Moving to The Gambia: permission, arrival and practical setup

Separate entry, residence and work permission

The Gambia distinguishes visit visas from residential permits, expatriate quota and the non-Gambian identity card. A company quota or business-establishment approval does not replace the worker’s residence and employment permission.

A visa waiver, visitor visa or business-visitor permission is not an open right to take employment or provide local services. Remote work also needs an immigration, labour and tax analysis unless the authority publishes a route that expressly covers it.

• Gambia Immigration Department: residential permits

Complete the arrival record

Have the employer coordinate quota, residential permit and identity-card filings and preserve receipts. Check whether the passport endorsement and ID carry different expiry dates.

Inspect names, passport number, sponsor or purpose, permitted activity and expiry on every issued record. Keep the approval, receipt and a copy of the entry stamp outside the passport.

• Gambia Immigration Department: residential permits

Make housing support the move

Greater Banjul neighbourhoods differ in road access, flooding, electricity, water and school commute. Verify the landlord and inventory and test internet before remote-dependent work.

Verify landlord authority, lease language, deposit, inventory, utilities, internet and early-exit terms. Keep the real address and payment trail for immigration, banking and employer files.

Set up banking, payroll and tax evidence

Ask the bank which permit or non-Gambian ID stage it accepts and document salary and foreign transfers. Business owners should separate establishment, tax and personal immigration records.

Ask the bank and tax authority for their live identity, permit, address, tax-number and source-of-funds requirements. Immigration status alone does not determine tax residence: retain travel days, payslips, foreign income and business invoices.

• Gambia Immigration Department: residential permits

Plan each family member and essential service

File dependants individually and confirm work permission for an adult spouse. Check school transport, routine care and medical evacuation rather than assuming proximity on the map equals quick access.

A dependant, student or family residence document should not be treated as an adult work permit without confirmation. Carry legalised civil records, prescriptions, vaccination records and prior-school reports.

• Gambia Immigration Department: residential permits

Control renewal, changes and current risk

Renew quota, residential permit and ID in sequence and clear employer changes first. Review current border and river travel advice and retain departure and tax records.

Read current official travel advice for The Gambia, the exact region and any overland route before travel. Confirm that insurance covers the location and planned work.

• Gambia Immigration Department: residential permits
• UK government: The Gambia travel advice