Canada licence 
MadagascarCan you drive in Madagascar with a Canada license?
Short answer: to drive in Madagascar with a Canada license you need an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva format, carried together with your Canada license.
Yes — to drive in Madagascar on a Canada licence you should carry an International Driving Permit together with your Canada licence. Madagascar expects foreign drivers to hold an IDP.
Canadian drivers should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their provincial licence when driving abroad. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the 1949 Geneva format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Madagascar is like
RN7 from Antananarivo 980 km south to Toliara (Tulear) is Madagascar's classic scenic drive, passing Antsirabe, the highlands and Isalo National Park. For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 90 km/h routes nationales. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your Canada licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Madagascar can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to Canada licence holders in Madagascar
| Canada licence in Madagascar | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | Yes — carry one alongside your licence |
| IDP format required | 1949 Geneva |
| Your Canada licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| Canada is party to | 1949 Geneva |
| Drives on the | Right-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 117 (police), 124 (ambulance) |
| Top speed limit | 90 km/h routes nationales |
| Currency | MGA |
Driving rules in Madagascar you should know
- Drive on the right.
- Poor roads between regions.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
Local driving facts in Madagascar
Emergency number: 117 (police), 124 (ambulance) (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 90 km/h routes nationales. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in Madagascar
Madagascar has no toll-road or vignette system; the national 'Route Nationale' network is toll-free. Roads vary from sealed RNs to rough tracks needing a 4x4.
Parking in Madagascar
Urban parking, mainly in Antananarivo, is informal with no colour-coded paid zones; 'gardiens' (informal attendants) watch parked cars for a small cash tip (a few thousand ariary). Park in guarded hotel/lot spaces overnight.
Penalties & enforcement in Madagascar
Foreign drivers face on-the-spot cash penalties for speeding, no seatbelt or phone use, often negotiated at police stops; always ask for a receipt. Banditry and armed highway robbery on RN7, RN13, RN10 and others is a bigger risk than fines, so avoid driving after dark.
If you have an accident in Madagascar
After an accident call police on 117 (or 119) and wait for an official report; do not move vehicles if there are injuries. Roadside assistance is essentially absent outside Antananarivo, so carry water and a spare.
City driving in Madagascar
Antananarivo traffic is dense, slow and aggressive with steep narrow streets, tailgating and weaving; the RN7 corridor out of 'Tana' toward Antsirabe is among the most accident-prone stretches.
Winter driving in Madagascar
No winter-tyre rules - tropical climate; the real seasonal hazard is the cyclone/rainy season (roughly November-April) when RNs flood and wash out.
Fuel in Madagascar
Petrol (essence) and diesel (gasoil) are sold; stations are attended. Fill up whenever you pass a station as fuel is scarce outside towns; cash is expected, card acceptance is unreliable, and prices run roughly the equivalent of US$1.20-1.50 per litre.
Sources: travel.state.gov, lca.logcluster.org, roadtripafrica.com, en.wikipedia.org