Visiting/ Staying in The Gambia

Visa Requirements

Citizens of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other nations with a reciprocal visa abolition agreement with The Gambia do not require a visa to enter the country; whether on holiday or on a business trip not exceeding 90 days. Citizens of the US require an entry visa with at least 1 blank page on their passport for the stamp. The above rule applies for visitor on business or vacation. Passport validity should be for at least 6 months. All other nationalities should possess a visa, which is available from any of the Gambian embassies and consulates: London, Paris, Washington DC, Brussels, Taipei, Rabat, Jeddah, Havana, Dakar, Lagos, Freetown and Guinea Bissau. However, tourists and others travelling on last minute bookings will be allowed entry but will be required to submit their passport to the Department of Immigration in Banjul within 48 hours to be issued a proper visa.

Health Requirements

An International Certificate of Vaccination is no longer compulsory for investors to The Gambia. However, a yellow fever vaccination will be required for visitors from Europe and North America.
The last outbreak of yellow fever in The Gambia was in 1978 and there is no immediate danger to visitors. Anti-malaria medicine is however recommended and visitors should consult their doctors on which pills to take.
Visitors are also advised to bring along insect repellents, sunburn and anti-fungal creams and disinfectant. They may prove expensive or unobtainable in certain parts of the country.
There are several hospitals and clinics operated by the Government as well as by private practitioners which provide both therapeutic and preventative healthcare.
Although The Gambia is Africa's smallest country, it has some unique qualities over many destinations. The country is widely known for the extraordinary hospitality of its people, pristine sandy beaches with abundant sunshine, beautiful Atlantic Ocean, rich cultural heritage, its political stability, to name a few. The Gambia has a vibrant tourist industry, and because of its location and proximity to Europe, there are direct flight connections to major European destination as well as connections to destinations in Africa, the USA and the Middle East through regional hubs.
Most of the Europeans flights serving Banjul are charter flights and these are more frequent during the winter months of November to April.

Places to Stay (Accommodation)

Although The Gambia is Africa's smallest country, it offers a wide and different choice of places to stay ranging from luxury hotels to self catering apartments, guest houses, holiday rentals, private houses for sale and rent.
Below are some of the contact details of possible hotel and resort accommodations. For these places, visitors are strongly advised to make reservations in advance prior to their outbound trips.