Madagascar country code +261 — call Madagascar & get a number.
Reaching the world's fourth-largest island takes the right +261 string. Here's how to dial Madagascar cleanly from the US, UK, France and South Africa, the fixed-line and mobile codes that span Antananarivo to the coast, live time and weather — and how businesses secure a Madagascar virtual number with MCM.
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Madagascar at a glance
The numbers and facts you need before you dial.
What is the country code for Madagascar?
+261 is the gateway to Madagascar — slot it in after your exit code to ring any Malagasy line, fixed or mobile. What follows is distinctive: a 2-digit operator code carries the routing, with 20 reserved for the fixed network and 32, 33, 34, 37 and 38 split across the mobile carriers. A trunk 0 leads the number at home, but it's local-only baggage — leave it off when you dial in from abroad.
Code +261 was assigned to Madagascar by the ITU under the E.164 plan. The “+” means “dial your local international exit code”; on a mobile, press and hold 0 to type it.
All four mean the same thing — they connect your call to Madagascar.
How to call Madagascar from anywhere
Line them up in order: your exit code, then 261, then the national number with its leading 0 removed. That sequence carries the call across the Mozambique Channel to any handset on the island.
Full example: +261 22 XXX XXXX — drop the local leading 0 when calling from abroad.
Madagascar phone number format explained
Every Malagasy number opens on a 2-digit operator code rather than a city code. Fixed lines run 20, then a single zone digit, then the local number — that zone digit is what pins the call to a region. Mobiles drop the geography and lead with their carrier's 2-digit code (32, 33, 34, 37 or 38) ahead of a 7-digit subscriber number.
Landline
Inside Madagascar: 0 + area code + subscriber. International: +261 + area code + subscriber
Mobile
Inside Madagascar: 0 + prefix + subscriber. International: +261 + prefix + subscriber
Madagascar area codes — major cities
Drop the local leading 0 when calling from abroad.
| City | Region | Area code |
|---|---|---|
| Antananarivo | Analamanga | 22 |
| Antsirabe | Vakinankaratra | 44 |
| Toamasina | Atsinanana | 53 |
| Ambatondrazaka | Alaotra-Mangoro | 54 |
| Moramanga | Alaotra-Mangoro | 56 |
| Mahajanga | Boeny | 62 |
| Antsohihy | Sofia | 67 |
| Fianarantsoa | Haute Matsiatra | 75 |
| Farafangana | Atsimo-Atsinanana | 73 |
| Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) | Diana | 82 |
| Toliara (Tulear) | Atsimo-Andrefana | 94 |
| Fort Dauphin | Anosy | 92 |
Madagascar mobile network prefixes
The prefix after +261 tells you which network issued the SIM — though number portability means it no longer guarantees the operator.
Orange Madagascar
32 (also 37).
Airtel Madagascar
33.
Telma Mobile
34 (also 38). Telma is generally considered to have the widest coverage, including rural areas.
Madagascar time zone
Though it sits in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar keeps East Africa Time, UTC+3, all year — no daylight saving, so the gap to your clock stays put. That puts the island three hours ahead of London and a full working day ahead of the Americas.
From the US East Coast, dial late afternoon (15:00–18:00 ET) to catch the Malagasy evening. From Europe, a mid-morning-to-afternoon swing (09:00–15:00 CET) sits comfortably inside the island's working day.
Emergency numbers in Madagascar
Free to call from any Madagascar phone, landline or mobile.
Common mistakes when calling Madagascar
Almost every failed international call is a formatting issue, not a network issue.
Reading "20" as a city code
it isn't. 20 is the fixed-network operator code; the digit that actually marks the region (2 for Antananarivo) comes right after it. Mistake the structure and you'll mangle every landline.
Leaving the trunk 0 in
dial +261 32…, never +261 032….
Dropping the operator code
every Malagasy number opens on one (20 for fixed, 32/33/34/37/38 for mobile).
Forgetting Telma's split
Telma rides both 34 and its newer 38 range, so don't assume one or the other.
Doing daylight-saving math
Madagascar holds at UTC+3 the whole year.
Tips to reduce the cost of calling Madagascar
Trade carrier IDD rates for VoIP or a virtual number.
Reach for the fixed network (20…) when you can
it usually terminates cheaper than mobile.
Group your calls inside the Malagasy working day so fewer go unanswered.
Handling inbound from the island? A local Madagascar DID lets contacts reach you at in-country rates.
Why businesses get a Madagascar virtual number
On an island this size, a +261 number says you're genuinely reachable — from the highland capital of Antananarivo out to the coastal ports.
Calls get picked up
Calls get picked up — a familiar +261 line beats an unknown foreign number for answer rates.
Trust on sight
Trust on sight — that Malagasy caller ID reads as a real local business.
Local-rate inbound
Local-rate inbound — customers ring a domestic number and pay domestic prices.
One routing hub
One routing hub — pull every Madagascar call through to wherever your team sits.
Enter without an office
Enter without an office — cover the island before you ever rent premises on it.
Genuine PSTN
Genuine PSTN — a real in-country line, not a forwarding relay.
Madagascar virtual numbers with My Country Mobile
Carrier-grade Malagasy DIDs that hold a clean line from the capital to the coast.
Local DIDs in major area codes — provisioned in minutes
Call forwarding to any mobile, landline, SIP endpoint, or softphone worldwide
HD voice with G.711, G.729, Opus & AMR-WB — auto-negotiated per call
Sub-150ms latency on major voice corridors via distributed PoPs
99.99% uptime SLA backed by geo-redundant infrastructure & sub-2s failover
WebRTC support for browser-based calling without softphone installs
REST APIs for provisioning, routing & call detail records (CDRs)
Built-in fraud protection with AI anomaly detection & STIR/SHAKEN
24/7 network monitoring and dedicated support
How to get your Madagascar virtual number
Most businesses are live within hours, not days.
Choose a number — an Antananarivo or nationwide +261 DID.
Pass KYC — quick verification brings it online.
Direct the calls — forward to SIP, a mobile, or your call center.
Take Madagascar — inbound starts arriving within minutes.
Other country dialing guides
More country codes worth bookmarking.
Get a Madagascar virtual number with MCM
Kick off a free trial and pick up your +261 number today — or compare the plans first.
Madagascar +261 — FAQ
Why does a Madagascar number start with an operator code, not an area code?expand_more
The plan is built around carriers: 20 routes the fixed network, and 32/33/34/37/38 each belong to a mobile operator. The geographic zone digit only appears after 20 on landlines.
How do I dial a landline in Antananarivo from abroad?expand_more
Use +261 20 22 followed by the local number — 20 is the fixed code, 2 is the highland-capital zone, 22 the city.
Which mobile prefixes map to which network?expand_more
32 (and 37) is Orange, 33 is Airtel, and 34 plus 38 are Telma.
Why does Telma have two prefixes?expand_more
Demand outgrew the original 34 block, so Telma added the newer 38 range — both are live.
Do I drop the 0 when calling in from overseas?expand_more
Yes — the trunk 0 is purely domestic; replace it with +261.
Which network reaches the remote parts of the island?expand_more
Telma is generally credited with the broadest footprint, including rural areas off the main routes.
Does Madagascar shift its clocks for summer?expand_more
No — it stays on EAT (UTC+3) all year, despite its Indian Ocean position.
Can I hold a +261 number without being on the island?expand_more
Yes — MCM issues local Madagascar DIDs that route to wherever you operate.