Madagascar - Bio-Security
With the continual change in protocols due to the pandemic, we outline the last-known situation below for yacht arrivals. Skippers should follow the recommended links in “resources” to confirm the latest protocols. Always check with your intended port of arrival before getting underway to be 100% certain of what is required. Please e-mail editor@noonsite.com if you find protocols have changed.
COVID-19: CLOSED
Yachting Protocols:
April 2023
- Maritime borders for yachts are still not officially open (and no one seems to know why). A new Minister of Transport may mean this will change soon, however, for now yachts need to get permission to enter.
- Ten (10) people must be contacted in order to obtain permission to enter in any of the ports of entry, however, Nosy-Be is known to the most yacht-friendly.
The first 5 are who you address your request to, the second 5 are to be cc’d. -
1°) To:ministre@mtm.gov.mg (the new Minister of Transport)dgapmf@apmf.mg (Director of APMF in Tanna – ph: +261320325781)2°) Cc:ratsimbamichel@yahoo.fr (Eric, Nosy-Be Maritime Authority – ph: +261 32 1125706)
- With your request to enter, include pdfs of:- Boat papers
– Photos of the boat from the bow, stern, starboard and port sides
– Crew list
– Passports
– Equipment list
– Last port clearance
– ETA at port of entry - After a couple of days, call the Director of APMF in Tanna to confirm receipt of e-mail and progress.
Contact:
AGENCE PORTUAIRE, MARITIME ET FLUVIALE (APMF)
Route des Hydrocarbures, Alarobia Antananarivo, B.P. 581
Tél: +261 20 22 539 95 / + 261 20 24 257 00
Fax: + 261 20 22 539 34
GSM: +261 32 11 257 00
E-mail: apmf@apmf.mg
Web: https://www.apmf.mg/
Resources:
- OSASA [good cruiser contacts in Madagascar]
- https://madagascar-tourisme.com/Fr-fr/border-reopening/
History:
- Borders closed at the start of April 2020.
- Yachts in the country reported that they were still able to cruise to a restricted list of islands.
- Visas and cruising permits were being renewed on demand.
- Emergency stops, with advance permission requested, were being granted in some instances.
- Air borders re-opened March, 7, 2022.
- Maritime borders remain closed.
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
Next Section: Formalities: Documents
Related to following destinations: Madagascar
Country Navigation
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.comMain Ports - Madagascar
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.comFormalities
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.com
Madagascar’s maritime borders still remain closed to yachts, however, with a newly appointed Minis-ter of Transport yachts may now make an application to enter in advance. Bryce of Catamaran “Lady Blue” reports; “Just wanted to let you know that we are currently in Sainte Marie, Madagascar. We arrived on the 10th of April and we plan to cruise towards Nosy Be while making a few stops underway (i.e. Diego Suarez). A few weeks before leaving Mauritius (last port of call) I wrote to APMF in order to request permission to enter into the territory of Madagascar. After 2 weeks of waiting time and me chasing, the local authority replied positively to my request and so we received the authorization letter. We are the only foreign yacht cruising in the area as of now.” Find out more at Madagascar Biosecurity. https://nsocl.wccstaging.com/place/madagascar/view/bio-security/#
I planned a visit to Port Dauphin in November 2022. There were rumours that despite Madagascar being recently open to flights and cruise ship visitors, that it was closed to private boating from abroad. We contacted the embassy in London to be told that they ‘are not aware of any restriction for visiting boats’.
We cancelled are visit however, after harbour staff in Le Port, La Reunion, said that we definitely could not go there (except in an emergency) and he said that he had spoken to several boats that had been refused access in the last month or so.
I just spoke to someone who had cause to seek shelter there for weather and was carefully monitored to prevent shore access and given a military escort away from the country when the weather improved.
The 30-day visa into Madagascar is no longer free. As far as we can tell we were treated fairly in all of our dealings with the officials when we cleared into Ambodifotatra.
First, we went to the police station who act as Immigration. The 30-day visa cost 115,000 Ariary each person. We paid this to the officer plus 40,000 for a taxi. He took the passports, and one copy of our two copies of the exit zarpe (clearance) from Réunion. We went back at the time he suggested the next day and he returned the passports with the visas attached. I don’t know where the copy of the Réunion exit paper went… he said it is no longer required.
We still DID have to go to Îsle Madame (the fishing harbour) to see the Customs office. This is well within walking distance for this old geezer. It is in the first building you come across, like an abandoned hotel. The office is in the west wing, access from the north, outside. There we filled in a crew list/boat info sheet of paper and paid 60,000. We asked him if it was really necessary to visit the Coast Guard office just 20 metres away to the west and while considering it finally said we should.
There at the Coast Guard, we paid another 60,000 and filled out another vessel and crew info sheet.
That is what is required to check in when asking for a 30-day visa. I’ll come back to post again when we check out domestically on Monday to tell you what we did.
The Madagascar relay station for the Peri-Peri net has now closed. Although no longer resident in Madagascar, Ex-Net Controllers Des and Nell Cason of SY Gambit are happy to offer advice to cruisers visiting the country. They have sailed this area extensively and welcome the opportunity to stay involved in the well being of fellow sailors. Contact them by E-mail at sygambit(at)Gmail(dot)com
Just a word of caution, we are in Deigo Suarez, Madagascar in the commercial port anchorage and had an intruder on our boat around 0200. He was trying to steal our portable generator. He had a knife and was able to cut the lines securing it before he was scared off the boat. He had a friend waiting for him in a small dugout outrigger. He also stole lines off the boat. So please be very careful here.