions

• Long-stay renewals: besides the standard documents, provide a Malagasy criminal record extract (Bulletin N°3) less than three months old, copies of previous long-stay visas and the current resident card; workers also need proof of payment of salary income tax (IRSA).
• Short-stay extensions: tourist, business and other non-immigrant visas are extended at a police station (Commissariat de Police), up to three months in total, after which you must leave.
• MOFCOM reminds companies to track staff visa expiry dates and start renewals early. Never stay in Madagascar on an expired visa.

Common problems

ID checks

Police, gendarmes, tax, customs and labour inspectors can all check foreigners’ papers. MOFCOM advises carrying your ID or temporary residence proof at all times. If you don’t have it with you, don’t run; explain who you are and give your company’s phone number. If documents are confiscated, ask for a written receipt and note the officer’s badge and vehicle numbers. If you are treated unfairly, act through a lawyer rather than arguing on the spot. See our Madagascar safety guide for more.

Applying from outside the capital

If you live outside Antananarivo, the long-stay application also needs a “Fiche 33” information sheet from the local police station or gendarmerie. The file can be filed directly at EDBM or forwarded through the district or prefecture.

Criminal record and originals

First applications need an original Chinese criminal record certificate issued within six months. EDBM’s visa transformable sheet requires a translation into French or English by a sworn translator. Originals must be shown for every photocopy.

Cross-border marriage

The Chinese embassy reminded citizens in February and March 2025 to follow the laws on cross-border marriage. Do not arrange a sham marriage to obtain residence.

Where to apply

EDBM accepts long-stay visa files Monday to Thursday 8:30–11:30 and hands out documents Monday to Friday 13:30–16:00; work permit files are accepted Monday to Friday 8:30–12:00. If your passport is close to expiry, see renewing a Chinese passport in Africa first so it does not run out before your visa. If your papers are seized or you are in a dispute, contact the embassy; see our consular protection guide. For an overview of the country, see our Madagascar 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. Madagascar triples its 15-day e-visa fee (VisasNews, 2026)
4. Visa transformable information sheet, version 1 (EDBM, 2025)
5. Work permit information sheet, version 8 (EDBM / Ministry of Labour, 2025)
6. Long-stay visa (worker) information sheet, version 15 (EDBM / Ministry of the Interior, 2026)
7. Long-stay visa (investor) information sheet, version 14 (EDBM / Ministry of the Interior, 2026)
8. Long-stay visa (family reunification) information sheet, version 14 (EDBM / Ministry of the Interior, 2026)
9. Embassy reminds Chinese citizens in Madagascar to travel safely during the National Day and Mid-Autumn holidays (Chinese Embassy in Madagascar, 2026)
10. Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Madagascar (Chinese Embassy in Madagascar, 2026)