The Gambia requires a valid passport with at least six months validity beyond intended stay. Citizens of Economic Community of West African States member countries enter visa-free. Commonwealth citizens, European Union nationals, and United States citizens receive visa on arrival for stays up to 90 days. The entry visa costs 1,000 dalasi or approximately 20 euros, payable at Banjul International Airport immigration counters. Citizens of countries not eligible for visa on arrival must obtain entry clearance from Gambian diplomatic missions before travel. Yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for all travelers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. The official entry point is Banjul International Airport, located 24 kilometers from the capital on the north bank of the Gambia River. Land border crossings with Senegal operate at multiple points including Farafenni, Basse Santa Su, and several smaller crossings, with immigration and customs procedures at each.
The dalasi, abbreviated GMD, is the national currency, divided into 100 bututs. Exchange rates fluctuate but have remained within 55 to 65 dalasi per euro range since 2020. ATMs operate in Banjul, Serekunda, Bakau, and Brikama, dispensing maximum 5,000 to 10,000 dalasi per transaction depending on bank and card type. Visa and Mastercard acceptance exists at major hotels and some restaurants in tourist areas, but cash transactions dominate all commercial activity. Bureau de change offices cluster around Albert Market in Banjul and along Kairaba Avenue in Serekunda, typically offering better rates than hotel exchanges. Banks open Monday through Thursday 0800 to 1400, Friday 0800 to 1100. The Central Bank of The Gambia maintains official exchange rates published daily. Travelers carrying euros encounter easier exchange than those with British pounds or US dollars, though all three currencies find acceptance. Credit card fraud has been reported at some tourist establishments, with chip-and-PIN transactions safer than magnetic stripe.
Medical facilities concentrate in the Greater Banjul Area. Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul serves as the primary referral facility, with 500 beds and departments for surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, and pediatrics. The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine operates research facilities and a clinic in Fajara, providing limited care to international patients for specific conditions. Private clinics in Kairaba Avenue and Senegambia areas offer outpatient services with shorter wait times than government facilities, charging 500 to 2,000 dalasi for consultations. Pharmacies stock basic medications but specialized drugs require import or travel to Dakar. Malaria transmission occurs year-round throughout the country, with peak incidence during and after the rainy season from June through November. The national protocol recommends prophylaxis with atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine. Evacuation to Dakar occurs for serious trauma, cardiac events, or conditions requiring intensive care, with ambulance services coordinating through SOS Medicals Gambia or private operators. No decompression chamber exists for diving accidents, requiring evacuation to Dakar or further.
The Gambia has one paved highway running east-west parallel to the Gambia River from Banjul to Basse Santa Su, approximately 470 kilometers. This Trans-Gambia Highway crosses the river by ferry at two points, Banjul to Barra and Yellitenda to Bambatenda, with waiting times ranging from 30 minutes to four hours depending on traffic and tidal conditions. Bush taxis, typically Peugeot station wagons carrying seven passengers, operate fixed routes between major towns, departing when full rather than on schedule. Banjul to Serekunda costs 15 dalasi, Serekunda to Brikama 20 dalasi, Serekunda to Farafenni 150 dalasi. GTSC buses provide public transport on limited routes with lower fares but less frequent service. Tourist taxis negotiate prices per trip, with Banjul airport to Senegambia hotel strip running 600 to 800 dalasi. Motorcycle taxis called jakarangs cost less but carry higher accident risk. No railway exists. The Gambia River remains navigable to Kuntaur year-round and to Basse during high water, with cargo boats and occasional passenger ferries operating irregular schedules.