Rules for overlanding in Madagascar
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 20 July 2026.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — An Italian licence is accepted and an International Driving Permit is recommended. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Insurance — No foreign insurance is accepted. On entering the country you must take out a temporary policy with a local company, covering the whole length of your stay.
- Roads — The road network is in a precarious state, and the main arteries are among the roads in the worst condition.
- Belts and helmets — The driver and the front-seat passenger must wear seatbelts. A motorcyclist must wear a helmet.
- Alcohol — The blood alcohol limit is 0.08%.
- After an injury crash — If your crash has injured someone, calling the police immediately is essential to avoid trouble with the local population. Crowds gather quickly around road accidents.
- Renting — If you rent a car, check that it is insured against theft as well.
- No night driving — Do not travel at night outside urban centres, and pay particular attention to traffic generally.
What catches travellers out
- Visa on arrival — The visa is issued on entry on payment of the local fee. For tourist visas up to 60 days, extendable to 90 by paying again at the Malagasy prefecture of the commune concerned, you can apply online between six months and seven days before arrival. Your passport needs at least one page completely free of stamps in the visa section for the temporary-stay sticker, and you must hold a return ticket.
- Declare foreign cash — If you do not declare foreign currency above 1,000 euro, the authorities can seize the difference on arrival.
- Drugs — Use and trafficking of drugs, soft ones included, carry sentences from 6 months to 2 years depending on the seriousness of the case.
- Sex tourism crackdown — Malagasy police are acting hard against sex tourism, especially on Nosy Be. As a result, tourists in the company of young local women can be stopped for checks.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 20 July 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Madagascar before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 20 July 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.