Madagascar Health Rules 2026: Vaccines for Danish Travellers

Quick answer: Madagascar does not recommend yellow fever vaccination for travel because there is no reported yellow fever transmission risk in the country, but it requires proof of vaccination for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk, including a qualifying airport transit. The CDC states that yellow fever vaccination is not required for direct travel from the United States; for Danish travellers, confirm the position for the complete route, especially if the itinerary connects through a risk country.

Danish citizens should ensure routine vaccinations are current and discuss hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies and malaria prevention according to their itinerary, activities and medical history. Arrange a travel-health appointment preferably 6 weeks before departure, although advice can still be useful closer to the trip.

Verification note: Last checked August 2026 — always confirm with official sources before travelling.

Vaccines for Madagascar: required versus recommended

Vaccine or health measure	Position for Danish travellers	What to do
Yellow fever	Conditional entry requirement; not routinely recommended for Madagascar itself	Carry an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) if arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country or after the specified transit.
Routine vaccines	Recommended for all travellers according to their vaccination history	Check protection against measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, influenza and other routine diseases with a clinician.
Hepatitis A	Recommended for most travellers	Discuss vaccination with a travel-health professional, particularly if you are not already protected.
Typhoid	Recommended for most travellers, especially for rural travel, smaller cities or visits to friends and relatives	Ask whether vaccination suits your food-and-water exposure and itinerary.
Rabies	Consider for travellers with increased animal exposure or limited access to prompt post-exposure care	Discuss pre-exposure vaccination before departure if you will handle animals, explore caves or travel remotely.

This table separates an entry document from a health recommendation. A yellow fever certificate can be required for border entry even though the vaccine is not recommended for protection against yellow fever in Madagascar itself.

For trip planning, your route and activities matter as much as the destination country. Travellers can compare safari packages on SafariFind, then take the proposed route—including remote parks, rural stays and domestic connections—to a travel-health appointment. Madagascar’s wildlife and rural travel can involve more animal and mosquito exposure than an urban itinerary; see the guide to Madagascar safari animals to see on a 2026 wildlife trip when assessing activities that may affect your rabies and mosquito-prevention discussion.

Yellow fever certificate rules for travellers from Denmark

Madagascar has no yellow fever transmission risk listed in the supplied country guidance, and the CDC says yellow fever vaccination is not recommended for travel to Madagascar. The certificate rule is administrative: Madagascar requires proof from travellers aged 9 months or older who arrive from a country with risk of yellow fever virus transmission.

A Danish traveller flying directly from Denmark should not assume that a certificate is needed solely because the destination is Madagascar. The supplied CDC rule explicitly says vaccination is not required for direct travel from the United States, while the country guidance confirms the risk-country and transit conditions. Because the rule is based on the itinerary rather than nationality, confirm a direct Denmark-to-Madagascar route and every connection with the official Malagasy authority or an official health authority before departure.

Transit through a yellow-fever-risk country

The certificate requirement can apply when a traveller has a transit or layover of more than 12 hours in an airport located in a country with yellow fever transmission risk. The CDC advises considering the full itinerary, including transfers that may involve leaving the airport transit area or passing through immigration during a long layover.

Do not rely only on the airline’s country-of-origin field. Check each airport connection and whether the itinerary includes a risk country. The supplied Danish entry guidance lists examples of yellow-fever-risk countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda; the list should be checked against the current official country list because health-entry classifications can change.

What document proves vaccination?

The recognised document is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, commonly called the yellow card. The CDC says travellers must comply with entry rules by showing an ICVP containing evidence of vaccination or a medical waiver where applicable.

Under the International Health Regulations, a completed yellow fever certificate is valid for the vaccinated person’s lifetime; a booster or revaccination cannot be required merely because more than 10 years have passed. Keep the original certificate with your passport and confirm that your vaccination record is correctly completed before travel.

If a clinician considers yellow fever vaccination medically contraindicated, ask about a medical waiver. A waiver may not be accepted by every border authority, so confirm its acceptability for the exact route before relying on it.

Recommended vaccinations and timing

Book a travel-health consultation preferably 6 weeks before departure. This allows time to review your Danish vaccination record, receive any indicated doses, discuss malaria medication and plan for remote travel. Even if departure is sooner, the Canadian government advises that an appointment can still be worthwhile.

Routine vaccinations

Routine protection should be checked before any international trip. The supplied government guidance identifies measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, meningococcal disease and seasonal influenza among vaccines that may need review, alongside other routine immunisations appropriate to the traveller.

Ask the clinician to assess your age, previous doses, pregnancy status, immune status and underlying conditions. Do not treat a destination list as a personal vaccination schedule: the correct recommendation depends on your medical record and the trip.

Hepatitis A and typhoid

Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for most travellers to Madagascar in the supplied travel-health guidance, particularly when travellers may be exposed to contaminated food or water. Typhoid vaccination is recommended for most travellers by the CDC, with particular emphasis on people staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas.

Food and water precautions remain important even after vaccination. Ask your clinician which vaccines are appropriate for the length and style of your trip, including lodge stays, village visits, camping and time away from established medical facilities.

Rabies

Rabies is present in Madagascar and is carried by dogs and some wildlife, including bats. It spreads through the saliva of infected animals, mainly through bites but also through scratches, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

Pre-exposure vaccination is worth discussing if you are a child, wildlife worker, veterinarian, adventure traveller, cave explorer or anyone likely to be in close contact with animals. It may also be relevant when prompt access to safe post-exposure treatment could be difficult. Avoid touching animals, keep children supervised and seek urgent medical care after any bite or scratch, even if you have had pre-exposure vaccination.

Malaria in Madagascar: risk areas and prevention

Malaria prevention should be planned for the itinerary, not just the arrival city. The supplied travel-health information reports malaria in all regions of Madagascar except Antananarivo and advises travellers to discuss antimalarial medication with a health professional.

A clinician can match prevention to your destinations, season, length of stay, other medicines and medical history. The supplied guidance identifies atovaquone, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as options discussed for the region, but it does not establish that every medicine is suitable for every traveller. Do not start, stop or select an antimalarial without professional advice.

Medication does not replace mosquito-bite prevention. Use repellent, wear clothing that reduces exposed skin and follow clinical advice about accommodation, screens and mosquito nets. Mosquito protection is relevant even when taking antimalarial medicine because mosquitoes can transmit other infections as well.

Plan extra care for rural camps, coastal areas, forest visits and remote safari routes, where access to diagnosis or treatment may be less convenient than in the capital. Your travel-health consultation should include the exact locations and overnight stops rather than only “Madagascar” as the destination.

Seasonality can affect your packing and itinerary decisions. Read the best time for a Madagascar safari in 2026, month by month, then ask a clinician whether the planned season changes mosquito, heat, dehydration or other health precautions for your route.

Health documents and travel insurance

Carry your vaccination record and, if your route triggers the entry rule, the original ICVP. Keep copies or secure digital photographs separately from the originals, while recognising that border officials may require the physical certificate. The ICVP is the document used to show yellow fever vaccination or a medical waiver.

Travel insurance should cover medical treatment, emergency assistance and evacuation appropriate to a remote safari itinerary. Check exclusions for pre-existing conditions, adventure activities, wildlife encounters and missed connections. The supplied guidance notes that comprehensive medical facilities are concentrated in major population centres and selected private clinics, so evacuation limits and assistance procedures deserve particular attention.

Carry a written list of diagnoses, allergies, medicines and emergency contacts. If you have a chronic condition, obtain a clinician’s travel plan and bring enough prescribed medicine for the trip, subject to the rules of the countries on your route.

Entry paperwork is separate from health paperwork. Danish citizens should also check the current visa process and arrival conditions in the Madagascar visa guide for Danish citizens in 2026. Visa approval does not replace a yellow fever certificate when the health-entry condition applies.

Medication rules and what to pack

• Keep prescription medicines in their original labelled packaging and carry the prescription or a clinician’s letter, especially for controlled or injectable medicines.
• Pack a small first-aid kit, insect repellent and any mosquito-net or clothing items recommended for your accommodation and route. The supplied travel-health guidance recommends an advanced first-aid kit and repellent containing DEET, citriodiol or picaridin.
• Bring oral rehydration supplies and ask a clinician or pharmacist about an appropriate traveller’s-diarrhoea plan. Do not self-treat severe illness, blood in stools, persistent vomiting or dehydration without medical advice.
• Pack sunscreen, a hat, suitable walking shoes and enough personal supplies for delays between medical facilities. These are practical precautions, not substitutes for medical consultation.
• Check medicine import rules with the relevant official authorities for Madagascar and every transit country before packing. The supplied research does not establish a single Madagascar-wide list of permitted medicines or a universal quantity limit, so confirm the current position rather than relying on an online generalisation.

Keep medicines in hand luggage where possible, protect temperature-sensitive products as instructed by a pharmacist and do not place essential medicine only in checked baggage. A travel-health professional can tailor the kit to pregnancy, allergies, diabetes, asthma, immune suppression and other conditions.

Health facilities and emergencies in Madagascar

Medical facilities are not equally distributed across Madagascar. The supplied travel-health advice states that comprehensive facilities are available only in major population centres and specific private clinics, and that sterile surgical products may not always be available.

Before leaving Denmark, save your insurer’s 24-hour assistance number, identify the nearest suitable facility for each major stop and ask your safari operator how medical evacuation is coordinated. Tell your insurer promptly about serious illness, injury, animal bites and any evacuation recommendation.

After a bite or scratch, wash the wound immediately with soap and running water and obtain urgent medical assessment for rabies post-exposure care. This advice is especially important because rabies is present in Madagascar and can be fatal after symptoms begin.

Seek medical help urgently for fever during or after travel, particularly if you have visited a malaria-risk area. Tell the clinician where you travelled, when you returned, your mosquito exposure and any antimalarial medicine taken. A fever after travel should not be dismissed as ordinary flu.

Health requirements can change independently of safari permits, flights and visas. Recheck Madagascar’s official entry information, your airline’s documentation requirements and current Danish travel-health advice shortly before departure, and carry evidence of any required vaccination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Danish citizens need a yellow fever vaccine for Madagascar?

Not usually when travelling directly from Denmark, but Madagascar requires a yellow fever certificate for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country or after a qualifying transit. Confirm the complete itinerary with official sources before departure.

Does a layover count for Madagascar’s yellow fever rule?

Yes, a transit of more than 12 hours through an airport in a yellow-fever-risk country can trigger the certificate requirement. Check every connection, including whether you must pass through immigration during a long layover.

How long is a yellow fever certificate valid for Madagascar?

A completed International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis is valid for the life of the vaccinated person under the International Health Regulations. A booster cannot be required merely because more than 10 years have passed.

Which vaccines are recommended for a Madagascar safari?

Routine vaccines should be current, while hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended for travellers; rabies may be appropriate for people with animal exposure or limited access to post-exposure care. Discuss your exact safari route with a travel-health professional.

Is malaria present in Madagascar?

The supplied travel-health guidance reports malaria in all regions except Antananarivo. Discuss antimalarial medication and mosquito-bite prevention for your specific itinerary.

How early should Danish travellers arrange travel vaccinations?

Arrange a travel-health appointment preferably 6 weeks before departure. Even when departure is sooner, an appointment can still help review vaccines, malaria prevention and your medical history.

Is rabies vaccination recommended for Madagascar?

It can be recommended for travellers at increased risk, including wildlife workers, children, adventure travellers, cave explorers and people in close contact with animals. Rabies is present in Madagascar, so avoid animals and seek urgent care after a bite or scratch.

What health documents should I take to Madagascar?

Take your vaccination record and, when your itinerary triggers the rule, the original International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Also carry medicine details, prescriptions and travel-insurance assistance information.

Do Danish citizens need a visa for Madagascar?

Visa requirements are separate from vaccination rules and can change, so check the current process for Danish passport holders before travel. SafariFind’s guide to the Madagascar visa for Danish citizens in 2026 covers the visa question separately.

Are medical facilities widely available in Madagascar?

Comprehensive medical facilities are concentrated in major population centres and selected private clinics, while sterile medical supplies may not always be available. Choose insurance with appropriate emergency assistance and evacuation cover for a remote safari route.