FACTSHEET: Gambia in the World of Travel – Visas and Exemptions

By Louise S. A. Alsan (@AlsanLouise)

In 2022, we published a Factsheet on 70 destinations that Gambians can travel to without a visa.

This new Factsheet goes further to explain not only the number of countries that Gambians can travel to without a visa, or with a visa before traveling or upon arrival, and eVisas, but also travel requirements for other nationalities around the world wanting to visit the “Smiling Coast of Africa”

The Gambian passport is currently ranked at 74th in the world, according to visaindex.com, which is operated by Guide Consultants LLC, a global leader in economic citizenship and residency by investment programs. Our Passport provides visa-free access to 46 destinations worldwide.

Holders of a Gambian passport can travel visa-free to popular tourist destinations like the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, and Senegal.

However, the 2024 Passport Index, the original interactive passport ranking tool in the world, Gambia’s passport is ranked 73 in the world with 46 visa-free destinations, 27 visa-on-arrival destinations, and 125 countries for which Gambians require a prior visa to visit.

Here’s a list of visa-free countries for Gambian passport holders based on Passport Index:

Visa Free Countries for Gambians:

Visa on Arrival for Gambians:

The Visa Index website now lists 21 visa-on-arrival-destinations for Gambian passport holders. It’s important to note that visa on arrival policies can change, so be sure to check with the embassy or consulate of your destination country for the latest requirements.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA):

There are currently two destinations requiring an eTA for Gambian passport holders.

1. Sri Lanka
2. Kenya

On the other hand, Gambia passport holders need to apply for physical visa or eVisa to enter into 160 countries.

One could notice that there has been a significant change since our last publication in 2022 as Free Visa Destination has increased from 40 to 46, while Visa on Arrival has reduced from 29 to 21 destination, eTA from 1 to 2.

Travel Requirements for Other Nationals

According to the Gambia Embassy in Belgium which oversees several EU Countries, nationals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not need a visa to enter The Gambia for a period of ninety (90) days when in possession of a valid travel document and an international health certificate.

ECOWAS Member States:

1. Benin
2. Burkina Faso
3. Cabo Verde
4. Cote D’Ivoire
5. Ghana
6. Guinea
7. Guinea Bissau
8. Liberia
9. Mali
10. Niger
11. Nigeria
12. Senegal
13. Sierra Leone
14. Togo
15. [The Gambia]

Eighteen (18) countries are exempted from visa requirements when visiting The Gambia for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days.

Countries that are exempted from Visa Requirement:

1. Australia
2. Belgium
3. Canada
4. Finland
5. Germany
6. Iceland
7. Indonesia
8. Italy
9. Luxemburg
10. Morocco
11. Poland
12. Russia
13. San Marino
14. Spain
15. Sweden
16. The Netherlands
17. Tunisia
18. United Kingdom

Countries that need both Visa and Clearance:

Nationals of seventy-nine (79) countries on the list below need a Visa and Clearance to visit The Gambia.

Nationals of thirty-two (32) countries need only a visa to enter Gambia

Countries that need only clearance

Also, there are thirty-four (34) countries that only needs Clearance to visit The Gambia.