Residency in Madagascar through investment (company creation)

Last activity 04 February 2017 by TropicAlex

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FullOttoMember04 February 2017 08:11:33

Hello everybody,

this thread is designated to share experiences and information with your fellow expats about the long and arduous journey of company creation (and eventually residency) here in Madagascar. I am not a resident yet, but at least I have come quite far from where I began.
Let me start by sharing my own story!

I started with the procedure at EDBM (Economic Development Board of Madagascar) in september of 2016 to formalize our business here and give myself a way to obtain residency, as I was always struggling with renewing my visa courtoisie every few months or so. I am not a resident yet, but at least I have come quite far from where I started in september.

The first thing you must do to create a company in Madagascar is to open the webpage for EDBM.
They have all the papers you need listed there in a somewhat understandable English.
The link is here:

http://www.edbm.gov.mg/One-Stop-Shop/Company-creation

The documents which include a star * can be downloaded at the EDBM page. The rest are for you to procure through various government offices, banks etc.

One day I will write a comprehensive guide on how to obtain all of the documents, in order to make it easier for my fellow English speaking expats, but for now, if anyone out there are going through these procedures, feel free to ask any questions here.

When you obtain and hand in all of these documents, (which is easier said than done!) your company is actually created. Now all you have to do is go to the local fiscal office (in the commune where your company headquarter resides) and register yourself for tax purposes.

The next step is obtaining the resident card. In order to apply for a resident card, you must have a transformable visa in your passport. A tourist visa or a visa courtoisie is not a transformable visa.

If your country has an Embassy of Madagascar, or a consulate, you must return to your country to apply for a transformable visa. Then you must return to the office and hand in all the company papers that you were given and apply for your resident card with your new transformable visa.

If your country has no Embassy of Madagascar, or a consulate, you must apply for a 72-hour entry visa, for the purpose of obtaining a convertible visa. The steps to obtaining a 72-hour entry visa can be found here:

http://www.edbm.gov.mg/One-Stop-Shop/72 … tible-visa

With this paper in your suitcase, you must leave Madagascar (It doesn't matter where you go), and then come back again. Now you must present this paper in the airport, and it will be stamped with a 72-hour entry visa. With this visa you must head directly to EDBM. (Hurry up, your visa expires in 72 hours.) and there they will convert the 72 hour visa into a transformable visa. Now you can apply for your resident card!

It all sounds pretty easy and straightforward, right? Don't worry, it's not.
Currently I am on the way to leave Madagascar. I will come back again, and in theory I should then be able to obtain my residency (That is, if they accept my Emergency Passport. Note to self: it is a bad idea to have your passport stolen out of your car in Analakely).

I will provide more details about these procedures later, when I obtain the resident card.
For now, thank you for letting me share my experiences and clear my head a little bit.

Hang in there, everybody

Thomas

TropicAlexBanned04 February 2017 14:17:37

1696

This is great first class information that you are sharing.

I look forward to your updates and progress from tourist to resident now that you have been here for one year.

Also if you could give more details of the business you are wanting to start here in Madagascar, as each business has its own problems from opening a bar/restaurant to an import/ export business.

The ability that you can decipher the rules is a mind boggle in the area that defies logic.
If you are able to explain the money, dark money would be helpful as well as
I had no experience of how to handle corruption money, extortion, and bribes until I came to live in Madagascar.
There was one woman from Germany on this ex pat site that has a solar business and the tax people were so ruthless to take her money and profit that after ten years living here in Mahajanga she left the country to try her business in Nicaragua. She is still on the ex pat site but in Nicaragua forum. Ask her about the downside of business opportunities and how to protect yourself.

Thank you