Labour is one of the economic factors necessary for the development of a country. Madagascar with its more than twenty-four million inhabitants, has a wide range of workers until now still partially exploited. With the influx of skilled expatriates and foreign investors, the labour market in Madagascar is experiencing significant growth. In recent years, the outsourcing sector of the Human Resources process has made it possible to boost the market by offering opportunities to young people. How is the recruitment process in Madagascar going?
Why recruit from abroad?
Skill transfer is one of the reasons why a company hires a foreign worker. Generally, foreign recruitment is done at the initiative of the employer. And according to the Malagasy Labor Code, all foreign workers are subject to an employment authorization before their arrival in the country. This employment authorization is also necessary for the visa application for Madagascar. This implies a mutual commitment between the employee and the employer as well as obligations towards the Malagasy authorities. Recruiting abroad thus requires a long process to follow.
What about local recruitment?
Regarding on-site recruitment, the procedures are more or less the same for a foreign worker who is already in the country of expatriation. Whether the expatriate worker is abroad or in the country, the employment authorization is always required for both the convertible visa application and the long-stay visa application. The difference lies in the travel requirements: an expatriate abroad only needs to make one trip to the country of expatriation, whereas a local worker must make one or two additional trips to validate his or her application for a convertible visa.
In relation to expatriation in Madagascar, the employee and the employer both share obligations.
The obligations of the expatriate employee
On the employee’s side, the preparation of the documents to obtain a long-stay visa, including the preparation of a convertible visa, as well as the respect of these commitments towards the employer are the main obligations of the expatriate worker. Indeed, the latter is obliged to provide the documents required by the competent authorities during his expatriation.
The main files to be provided by the worker:
- Information sheet on the expatriate’s education, professional training and work history,
- A declaration on honor, similar to a criminal record, in which the expatriate commits to respect the laws and good morals in Madagascar.
Employer’s obligations
The employer, as guarantor of the expatriate worker’s survival, must provide an employment contract approved by the Ministry of Public Service and Labor and Social Laws (MPSLSL) as well as an authorization from this Ministry. Consequently, the expatriate is obliged to provide all the documents and means necessary for the execution of the tasks entrusted to him.
The main files to be provided by the employer:
- Information sheet on the company’s shareholding, its activities, the situation of its workforce (professional categories, nationality, status of pending employment authorization files, etc.),
- Declaration on the honour which commits the employer to make known to the expatriate worker and to respect the Malagasy laws and customs.
In short, the above information is only an overview of the recruitment process of an expatriate employee in Madagascar. For a specialized assistance, you can contact us via the email address contact@madagascar-services.com