# Madagascar — Residency & Citizenship Conditions

> Source: https://residencyradar.org/conditions/madagascar.html | Last checked: 2026-10-12 | Last updated: 2026-10-11

## Quick answer

- Investment: Investor Visa / Carte de Résident: Registered investment; company first (Renewable)
- Skilled workers: Work Permit: Job offer; employer sponsorship (1–2 years, renewable)
- Founders: Investor Visa: New company registration (Renewable)
- Citizenship by naturalisation: 5 years of legal residence

## Overview
Madagascar is a large island nation in the Indian Ocean off East Africa. Immigration is governed by the Foreigners' Code and, for investors, the 2023 Investment Law (which dedicates a chapter to visas and employment permits). There is no digital-nomad visa. Citizenship requires 5 years of residence. Dual nationality is not permitted for Malagasy of origin (naturalised persons may retain their prior nationality). ^[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malagasy_nationality_law]

Related: [[mauritius]], [[seychelles]], [[investment-residency]].

## Residency Programs

| Type | Official Program | Key Conditions | Duration | Citizenship Path |
|------|-----------------|----------------|----------|------------------|
| investment_residency | Investor Visa / Carte de Résident | Registered investment; company first ^[https://expatsi.com/visas/madagascar/investor-visa] | Renewable | 5 years residence |
| passive_income_residency | Not available | — | — | — |
| digital_nomad_visa | Not available | — | — | — |
| highly_skilled_employment | Work Permit | Job offer; employer sponsorship | 1–2 years, renewable | 5 years |
| startup_entrepreneur | Investor Visa | New company registration | Renewable | 5 years |
| employment_residency | Work Permit + Resident Card | Employment contract; employer sponsorship | 1–2 years, renewable | 5 years |
| student_residency | Student visa/residence | Enrolment at recognised institution | Course duration | Does not count |
| family_reunification | Family reunification permit | Family tie to valid permit holder | Tied to principal | Linked to principal |
| retired_residency | Not available | — | — | — |
| citizenship_by_investment | Not available | — | — | — |

## Per-Program Detail

### employment_residency — Work Permit
- **Official name**: Permis de Travail (Work Permit) + Carte de Résident
- **Conditions**: Employment contract; employer sponsorship; employer must justify hiring a foreigner.
- **Duration / renewal**: 1–2 years, renewable, tied to the contract.
- **Path to citizenship**: 5 years residence (Nationality Code, Art. 27). ^[https://expatsi.com/visas/madagascar/investor-visa]
- **Official source**: https://www.edbm.mg (Economic Development Board of Madagascar)
- **Community verdict**: Mixed — slow, bureaucratic; French and Malagasy essential.

### investment_residency — Investor Visa
- **Official name**: Investor Visa (under the 2023 Investment Law, Ch. IV on visas/employment permits) ^[https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/367/madagascar-madagascar-investment-law-2023]
- **Conditions**: Registered investment project; company formation typically precedes the visa; EDBM one-stop facilitation.
- **Duration / renewal**: Renewable.
- **Path to citizenship**: 5 years residence.
- **Official source**: https://www.edbm.mg
- **Community verdict**: Mixed — facilitation exists but practical experience varies; French essential.

## Citizenship
- **Residence requirement**: 5 years residence for naturalisation. ^[https://expatsi.com/visas/madagascar/investor-visa]
- **Language**: Malagasy/French; integration assessed.
- **Dual citizenship**: Not permitted for Malagasy of origin; naturalised persons may retain their prior nationality. ^[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malagasy_nationality_law]
- **Passport**: ~58 destinations visa-free or on arrival.

## Tax
- Residence-based; tax resident if >183 days or centre of economic interests.
- Personal income tax (IRSA): progressive up to 20%.
- Corporate tax: 20% standard. VAT: 20%.
- No special expat flat-tax regime.

## IT / Digital Nomad
No digital-nomad visa. Antananarivo has a nascent tech/BPO scene and improving mobile internet, but power and connectivity remain uneven outside the capital. Remote workers generally need an investor or employer route. French is essential.

## Yacht / Maritime
Island nation with a long coastline and the port of Toamasina. Niche diving/marine tourism (Nosy Be, Île Sainte-Marie). Limited yacht infrastructure; not a major yachting destination.

## Notes for RU citizens
Visa on arrival is available for many nationalities (check current RU status). Madagascar maintains neutral relations with Russia. French is the primary administrative language; English is limited. Small expat community, concentrated in Antananarivo, tourism and mining.

## Community pulse
Limited English-language expat forum data. The expat presence is small and concentrated in tourism, mining and NGOs. No significant digital-nomad base; bureaucracy and infrastructure are the main reported frictions.

## Country Snapshot

| Field | Value | Source / Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Population | ~31,000,000 (2024) | ^[https://data.worldbank.org/country/MG] hard/official |
| Main religion | Christianity (~85%, syncretic with traditional beliefs); Islam (~3%) | ^[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar#Religion] hard/official |
| Main language | Malagasy and French (official) | ^[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar] hard/official |
| Main city (capital or largest) | Antananarivo | ^[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antananarivo] hard/official |
| On the coast? | Yes — island, Indian Ocean, ~4,800 km coastline | hard/official |
| Tourism impact in season | Medium — eco/beach tourism; seasonal (Apr–Dec) | [soft/estimate] |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | ~$1,800 (2023) | ^[https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?locations=MG] hard/official |
| Median net monthly salary | ~$150–300 | ^[https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Madagascar] [soft/estimate] |
| Cost of living index | ~20–28 (NYC=100) | ^[https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Madagascar] [soft/estimate] |
| Monthly rent, 1-bedroom apartment | ~$150–350 (Antananarivo) | ^[https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Madagascar] [soft/estimate] |
| Effective personal tax rate for remote workers | Progressive up to 20% (IRSA) | [soft/estimate] |
| Remote-work / self-employment residence available? | No — no dedicated digital-nomad visa | See [[#it--digital-nomad]] |
| Years to citizenship | 5 years | See [[#citizenship]] |
| Maximum permitted absence during residence | Not clearly defined | [soft/estimate] |
| Passport strength after citizenship | ~58 destinations visa-free/on-arrival | ^[https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index] hard/official |
| Rule of Law Index | Rank 112/142 (WJP 2024) | ^[https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index] hard/official |
| Freedom House score | 55/100 — Partly Free (2025) | ^[https://freedomhouse.org/country/madagascar/freedom-world/2025] hard/official |
| Average annual sunshine hours | ~2,600 h (Antananarivo highlands) | ^[https://en.climate-data.org/africa/madagascar/] hard/official |
| Average annual temperature | ~20 °C (Antananarivo; tropical coasts) | ^[https://en.climate-data.org/africa/madagascar/] hard/official |

## Country Card

### General description
Madagascar is a large, biodiverse island nation in the Indian Ocean, famed for unique wildlife and eco-tourism. Its economy is agricultural with growing mining (nickel, cobalt) and tourism. Immigration is employment- and investment-led, with a 2023 Investment Law streamlining investor visas. Citizenship requires only 5 years of residence, but dual nationality is restricted.

### Well-known strong points
- Short 5-year path to citizenship
- Extraordinary natural environment and eco-tourism
- Low cost of living
- 2023 Investment Law facilitates investor visas/permits
- Long coastline with marine-tourism potential

### Well-known problems
- Dual nationality not permitted for Malagasy of origin
- No digital-nomad or passive-income visa
- French (and often Malagasy) language effectively mandatory
- Weak infrastructure — power and transport outside the capital
- Poverty and political instability episodes (FH 55/100)
- Very low median incomes

## Status
- **Last monitored**: 2026-10-12
- **Recent changes**: 2023 Investment Law (Ch. IV on visas/employment permits) is the current framework.
- **Watch items**: Any digital-nomad visa; dual-citizenship reform; EDBM permit processing.

## Official and primary sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malagasy_nationality_law
- https://expatsi.com/visas/madagascar/investor-visa
- https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/367/madagascar-madagascar-investment-law-2023