Sub Saharan Africa

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• A public holiday has been declared for 19 January to celebrate the re-inauguration of President Jammeh following his election victory in November. Many shops and businesses will be closed. Large public celebrations are anticipated in Banjul and Serrekunda and likely to pass without incident. Main roads may be busy in other areas as well,  therefore extra care should be taken if driving or moving around on foot during the day and night.
  
  
• You should not travel by road from The Gambia to the Casamance region in southern Senegal.  It remains affected by incidents involving presumed separatist groups and by incidents of banditry.  See  Safety and Security - Local Travel and the Travel Advice for Senegal .
  
  
• Most visits to The Gambia are trouble-free.  39 British nationals required consular assistance in The Gambia in the period 01 April 2010 – 31 March 2011.  See General - Consular Assistance Statistics.
  
  
• There is an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks, although unlikely, could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive medical and travel insurance before travelling.  See  General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks, although unlikely, could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

See our Terrorism abroad page.

Safety and Security - Crime
Attacks on tourists are increasing. You should not take valuables or large sums of money to the beach or display them in public.  You should take particular care when visiting isolated beaches.

Visitors, both male and female, should be particularly cautious of young men locally known as “bumsters” who approach tourists, particularly on beaches, offering unsolicited help.  We advise you be polite but firm in declining unwanted help or attempts at conversation.

Theft from vehicles is also increasing.  Valuables should not be left in unattended vehicles. You should take precautions in unlit areas or in places away from the Tourist Development Area.  See our Victims of crime abroad page. 
 

Safety and Security - Local Travel     
You should not travel by road from the Gambia to the Casamance in southern Senegal.  The Casamance region of south western Senegal (the area of Senegal due south of The Gambia) remains affected by incidents involving presumed separatist groups and by incidents of banditry.  You should note that we advise against all road travel in the Casamance region to the west of Kolda, other than on the N4 national highway, for which we advise against all but essential road travel,and on the main road from Ziguinchor to Cap Skiring which is often used by groups of tourists during the daylight hours.  See the Travel Advice for Senegal for more details. Travel to other areas in The Gambia is reasonably safe as long as precautions are taken to safeguard your baggage and personal possessions.  

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
You can drive on a UK driving licence for up to three months. Driving standards are unpredictable and some local taxis are not roadworthy. Driving after dark carries added hazards because of poor road and vehicle lighting. For this reason, you should exercise particular caution when walking along roads at night. In the event of an accident, emergency medical facilities are very limited. Security checkpoints are common on all major routes in The Gambia. They are not always well sign-posted and care should be taken when approaching them.  For more general information see our Driving abroad page.

The rainy season in The Gambia is from June to October. Potholes on roads are not uncommon and you should take care when driving.  Although there are many new stretches of flat and well constructed roads outside Banjul, some roads up-country remain poor and make travel outside of the Greater Banjul area both difficult and hazardous year round.  Torrential rains can cause floods and landslides. You should monitor local weather reports and expect difficulties when travelling to affected areas during this season.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel
The EU has published a list of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban or restrictions within the community.  You should check the following link to see whether this will affect your travel - European Commission Transport - Air.

A compulsory Airport Development Fee must be paid by all passengers on exiting the country. The fee is 20 Euros, or equivalent in local currency. Visa credit card is accepted, but no others. The only exceptions are passengers in transit and infants under two years old. The fee will be collected at departure by a designated GCAA (Gambia Civil aviation Authority) official/appointed bank until such time as an IATA code is secured for its inclusion in air tickets. Please check with your travel agent/tour operator whether this fee has been included in your air ticket.

For more general information see Airline security.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
The Gambia Country Profile 

You are advised to avoid political gatherings and demonstrations.

Local laws reflect the fact that The Gambia is an Islamic country. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas. During Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking between sunrise and sunset is forbidden for Muslims (though children under the age of puberty are not required to fast). For more general information see our Travelling during Ramadan page.

The President of the Gambia has announced a zero tolerance towards illegal and illicit drugs. The Gambian authorities will take strong action against anyone importing, exporting or found in possession of drugs or contraband. You should not accept packages on behalf of anyone without knowing the contents. The minimum sentence for those found in possession of drugs (over 250g) is a D10,000,000 (approx. £212,765) fine or 15 years in prison in default. Recent cases have included Westerners, carrying a minimal amount of cannabis, sentenced to ten years in prison.

There are heavy penalties for any form of sexual offence against a child. Foreign visitors to the Gambia need to carry an ID with them at all times. 

Although there are no laws specifically covering homosexuality in the Gambia, the Gambian Criminal Code states that any person who has or attempts to have, "carnal knowledge" of any person "against the order of nature" is guilty of a felony and could face imprisonment. The Gambian courts may interpret homosexual acts as falling under this part of the Code. The Code also states that gross indecency between men, whether in public or private, is a felony and anyone committing this felony could face imprisonment. Any private citizen has the power of arrest for these offences. We have received reports that the police are actively enforcing this Code. There are no current reports of any attacks on homosexuals. There are no gay clubs in the Gambia.

Photography of military and official installations is prohibited. For more general information see our Your trip page.

Entry Requirements - Visas
There are no entry requirements for British citizens visiting for up to 28 days.  For visits in excess of 28 days, permission has to be obtained from the Gambian Immigration Department at their offices in Banjul.  Extensions cost D250 for each additional month. 
 

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Gambia. Your passport must be valid for a minimum period of three months from the date of exit from Gambia.  

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children  
For information on exactly what will be required at immigration, please contact the Gambian High Commission.  

Entry Requirements - Yellow Fever Certificate
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers coming from areas with risk of yellow fever transmission. This is particularly relevant for those travelling to the Gambia from neighbouring African countries.

Medical facilities in The Gambia are very limited and the cost of medical evacuation can be very high.  Private clinics will only treat fee-paying patients. If you intend to bring prescription medication you should also bring a copy of your prescription and keep items in the original packaging. 

Water borne diseases and malaria are common in the Gambia throughout the year. The risk of malaria is greater during the months of June to November. In November 2005, two British nationals died from malaria after travelling to The Gambia. 

Primary healthcare clinics have reported a rise in the number of rabies cases. You should avoid contact with wild or domestic animals 

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 17,000 adults aged 15 or over in Gambia were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 2% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. See our HIV and AIDS page. 

You should seek medical advice before travelling to the Gambia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date.  For further information on endemic diseases, like malaria, health outbreaks and vaccination requirements for The Gambia you should check the websites of the National Travel Health Network and Centre NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.  

For more general information see our Travel health page.

Floods are common during the rainy season (June‑October), but do not normally impact on tourists.

General - Insurance
You should take out comprehensive medical and travel insurance before travelling.  This should include cover for medical treatment and evacuation, accidents, cancelled flights and stolen cash, credit cards, passport and luggage.  Check for any exclusions and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See our Travel insurance page.  If things do go wrong when you are overseas see our When Things Go Wrong page.  

General - Registration
Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  If you are a long-stay visitor you should register at the British High Commission in Banjul.

General - Money
You are advised to bring travellers' cheques or cash to The Gambia because only a few places accept credit cards.  Bureaux de Change and local banks do not.  There is an ATM in the tourist area of Senegambia and several other locations which accept VISA but not MASTERCARD.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics
Thirty-nine British nationals required consular assistance in The Gambia in the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident; 18 deaths; four hospitalisations; and six arrests.