Shipping from Dubai
to Madagascar.
We ship from Dubai and from anywhere in the UAE to Madagascar by sea and by air. We carry business and personal cargo. Most cargo lands at Toamasina on the east coast, and most of it is going to Antananarivo up in the highlands. That road leg is a real journey, not a delivery detail, so we price it separately and tell you honestly what it costs.
Overview
Sea and air freight
to Madagascar.
Shipping from Dubai to Madagascar takes about 16 to 30 days by sea to Toamasina, and 3 to 8 days by air into Antananarivo. Toamasina handles most of the country's containers, and Mahajanga on the northwest coast serves its own region. The thing to plan for is that Antananarivo is several hundred kilometres inland from Toamasina through the highlands, so the road leg carries real cost and real weather risk. Air lands you straight in the capital and skips it. We deliver everywhere, including Antananarivo, Toamasina, Mahajanga, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Toliara and Diego Suarez. Navo Shipping handles the sea freight, air freight and customs clearance on the Dubai to Madagascar route, door to door. Tell us the delivery city and we will price both stages.
Ports and gateways
Sea ports and airports
we ship to from Dubai.
Every bill of lading carries two ports: where the cargo loads, and where it discharges. We load at Jebel Ali or another UAE port. Madagascar has five sea ports we use and three airports. They suit different cargo and different inland legs, so the loading port and the discharge port are worth choosing separately.
POLPort of loading
We collect anywhere in the UAE, free zones included, and load at whichever of these eight suits the cargo.
- Jebel AliAEJEA
- Port RashidAEPRA
- Khalifa PortAEKHL
- Zayed PortAEAUH
- Port KhalidAESHJ
- Khor FakkanAEKLF
- Port of FujairahAEFJR
- Ajman PortAEAJM
PODPort of discharge
The right one is whichever leaves the shortest inland leg to your delivery address. On a long lane that leg is a shipment in its own right, so it is planned rather than assumed.
- ToamasinaSea port · Indian OceanAntananarivo and the great majority of the country’s container traffic
How cargo reaches Toamasina
Shipping from Dubai to Toamasina can use a confirmed suitable vessel booking, normally relayed through an Indian Ocean hub rather than sailed direct. It handles most of the country's containers, and times vary from ship to ship, so we confirm the days when we quote. Mahajanga is the alternative for the northwest. The quote separates ocean freight, transshipment, carrier surcharges, terminal handling, customs and final delivery charges. Get a rate for Toamasina - MahajangaSea port · Mozambique ChannelThe northwest region
How cargo reaches Mahajanga
Shipping from Dubai to Mahajanga requires confirmed vessel acceptance and local handling, and usually arrives on a feeder from an Indian Ocean hub rather than a main line call. Times vary from ship to ship, so we confirm the days when we quote. Toamasina is the main alternative for routine containers. The quote separates ocean freight, feeder or inducement charges, terminal handling, customs, equipment and delivery. Get a rate for Mahajanga - Ehoala (Fort Dauphin)Sea port · Indian OceanThe far south, and mining traffic
How cargo reaches Ehoala (Fort Dauphin)
Shipping from Dubai to Ehoala requires confirmed vessel acceptance and local handling, and may use feeder or project cargo arrangements rather than a regular container call. Times vary from ship to ship, so we confirm the days when we quote. Toamasina is the main alternative for routine containers into the island. The quote separates ocean freight, feeder or inducement charges, terminal handling, customs, equipment and delivery. Get a rate for Ehoala (Fort Dauphin) - Diego Suarez (Antsiranana)Sea port · Indian OceanThe far north
How cargo reaches Diego Suarez (Antsiranana)
Shipping from Dubai to Diego Suarez requires confirmed vessel acceptance and local handling, and may use feeder or project cargo arrangements rather than a regular container call. Times vary from ship to ship, so we confirm the days when we quote. Toamasina is the main alternative, with road onward to the far north. The quote separates ocean freight, feeder or inducement charges, terminal handling, customs, equipment and delivery. Get a rate for Diego Suarez (Antsiranana) - ToliaraSea port · Mozambique ChannelThe southwest coast
How cargo reaches Toliara
Shipping from Dubai to Toliara requires confirmed vessel acceptance and local handling, and may use feeder or project cargo arrangements rather than a regular container call. Times vary from ship to ship, so we confirm the days when we quote. Toamasina is the main alternative, with road onward to the southwest. The quote separates ocean freight, feeder or inducement charges, terminal handling, customs, equipment and delivery. Get a rate for Toliara - Ivato International, AntananarivoTNRAirportAntananarivo, Antsirabe and the highlands. The main air gateway
How cargo reaches Ivato International, Antananarivo
Air freight from Dubai to Ivato International can use accepted connecting capacity, with any direct uplift confirmed live, subject to commodity, space, screening and local cargo handling approval. Times vary from flight to flight, so we confirm the days when we quote. Toamasina by sea is the alternative when volume matters more than speed. The quote separates uplift, connection, screening, terminal, customs and final delivery charges. Get a rate for Ivato International, Antananarivo - Nosy Be FasceneAirportThe northwest and the island resorts
How cargo reaches Nosy Be Fascene
Air freight from Dubai to Nosy Be Fascene can use accepted connecting capacity, with any direct uplift confirmed live, subject to commodity, space, screening and local cargo handling approval. Hold capacity on island services is small, so we confirm the days when we quote. Ivato International is the alternative for larger consignments. The quote separates uplift, connection, screening, terminal, customs and final delivery charges. Get a rate for Nosy Be Fascene - ToamasinaAirportThe east coast, alongside the port
How cargo reaches Toamasina
Air freight from Dubai to Toamasina airport can use accepted connecting capacity through Antananarivo, subject to commodity, space, screening and local cargo handling approval. Times vary from flight to flight, so we confirm the days when we quote. Ivato International is the alternative, with road onward to the coast. The quote separates uplift, connection, screening, terminal, customs and final delivery charges. Get a rate for Toamasina
- ToamasinaSea port · Indian OceanAntananarivo and the great majority of the country’s container traffic
Before you ship
Import rules
for Madagascar.
Madagascar is more modern than its reputation suggests. Customs runs on a national electronic system, and at Toamasina the system talks directly to the container terminal, so cargo that is cleared is flagged for collection automatically. That means a well prepared declaration moves faster than a persistent agent does. Import licences apply to specific categories rather than across the board: arms, explosives, precious stones, gold and platinum jewellery, vanilla and lubricants, with special rules for leaf tobacco. Vanilla surprises people, since it is controlled coming in as well as going out. Outside those categories, ordinary goods face no certificate to obtain in Dubai at all.
Documentation
Documents you need
for Madagascar.
These 7 cover most shipments to Madagascar. The exact list depends on the commodity and its HS code, so send us both and we confirm what applies before the cargo is booked.
- 01Invoice showing what you paid for the goods
- 02Packing list showing what is inside
- 03Certificate of origin showing where the goods were made
- 04Bill of lading or air waybill, which is the shipping ticket
- 05Dubai export paper, which we do for you
- 06Import licence, if your product is in a licensed category
- 07Your buyer customs registration
Get the paperwork right in Dubai and clearance at destination is routine. Fixing a document after arrival is slow, and storage accrues the whole time it takes.
How it works
Dubai to Madagascar
shipping, step by step.
Send the cargo details: what it is, where it is going, rough weight and dimensions. We come back with the routes that suit it, sea against air, and a written rate with a validity date on it. You pick one, we book it, and one coordinator stays with the shipment until it is delivered in Madagascar.
- 01
Tell us the delivery city
Antananarivo, Toamasina or elsewhere. The highland road leg is significant, so this changes the price.
- 02
We check the licence position
We check your product against the licensed categories. For most goods this comes back clear straight away.
- 03
We price both stages and ship
The sea leg and the inland leg separately, then collect, load and clear.
- 04
We deliver
We track the shipment and keep you updated all the way, then bring the goods to your door.
Questions
Cargo to Madagascar
questions, answered.
The 14 we are asked most on the Dubai to Madagascar route. If yours is not here, send it with the commodity and we will answer it directly.
How long does shipping from Dubai to Madagascar take?
About 16 to 30 days by sea to Toamasina, usually with a change of ship on the way, and 3 to 8 days by air into Antananarivo. The road leg up to the capital sits on top of the sea figure and we quote it separately.
How much does shipping from Dubai to Madagascar cost?
It depends on what you send, how big it is, and where in Madagascar it is going. We do not publish prices because every shipment is different. Sea freight to Madagascar is priced per container when you fill one, and per cubic metre when you share one. Air freight to Madagascar is priced on weight or size, whichever is greater. Send us the details and we send you a price in writing, usually the same day.
Why does the inland leg matter so much?
Because Toamasina is on the coast and Antananarivo is several hundred kilometres inland through the highlands. It is a real journey with real cost, and it is affected by weather in cyclone season. A port to port quote has covered less of the trip than it looks.
Which cities do you deliver to?
Antananarivo, Toamasina, Mahajanga, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Toliara, Diego Suarez and elsewhere. Madagascar is a big island, so we quote inland legs as their own stage.
Does my product need an import licence?
Only for specific categories: arms, explosives, precious stones, gold and platinum jewellery, vanilla and lubricants, with special rules for leaf tobacco. Vanilla surprises people because it is controlled coming in as well as going out. Most goods need nothing.
Is there a certificate to arrange in Dubai?
No. Unlike the West African routes there is no conformity certificate programme here. Ordinary commercial goods face no origin side certificate at all, which makes this an easier route than its neighbours in that respect.
Is air freight worth it to Madagascar?
More often than the rates suggest, because air lands at Antananarivo itself and removes the whole highland road leg rather than just shortening the journey. For valuable or time sensitive cargo going to the capital, that changes the sums.
Do you deliver door to door?
Yes. We handle freight forwarding to Madagascar door to door. We collect the goods in Dubai, move them, clear them through customs, and bring them to your address. You deal with one company for the whole journey.
Can I send a small shipment, or do I need a full container?
You can send as little as one box or one pallet. We put small shipments from different customers into one shared container. This is called LCL, or less than container load. Your goods load at Jebel Ali and come into Toamasina. When you have more goods, you move up to your own full container, which is called FCL. We will tell you which one is cheaper.
Does cyclone season affect shipping?
Yes, on both stages. It can disrupt the coast and the port, and it affects the inland roads too. We quote ranges wide enough to be honest about that rather than giving you a flattering number that will not hold.
Should my cargo go to Toamasina or Mahajanga?
Toamasina for almost everything, because it handles most of the containers and has far better sailings. Mahajanga is genuinely closer for its own region but very thinly served, so it costs schedule time.
Do you handle customs clearance in Madagascar?
Yes, at both ends. We handle customs clearance in Dubai and customs clearance in Madagascar. You do not need to find your own clearing agent.
Can you collect the goods from my supplier in Dubai?
Yes. We collect anywhere in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE. We can also hold your goods in warehousing and storage in Dubai until you are ready to ship. That helps when you are buying from several suppliers and want everything to travel to Toamasina in one container.
Can you ship machinery and heavy equipment to Madagascar?
Yes. We move project cargo to Madagascar as well. Big, heavy items go in open top or flat rack containers, or loose on the ship into Toamasina. Send us the size and weight and we will work out the best way to move it.
Ready to ship from Dubai
to Madagascar?
Send the commodity and its HS code, the weight and dimensions, and the delivery address. We confirm what Madagascar checks before you ship, then the routing options, then a written rate with a validity date on it.
- Written rates
- One coordinator
- Customs handled in house
- UAE-wide collection
