Malagasy Francs can be bought only at banks and official bureaux de change in hotels and at the airport in Antananarivo.
Hotels have a less favourable exchange rate.
Visa, American Express, MasterCard and Diners Club are accepted at the capital's Colbert and Hilton hotels. These and other cards have limited use elsewhere in the country. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or French Francs. The export of local currency is prohibited to non-residents.