More and more companies located in Madagascar are opting to recruit foreign employees in order to promote professional exchanges. But before embarking on such a commitment, it is preferable for the recruiter or the worker to know the different procedures in order to regularize the situation of the expatriate in the Malagasy territory.
The worker visa is a long stay visa, granted to the expatriate worker. After having been granted a convertible visa, the interested party will have one (1) month to proceed with the first application for a worker visa.
HOW TO OBTAIN A WORKER VISA
The first step is to apply for an employment authorization from the EDBM (Economic Development Board of Madagascar). To do so, you must provide a motivated request addressed to the Minister of Public Service, Administration Reform, Labor and Social Laws, information sheets on the worker and the employer, and a photocopy of the company’s tax cards for companies employing less than twenty Malagasy workers. For free zones, a copy of the approval decree and two tables relating to the composition and evolution of the staff are additional documents.
After a careful study of the file of the interested party by the competent ministry, the employment authorization will be issued after approximately one month and tomorrow from the date of filing.
The second step is to apply to the Prefecture of Police for a certificate of registration of foreigners. The foreigners’ census certificate can be collected after three days. Only after these two steps can the applicant proceed with the first application for a worker visa.
The third step consists of submitting the first application for a worker visa to the long-stay visa service at the EDBM. The main files to be provided are a motivated request addressed to the Minister of Interior and Decentralization, an information notice with files related to the worker, a recent tax situation of the company and a photocopy of the employment authorization mentioned above.
Once the complete file has been submitted, the service in charge of the application will provide the worker with a receipt for the visa application. The latter can use this receipt when his convertible visa expires, while waiting for the worker visa. The period of time in the deposit receipt can be extended by simply presenting the document to the visa service.
Once you have obtained the receipt of deposit, you must wait a few days before starting the fourth step, which is to make an appointment for a character check. After passing the character check, an official at the EDBM may visit the company.
After that, you have to wait about a week for a photo and fingerprinting.
After these procedures, the Minister of Interior and Decentralization gives his approval (favorable opinion) or expresses his disagreement with the granting of the long-stay visa (unfavorable opinion) by a notification letter.
Following a favorable opinion, the interested party will be required to pay the fees for the residence visa and the fees for the issuance of resident cards at a primary bank, upon presentation of the notification letter.
VALIDITY OF A WORKER VISA AND RENEWAL PROCEDURES
Generally, the duration of a first application for a worker visa is one (1) to two (2) years. Thereafter, the visa can be renewed according to the request of the interested party.
In case of renewal, almost the same documents must be provided as for the first application, except for the convertible visa which will be replaced by the valid worker visa. In fact, the renewal must be done three months before its expiration.
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VALIDITY OF A WORKER VISA AND RENEWAL PROCEDURES
Generally, the duration of a first application for a worker visa is one (1) to two (2) years. Thereafter, the visa can be renewed according to the request of the interested party.
In case of renewal, almost the same documents must be provided as for the first application, except for the convertible visa which will be replaced by the valid worker visa. In fact, the renewal must be done three months before its expiration.
FEES RELATED TO THE APPLICATION FOR A WORKER VISA
To have an idea of the associated costs, here are the different fees to pay to obtain a worker visa in Madagascar:
For the application of the employment authorization: 100 Euros, payable at the front office of EDBM
For the application for a certificate of registration of foreigners: 20.000Ar, payable to the Prefecture of Police
For the application for a long stay visa and the resident card:
To lighten the administrative procedures related to the application for a worker visa, come and entrust your file to MDG Services. For more information, or for any other request (accompaniment, estimate, …), write to us via our website or directly by mail: contact@madagascar-services.com .