Filming in Madagascar: Permits, Seasons & Locations

Permits

Which permits you need

Every professional shoot needs a general film permit. Depending on what and where you film, other permits are added. We prepare and follow every application for you.

Drone pilot filming over the limestone tsingy, Madagascar

Permit	When you need it	Timing and fees
General film permit	Every professional film or TV shoot	About 7 days, with fees
Journalism permit	Accredited journalists, for breaking news only	About 7 days, free of charge
Drone permit	Any drone filming	Apply one month before filming, with fees
Madagascar National Parks permit	Filming inside national parks and reserves	Apply at least one month before. High filming fees, plus park entrance fees and a deposit
Crew visas	Every foreign crew member	A tourist visa is enough
ATA Carnet / temporary import	Bringing professional equipment into the country	Prepared before arrival

Seasons

When to film

White sandbank and turquoise sea, Madagascar

Roughly May – October

Dry season

Sunny days and cool nights in the highlands. The easiest time for road travel and the only realistic window for remote areas such as the Tsingy de Bemaraha.

Roughly November – April

Wet season

Heat, heavy showers and, some years, cyclones. Landscapes turn green and are at their most beautiful, and wildlife is very active, but some roads close. Allow extra time and plan flights where roads are closed.

National parks & wildlife

Filming fauna

Most of Madagascar’s wildlife lives in protected areas managed by Madagascar National Parks. Filming there needs its own permit.

Tell us early which parks and species you want to film, so we can plan the right season, the permits and the budget.

Ring-tailed lemur sitting upright, Madagascar

Film crew and 4x4 vehicles on a muddy forest track in Madagascar

Getting around

Travel takes longer than it looks

Madagascar is larger than France and road travel is slow, especially in the rainy season. For long distances there are domestic flights, which are not always reliable, and private charters. Boats reach the islands, and 4x4 vehicles the remote parks.

Health

Come prepared

Malaria is present in many regions: ask your doctor about prevention before you travel. Remote locations are far from hospitals, so plan medical support for long shoots.

Crew members with a cinema camera beside two 4x4 vehicles in Madagascar

Locations

Where to film

The places international crews ask us for most often. We film everywhere else on the island too.

Antananarivo: houses climbing the hill to the Queen’s Palace, above the Mahamasina stadium and Lake Anosy

Green rice terraces and hills in the highlands near Antananarivo

Antananarivo & the highlands

Antananarivo: The capital and arrival point: a busy city of colourful markets, old colonial streets and pavements crowded with shops, with rice fields and brick makers at its edge.
Antsirabe: Brightly painted pousse-pousse rickshaws, colonial-era buildings and volcanic lakes.
Itasy region: Lake Itasy and its green hills west of the capital, with the Lily waterfalls and the Analavory geysers: big landscapes an easy drive from Antananarivo.

Avenue of the Baobabs at dusk, near Morondava

Suspension bridge over the limestone tsingy

The west

Morondava & the Avenue of the Baobabs: Madagascar’s most famous image, best filmed at sunrise and sunset.
Tsingy de Bemaraha: Razor-sharp limestone pinnacles and canyons, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Sandstone canyon with a white sandy riverbed in Makay

Sandstone rocks at sunset in Isalo National Park

The south

Isalo National Park: Sandstone massif with canyons, natural pools and wide savanna.
Makay: A vast, little-explored maze of canyons. Filming here is a true expedition with camping.
Andringitra National Park: Granite peaks, high plateaus and trekking routes, including Pic Boby.
Ambalavao: Big weekly zebu market, Antaimoro paper making and the lemurs of the Anja reserve.
Toliara (Tuléar): Gateway to the spiny forest, the Vezo fishing villages and the reefs of Ifaty and Anakao.

Limestone islets covered in trees in a sheltered bay, Madagascar

Basalt columns on a forested island off the north coast of Madagascar

The north & the islands

Diego Suarez: A large bay with the Emerald Sea, Amber Mountain and red tsingy nearby.
Nosy Be: Beaches, ylang-ylang plantations, marine life and boats to smaller islands.
Moramba Bay: Mushroom-shaped limestone islets and baobabs by the sea, reached by boat.
Sainte-Marie: Tropical island on the east coast, with humpback whales from July to September.

Before you travel

Checklist for your shoot

Contact your fixer two months or more before filming
Send crew names, passports and travel dates for permits and visas
Prepare an equipment list for the ATA Carnet
Tell us if you plan to use a drone
List the national parks you want to film in
Plan extra days for travel and weather

Trolleys of film equipment cases beside the crew vehicles at Ivato airport, Antananarivo

Questions

Filming in Madagascar, quick answers

How much does it cost to film in a national park?

There is no single price: the amount depends on the park and on the size of your shoot. We calculate it for you before you decide.

Can we fly a drone in Madagascar?

Yes, with a drone permit. National parks and some other sites have their own rules on top.

Starry night sky above the rainforest canopy, Madagascar

Contact

Tell us about your project

Send us a message with your dates and locations, or chat with us on WhatsApp. We reply within 24 hours.

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