International adoption country guide
Madagascar: adoption records and family tracing
Practical guidance for adoptees based in the UK who were adopted in Madagascar, were born there and adopted in the UK, or have a birth parent from there.
Research last refreshed: September 2026
Ask the Adoptee Rights Assistant
Start by identifying the records and rules that apply
Record location may depend on the tribunal, commune, province, institution, adoption year and the legal process used. Preserve French and Malagasy spellings and do not assume that a later civil status record contains the whole history.
An overseas enquiry can begin with ACAM, but correspondence in French, certified identity, a judicial request, local representation or collection may be required. If the adoption or receiving process continued in the UK, obtain the UK file in parallel.
Check the current procedure before applyingThis guide explains the likely process, but forms, contact details, eligibility and access rules can change. Check the linked source before sending identity documents or paying a fee.
Choose the situation that describes you
Adopted in Madagascar
What applies: Confirm that the legal adoption was made in Madagascar, and identify the date, place, court or authority and institution.
How to look for records: Identify the court or tribunal, Autorité Centrale de l’Adoption Malagasy (ACAM), civil status office or commune, and any institution or child protection body involved. Request the adoption judgment, administrative file, original civil status material and institution record as distinct holdings.
How to look for family: No verified nationwide specialist tracing service for adult adoptees was found. ACAM is the current official intercountry adoption authority and should be asked to identify the competent tribunal and record holders, but its published contact page does not promise adult disclosure or family tracing. Use records to establish names, spellings and places before family searching.
Important: Use ACAM to identify the tribunal, commune and institution, without assuming it provides adult tracing.
Born in Madagascar and brought to the UK
What applies: Establish whether the legal adoption was made overseas, in the UK, or in both places; keep the two countries’ records processs open until that is known.
How to look for records: An overseas enquiry can begin with ACAM, but correspondence in French, certified identity, a judicial request, local representation or collection may be required. If the adoption or receiving process continued in the UK, obtain the UK file in parallel. Identify the court or tribunal, Autorité Centrale de l’Adoption Malagasy (ACAM), civil status office or commune, and any institution or child protection body involved. Request the adoption judgment, administrative file, original civil status material and institution record as distinct holdings.
How to look for family: No verified nationwide specialist tracing service for adult adoptees was found. ACAM is the current official intercountry adoption authority and should be asked to identify the competent tribunal and record holders, but its published contact page does not promise adult disclosure or family tracing. Use records to establish names, spellings and places before family searching.
Important: A UK adoption or registration record does not automatically disclose or replace the overseas birth, court, welfare or institution file. Use ACAM to identify the tribunal, commune and institution, without assuming it provides adult tracing.
A birth parent was from Madagascar
What applies: Start with the records of the country where the person was born and adopted. A parent being from Madagascar does not by itself mean that Madagascar holds the adoption file.
How to look for records: Obtain the adoptee’s own birth and adoption records first. If they confirm the parent’s identity or a locality in Madagascar, use the relevant civil registration, archive and family history sources there.
How to look for family: Use verified names, alternative spellings and localities with the relevant commune, tribunal, institution and archival sources, and use supported contact for living relatives. DNA can be a parallel lead, but database coverage for Madagascar may be limited. Treat matches as leads rather than proof, use shared matches and records, and check consent, privacy and current rules affecting collection or export of samples.
Important: Do not assume nationality proves birth, citizenship or registration in Madagascar. Confirm full names, spelling variants, dates and an actual locality before making overseas enquiries.
Records and family finding
Start with records
Identify the court or tribunal, Autorité Centrale de l’Adoption Malagasy (ACAM), civil status office or commune, and any institution or child protection body involved. Request the adoption judgment, administrative file, original civil status material and institution record as distinct holdings.
Looking for family
No verified nationwide specialist tracing service for adult adoptees was found. ACAM is the current official intercountry adoption authority and should be asked to identify the competent tribunal and record holders, but its published contact page does not promise adult disclosure or family tracing. Use records to establish names, spellings and places before family searching.
DNA
DNA can be a parallel lead, but database coverage for Madagascar may be limited. Treat matches as leads rather than proof, use shared matches and records, and check consent, privacy and current rules affecting collection or export of samples.
Peer support
ICAV currently lists no Madagascar specific birth country group. Its broader African listing may offer peer knowledge, subject to a live check of eligibility, language, privacy and activity.
Practical next steps
If you have no namesCollect the adoption judgment, civil status extracts, passport and receiving country papers. Ask ACAM to identify the tribunal, commune and institution that may hold the original files and the current adult access procedure.
If you have a name or placeUse verified names, alternative spellings and localities with the relevant commune, tribunal, institution and archival sources, and use supported contact for living relatives.
If the search has stalledAsk each holder for a written statement about transfer, loss or restriction. Consider local archival help and carefully corroborated DNA only after the documentary process has been mapped.
Verified sources and resources
Official services and independent or adoptee-led resources are shown separately. Check current eligibility, security, costs and capacity before supplying personal information.
Other verified resources
Current ACAM contact and authority identity
Things to check: Contact page does not state an adult access procedure
Parent ministry for ACAM
Things to check: HTTP site availability and current page structure require a live check
Convention status and dates
Things to check: Does not determine access to a historic individual file
Check for Madagascar or broader African peer groups
Things to check: No Madagascar specific group currently listed; check current eligibility
General search, contact and DNA considerations
Things to check: Not a Madagascar government service
This country guide provides general information, not legal advice or a tracing service. Records and family finding across borders can involve privacy, consent and personal safety considerations. Verify the current official procedure before acting.
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