Madagascar Currency and Money Guide

The currency

Madagascar uses the Malagasy ariary. It is one of only two currencies in the world not based on a decimal division, which is a fact you will never need and everyone enjoys.

⚠ There is a limit on bringing ariary in

The FCDO gives the limit on taking Malagasy ariary into the country as 400,000 ariary. In practice this rarely constrains a visitor, because ariary is difficult to obtain outside Madagascar and most people arrive with euros or dollars and change them on the ground. It matters mostly if you are returning and kept cash from a previous trip.

What to bring

Bring euros or US dollars in cash, in good condition, and change them in Madagascar. The FCDO confirms that the visa on arrival itself can be paid in US dollars, euros or ariary, which tells you what the airport expects to see.

Carry small denominations as well as large. Outside the cities, breaking a large note can be a genuine problem rather than an inconvenience.

Cards and ATMs

Treat Madagascar as a cash country with card islands. Hotels of a certain size in Antananarivo and the main tourist centers will take cards. Most other things will not: markets, guides, park fees in some places, transport, small restaurants, and anything at the roadside.

ATMs exist in the cities and larger towns. They are not reliable enough to be a plan on their own, and the FCDO's advice not to show cash in the street applies with particular force at a cash machine. Draw money inside a bank or a hotel where you can, and not after dark.

Keeping money safe

The safety guidance is unusually specific here, and it is about behavior rather than gadgets.

• Do not use your phone or show cash on the street.
• Do not walk alone in city centers or poorly lit areas after dark.
• Use pre-booked taxis or hotel transport rather than hailing.
• Be alert for people working in pairs, and for over-friendly approaches.
• Keep documents and the bulk of your cash in a hotel safe.

See Madagascar Travel Safety Guide for the wider picture.

⚠ Receipts are a customs document

This is the part that is specific to Madagascar. You may take out up to 2kg of vanilla and 1kg of pepper or cloves, but only after declaring them and showing receipts. Other plant and animal products need permission.

Vanilla is the single most common Malagasy purchase, and the receipt is not a formality: without it the allowance does not apply to you. Ask for one at the point of sale, keep it with your passport rather than in the bag the vanilla is in, and declare on departure. See Madagascar Visa and Entry Requirements.

Tipping

Tipping is expected in the tourism economy and genuinely matters to guides, drivers and park staff, whose work is seasonal. Carry enough small notes to do it without needing change. A guide who has walked you through a forest for a day is the clearest case.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Madagascar entry requirements: passport validity, the visa-free allowance and its arrival fee, vaccine certificates, cholera screening and the customs rules on food, vanilla and spices. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Madagascar safety and security: crime, beaches, vehicle crime, the advice against taxi-brousses and the false-police warning. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Madagascar travel advice, including the political situation and the 17 October 2025 transitional government. Accessed 14 September 2026.