Sub Saharan Africa

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

• Health
• General
 

• Violent demonstrations took place in Dakar and other towns (including Thies, Kaolack and Mbour) on the night of 27/28 January following the decision of the Senegalese Constitutional Court to allow President Wade to seek a third term in elections scheduled for 26 February. Clashes took place between protestors and police (involving stone throwing and water cannon).  One policeman died.  Burning tyres and other barricades were set up in many places throughout Dakar. Demonstrations turned violent again on the evening of 31 January resulting in a further death. A demonstration is planned, from midday, on Friday 3 February in the Rue Carnot in Le Plateau area of Dakar. You are advised to remain vigilant when moving about Dakar and other towns and to avoid all demonstrations.  In Dakar, demonstrations may take place in the area around the Place de l'Obélisque (in Colobane), the Medina, the University (UCAD) and the Headquarters of the Parti Démocratique Sénégalaise (PDS) on the VDN.
  

• The Casamance region of south-western Senegal remains affected by incidents involving presumed separatist groups and by incidents of banditry. We advise against road travel in the Casamance region to the west of Kolda, other than on, the main road from Ziguinchor to Cap Skirring which is often used by groups of tourists.
  
  

• Most visits to Senegal are trouble-free. See General - Consular Assistance.
  
  
• There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks, including kidnappings cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks, including kidnappings cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. You should take particular care in remote areas of Senegal near the border areas with Mauritania and Mali, to the east of the city of Podor until Kidira. You should be aware that there is a high threat of terrorism and kidnap in both Mauritania and Mali.

See our Terrorism Abroad page. 

Safety and Security - Crime
Pick pocketing and street crime (including in taxis), occasionally involving violence, are common in parts of Dakar, particularly around Place de l'Independence, the central area of the Plateau, the Western Corniche, and the airport. You should take sensible precautions, avoid walking alone in the late afternoon and after dark and avoid carrying valuables in public.

See our Victims of Crime Abroad page. 

Safety and Security - Local Travel

The Casamance region of south-western Senegal (between the southern border of Gambia and the northern border of Guinea-Bissau) remains affected by incidents involving armed separatist groups and by incidents of banditry, particularly though not exclusively in the regions of Bignona and Sindian.

There has been a upsurge in the number of clashes between the Senegalese army and suspected elements of the MFDC (the Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance – an armed separatist group) resulting in injuries and deaths, Seven. There have also been several incidents where cars and local buses have been ambushed and their passengers robbed, sometimes violently, by armed men. We therefore advise against all road travel in the Casamance region to the west of Kolda, other than on the main road from Ziguinchor to Cap Skiring which is often used by groups of tourists during daylight hours. If you travel on this route, we advise that you do so only during daylight hours and that you monitor the local security situation before travelling. You should also note that the N4 and N5 roads in the Casamance region are closed each night from 1800 to 0600.

Land mines also remain a problem in Casamance and de-mining operations are continuing. Non-governmental organisations operating in Casamance have recorded several hundred deaths from land mines since 1990, most of which have been of civilians, including a foreign national who was killed when her vehicle hit a newly placed mine on an unpaved road. You should take local advice and stick to paved roads.

You should exercise caution if travelling in areas of Senegal near the border with the Republic of Guinea as there remains an increased military presence. Although the newly elected President of Guinea was sworn into office on 21 December 2010 and has formed a new government, this remains a volatile political period.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel

While some main roads are of good quality, other roads can be poor especially during the rainy season from July to October. Torrential rains can cause floods and landslides. You should monitor local weather reports and expect difficulties when travelling to affected areas during this season.

Driving standards are unpredictable. Some taxis and public mini-buses (“car rapide”) would not be considered roadworthy by UK standards.

Traffic in the Dakar area is heavy and you need to take particular care and attention to avoid accidents. Driving after dark carries added hazards because of poor lighting both of streets and other vehicles. If you do have an accident you must contact the police and wait for them to arrive at the scene. In more remote areas outside of the main cities you may need to go direct to the nearest police station to report the incident there.

See our Driving Abroad page. 

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.

See Airline Security.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Senegal Country Profile  

In the run-up to Presidential elections in February 2012 the regularity of demonstrations - both in Dakar and regional towns - may increase. You should be alert to this risk and avoid all demonstrations and protests.

Local laws reflect the fact that Senegal is a predominantly Muslim 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. See our Travelling During Ramadan page. 

Most Senegalese are Muslim. There is a strong tradition of tolerance of other customs and religions, but it is a generally conservative society. You are advised to dress and behave modestly in public outside the main tourist areas. Bars and restaurants usually serve alcoholic drinks but drunkenness is considered offensive. Kissing as a greeting is acceptable but kissing romantically in public is not.

There is no gay scene in Senegal and article 319 of the penal code states that “an indecent or unnatural act with an individual of the same sex is punishable by 1-5 years imprisonment”.

See our Your Trip page.

Entry Requirements - Visas  
UK passport holders do not need a visa to enter Senegal for periods of less than three months. Travellers should be aware of reports that European airlines have refused boarding to passengers travelling to Senegal who have not had either a return ticket to leave Senegal within three months or a longer-term Senegalese work/residency permit.  

Entry Requirements - Passport validity  
You must hold a valid passport to enter Senegal. Your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure; we suggest six months. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. Also see the General section of this advice.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children
For information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact: http://www.senegalembassy.co.uk.

Health facilities in Dakar are reasonable but are limited in the rest of Senegal.

Malaria and other tropical diseases are common in Senegal, especially during the rainy season (July-October).

There are occasional outbreaks of cholera. You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. If you suffer from diarrhoea during a visit to Senegal you should seek immediate medical attention.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 54,000 adults aged 15 or over in Senegal were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 0.9% 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 Senegal and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit 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.

See our Travel Health page.

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 oversees then see When Things Go Wrong.

Consular - Registration
We recommend that British passport holders travelling to Senegal register via 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. More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

You may also like to take advantage of a new information service run by the French Embassy which provides important security updates to French and other EU nationals, including British nationals. If you would like the French Embassy to contact you directly, please contact the British Embassy, britembe@orange.sn address 20 Rue du Docteur Guillet, Boite Postale 6025, Dakar.  

General - Replacement Passports  
The British Embassy in Dakar does not issue passports and before setting off, you should ensure that your passport has sufficient validity and a plentiful supply of unused pages.

Applications for new passports need to be made at our Regional Passport Processing Centre in Pretoria.

The Regional Passport Processing Centre website will tell you everything you need to know about applying for a new or replacement British passport from Senegal.

General - Money
Credit cards are accepted in larger establishments that cater for tourists. You should be aware that a commission is added for their use. There are ATM facilities in Dakar, but banking facilities are sporadic in the rest of the country.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics
15 British nationals required consular assistance in Senegal in the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident; four deaths; four hospitalisations and two arrests.