Madagascar digital nomad visa & residency (2026)

Madagascar does not appear on any government-announced list of countries with a specific digital nomad or remote-work visa category as of 2026. The country's visa framework has no such distinct pathway.

Nationals of most countries receive a visa on arrival valid for 30 days (€35) or 60 days (€40), extendable by 30 days in seven cities. This category does not authorise gainful professional activity.

A 'visa long séjour' for non-salaried professional activity allows a foreign remote worker or freelancer servicing international clients to reside legally. The initial one-month transformable visa (140,000 Ar, payable at the EDBM-Anosy tax centre) is converted into a long-stay visa and then a two-year residence card through the Ministry of Interior's Immigration Service; the card renews for five and then ten years.

The Economic Development Board of Madagascar (EDBM) coordinates the filing, document review, and appointment scheduling with the Ministry of Interior for all long-stay visa and residence card applications. The end-to-end process typically takes approximately two months. Applicants must present a valid passport, proof of financial means, tax registration (NIF), and relevant professional documentation.

Foreign nationals who incorporate or acquire a company in Madagascar can apply for a long-stay investor visa through the EDBM, granting residency rights tied to the enterprise. There is no officially codified minimum capital threshold published by EDBM for this category, but active business operations and job creation for Malagasy citizens are assessed at renewal. No separate golden-visa-by-investment program (with a set monetary threshold conferring residency) exists.

Foreigners employed by a Malagasy entity (rather than working independently for foreign clients) require both a long-stay visa endorsed for salaried work and a separate work permit (autorisation de travail). Self-employed and non-salaried remote professionals follow the non-salaried long-stay visa track instead and do not need an employer-sponsored work permit.