Madagascar eSIM

Staying connected in Madagascar

Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island, and many trips combine Antananarivo with the RN7 south towards Isalo and Toliara, the Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava or the beaches of Nosy Be. Install a travel eSIM at home and switch it on when you land. AirOva sells Madagascar plans from $8.99, with a fixed amount of data or unlimited, all data only, with no call minutes, SMS or local phone number.

Which Madagascar plan to choose

GB plans suit most trips, since maps, messaging and booking apps take little data, and run on Yas. Unlimited plans give unlimited data with no data cap and no fair-usage limit, priced by the number of days, and run on Airtel. Each plan card shows its network and whether it is listed as 4G or 5G. A plan card that says Telma means Yas, the name the operator has used since November 2024.

Yas, Airtel and Orange

Madagascar's main mobile operators are Yas, the former Telma, Airtel and Orange; Telma called its switch to Yas a change of name, colours and slogan only. Our plans run on Yas and Airtel, and Orange is not on our plans. We cannot confirm coverage in national parks such as Tsingy de Bemaraha or on remote stretches of road, so plan those days as offline.

Arriving in Antananarivo or Nosy Be

Ivato International (TNR), the main international airport, is 16 km northwest of central Antananarivo, and Nosy Be Airport (NOS) also has international flights. After landing, switch on the eSIM line, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line. Madagascar is outside the EU, so Roam Like at Home does not apply to French or other EU SIMs; keep yours for calls, with data roaming off.

Cyclones, roads and safety

UK travel advice says the cyclone season normally runs from November to April and that storms can cut access to remote parts of the country; in the rainy season, from December to April, many secondary roads are passable only by four-wheel drive. It warns of armed robberies on main roads, especially at night, urges vigilance on the RN7, the 980 km highway from Antananarivo to Toliara, and advises against using your phone or showing cash on the street.

Tip: download offline maps before you leave Antananarivo, and screenshot your bookings. Combining Madagascar with Mauritius or Réunion? A Madagascar plan works in Madagascar only, so add a plan for each destination; more in our Indian Ocean islands eSIM guide.