Visa and Money

Hello,

Has anyone any any experience with Chase ATM (debit card) visa fees while in Madagascar, as to how much they charge for using Madagascar ATMS? Also, has anyone just Western Unioned themselves money and went to a BVF or BNI to pick it up?

With regard to the visa at the airport, any idea as to what is the general wait time from the plane to obtaining the visa?

Thanks!

ATM - it's your bank that collects the fee, not Malgasy - ask your bank what is their fee for withdrawals overseas
visa - depends, I disembarked slowly and was on the end of queue, took about an hour

Quite right. Madagascar banks don't raise charges for owners of overseas cards using their ATMs. Chase charges 3 dollars per transaction outside the US, so go to BNI machines if you can - they give you the most money per single transaction: 385 000 ariary in September this year. Most other banks limit you to 200 000 or 250 000.

The visa officials at Tana airport are efficient and relatively fast in handling each individual, but if you come in on a full wide-bodied jet and you're among the last off the plane, you're going to be waiting a good long time, as #1 said.

So either you get your visa at the embassy before leaving or when you check in you get seats as close as possible to the front on the left hand side and get out into the aisle the minute the aircraft stops...

Efa nitpreka tany Madagasikara aho, fa misoatra landerson. I already lived there for two years as a NGO worker and I taught in the schools, spoke the language. Now I am returning to visit family and friends as a tourist and just had questions about the best methods for the visa and money as when I lived there I never used foreign currency, only Ariary. Thank you all for your help and advice.