Visitors to the Gambia must obtain a visa from one of the Gambian diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or they do not have a Gambian diplomatic representative/embassy in their country, in this case they can obtain one at the Banjul International Airport.
In October 2019, the Government of the Gambia announced plans for a new visa policy.
Visa policy map
Visa exemption Ordinary Passports Citizens of the following countries may enter Gambia without a visa for stays up to the duration below:
90 Days All African Union member states All Commonwealth of Nations member states All European Union member states All European Free Trade Association member states
Andorra, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, and Vatican City are listed as visa-free on Timatic, despite not appearing on the Gambian Tourism Board list.
Citizens of United States can enter the country with a visa on arrival for maximum of 30 days. (Travelers entering and exiting The Gambia are required to pay 20 USD (or 20 EURO / 10000 DALASI) security fee upon arrival and departure at the airport, payable in cash (USD or DALASI) only at kiosks.)
Date of visa changes 30 April 1980: ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States): Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Citizens of all countries who travel on a tourist charter flight do not need a visa to enter The Gambia.
Non-ordinary passports Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports of the following countries may enter The Gambia without a visa for a maximum period of 90 days each visit (unless otherwise stated):
DD O 1
D - Diplomatic passports O - Official passports 1 – 30 days
History In the past, The Gambia required citizens of some countries to obtain clearance in addition to a traditional visa, while others needed either a visa or only clearance. In recent years, this policy has been abandoned, but some government websites have not been properly updated, which has created a lot of confusion.
Visitor statistics Most visitors arriving to the Gambia for tourism purposes were from the following countries of nationality:
Country2023 2012 32,957 60,424 20,861 19,817 11,266 4,058 10,087 4,2807,847 6,995 7,076 6,337 5,802 5,638 8,657 4,517 8,107 4,312 2,073
See also
Visa requirements for Gambian citizens Gambian passport
References