+261 is the country code for Madagascar
+261 explained
The Madagascar country code, 261, is what you dial before a Madagascar number when you call from abroad. It is also known as the Madagascar dialing code, Madagascar calling code, or Madagascar phone code. In the Madagascar phone number format, +261 comes first, then the area code, such as 2022 for Antananarivo, then the local number.
- Country code
- +261
- The 00261 country code is the same number
- ISO country codes
- MG, MDG
- Use the MG country code or the MDG country code on forms and passports. To call Madagascar, dial +261
- Used in
- Madagascar
- No other country or territory dials +261
- Exit code
- 00
- From most countries. Also 011 from United States and Canada, 0011 from Australia, and + from any mobile
- Trunk prefix
- 0
- Drop it after +261
- Number length
- 9 digits
- After +261
- Time now in Madagascar
- Madagascar mobile number format
- 032 12 345 67
- From abroad: +261 32 12 345 67
- Madagascar landline number format
- 020 22 234 56
- From abroad: +261 20 22 234 56
+261 area codes of main cities
Each +261 area code below is in the form you dial from abroad: +261, then the city code, then the local number. Inside Madagascar, callers leave out +261 and put 0 in front of the city code. So Antananarivo is +261 2022 from abroad and 2022 at home.
- Antananarivo
- +2612022
- Antananarivo
- +2612076
- Toamasina
- +2612053
- Antsirabe
- +2612044
- Mahajanga
- +2612062
- Fianarantsoa
- +2612075
- Toliara
- +2612094
- Antsiranana
- +2612082
- Sambava
- +2612088
- Tôlanaro
- +2612092
- Moramanga
- +2612056
- Morondava
- +2612095
- Ambatondrazaka
- +2612054
- Manakara
- +26120722
- Maroantsetra/
Sainte Marie - +2612057
- Ambositra
- +2612047
- Antsohihy
- +2612067
- Farafangana
- +2612073
- Mananjary
- +26120729
- Maintirano
- +2612069
- Nosy Be
- +2612086
Madagascar phone number types
The first digits of a Madagascar number tell you what kind of number it is: a landline, a mobile, a free number, or one that costs more to call. Here is a sample of each type of Madagascar phone number, as dialed inside Madagascar and from abroad.
Good to know before you call Madagascar
“Salama”
The everyday Malagasy word for hello. No source describes a greeting used only on the phone, so this is the general one.
Reply
“Salama”
Madagascar phone numbers have a two-digit operator code, a zone digit, and six more digits.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in MadagascarMadagascar splits its two-digit operator codes by service: 20 to 29 for fixed lines, 30 to 39 for mobile networks.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in MadagascarAntananarivo's main telephone exchange was modernized in the late 1990s, while the rest of the network lagged behind at the time.
Wikipedia: Communications in Madagascar
What it costs to call Madagascar (using Suparelay)
Landline from $1.38/minMobile from $1.38/min
Only 7 of 221 countries cost more to call than Madagascar.
Enter a numberEach bar counts the countries at that price
Want to call Madagascar?
Call any phone from this tab. Nothing to install on either side, and you pay cents a minute.
Why a call to Madagascar fails
You call from: 🇺🇸 United States
The 0 is still in the number
A number inside Madagascar starts with 0, such as 020 22 234 56. From abroad, leave it out: +261 takes its place.
- Connects
- 011 261 20 22 234 56
- Does not connect
- 011 261 020 22 234 56
The exit code is wrong for your country
00 works from Madagascar, Europe, and most of the world. From the US and Canada the exit code is 011.
- Connects
- 011 261 20 22 234 56
- Does not connect
- 00 261 20 22 234 56
Questions about +261
Which country is +261?
+261, or country code 261, belongs to Madagascar, an island country off the southeast coast of Africa.
What is +261?
+261 is the part you dial before a Malagasy number when you call from another country. It replaces the first 0 of the number.
What is the difference between +261 and 00261?
The + stands for your exit code. 00 is the exit code in Madagascar, Europe, and most of the world, so 00261 and +261 reach the same number there. From the US and Canada, dial 011 261 instead.
Do I drop the 0 after +261?
Yes. The 0 is the Malagasy trunk prefix and works only inside Madagascar. Dial +261 20 22 234 56, not +261 020 22 234 56.
Can I text a +261 number?
Yes. Write the number as +261 without its first 0, and your phone sends the text abroad at your carrier's international rate.
How much does it cost to call Madagascar?
The dialer on this page shows the exact price of the number you enter before you call.
What is the area code for Antananarivo?
Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, dials with the area code 020 22 inside the country, written as +261 2022 from abroad.
The information on this page is accurate as of September 26, 2026.
Wikipedia, Telephone numbers in Madagascar