Madagascar (MG)
World's fourth-largest island, Madagascar offers extraordinary biodiversity (90% of wildlife found nowhere else), one of the world's lowest costs of living, warm French-speaking culture, and unique opportunities in vanilla, ecotourism, and development sectors.
Employment Rights
Sick leave, dismissal protection and red flags in Madagascar.
Madagascar's employment law is governed by the Code du Travail (Labour Code) and aligned with OHADA framework principles. On paper, it provides solid protections: generous leave entitlements, mandatory social security contributions, and regulated notice periods. In practice, enforcement is weak, particularly for informal workers. Formal-sector employees (NGO, mining, banking, large companies) tend to receive full protections. Expat employees typically work under formal contracts and should ensure all entitlements are clearly specified. All foreign employees must have a valid Permis de Travail — working without one is illegal and both the employee and employer face penalties.
Sick leave
Rules: Medical certificate (certificat médical) required from day 1 of sick leave in most formal contracts. The certificate must be issued by a Malagasy-registered doctor. Notify your employer as soon as possible — before shift start if feasible.
Doctor note: Day 1 (most formal contracts). The Code du Travail does not specify a mandatory first doctor-note day, so the contract terms govern.
Employer pay: The Code du Travail requires employers to continue full salary for a period of sick leave proportional to the employee's seniority. Typically: full salary for 30 days sick leave; 50% salary for a further 30 days after 1 year of service. After the contractual sick pay period, CNAPS disability benefit may apply (very limited — see socialSecurity.ts).
Long-term: CNAPS provides some disability/long-term sickness benefits, but these are very limited in practice. International health insurance and income protection insurance are strongly recommended.
Dismissal protection
Law: The Code du Travail provides significant protections against unfair dismissal. Dismissal (licenciement) requires a legitimate reason: professional misconduct (faute), poor performance (insuffisance professionnelle), or economic redundancy (licenciement économique). An entretien préalable (pre-dismissal hearing) must be held before any dismissal. Discrimination-based dismissal (race, gender, union membership, pregnancy) is illegal.
Deadline to sue: Unfair dismissal claims must be filed at the Inspection du Travail or Tribunal du Travail. There is no single statutory claim deadline equivalent to German law, but acting within 3–6 months of dismissal is strongly recommended. Consult an avocat (lawyer) specialised in labour law immediately.
Probation
Maximum probation period (période d'essai): 6 months for skilled/professional workers (cadres), 3 months for non-skilled workers. Renewable once. Can be terminated by either party without reason or notice during probation. Must be explicitly stated in writing in the employment contract.
Notice periods
Statutory notice periods: unskilled workers — 8 days; skilled workers — 1 month; management/cadre — 3 months. Payment in lieu of notice (indemnité compensatrice de préavis) is required if notice is not worked. Redundancy pay (indemnité de licenciement): 1 month per year of service after the first year, capped under Code du Travail provisions.
Working time
Max hours: Standard working week: 40 hours (8 hours/day, 5 days). Maximum overtime: 20 hours/week with Inspection du Travail authorisation. Total max: 60 hours/week.
Min rest: Minimum 11 hours rest between working days. Mandatory Sunday rest for most workers. At least 1 full rest day per week.
Overtime: Overtime must be compensated at premium rates: 25% for first 8 overtime hours per week; 50% for subsequent hours; 100% for work on rest days and public holidays. Overtime in excess of authorised limits is not permissible.
Vacation
Minimum annual leave: 30 days (2.5 days per month worked) — one of the most generous entitlements in the region. Typically taken in continuous blocks by Malagasy custom. Expats should agree leave scheduling in the contract. Public holidays (12 per year) are additional to annual leave. SMIG minimum wage: Ar 300,000/month for non-agricultural workers (from March 1, 2026 — an increase of 14.2% from Ar 262,680 since March 2024; agreed by National Labour Council on February 9, 2026). Agricultural sector: Ar 266,500/month.
Anti-discrimination
The Code du Travail prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, political opinion, national origin, and trade union membership. Madagascar ratified key ILO conventions on discrimination. In practice, enforcement capacity is limited. Complaints can be lodged with the Inspection du Travail (Ministère du Travail).
Contract red flags
- !No written contract — always insist on a written CDI or CDD; verbal arrangements leave you unprotected.
- !Contract written in Malagasy without a French translation — get it translated before signing.
- !Work permit (Permis de Travail) not arranged by employer — employer is responsible for obtaining it; working without one is illegal.
- !Probation period longer than 6 months (3 months for unskilled) — not permitted under the Code du Travail.
- !Salary paid in USD or EUR without a formal currency clause — creates exchange rate uncertainty; clarify whether salary is fixed or converted at a reference rate.
- !Social contributions (CNAPS 1% employee, OSTIE 1%) not deducted — employer should handle this; if not, you face contribution gaps.
- !No mention of IRSA withholding — employer must deduct IRSA monthly; if absent from contract or payslip, the employer may be non-compliant with DGI.
- !Fixed-term contract (CDD) renewed more than twice — after two renewals, the contract must become a permanent CDI under the Code du Travail.
- !Housing or transport allowances not documented — these may have IRSA implications and should be clearly itemised in the contract.
Employment Rights
Unlock the complete Employment Rights guide for Madagascar — including every detail, document, tip and link you need.
Become a SupporterSupport the guide on Ko-fi · Unlocks every premium section, everywhere