Gambia: country facts, travel advice and health

01Free

The 30-second card

CapitalBanjulSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

LanguageEnglishSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

CurrencyGambian Dalasi · GMDSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

TimeUTC±0Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

PlugsG, 230 VSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

DrivingOn the rightSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Emergency · tap to call

117All emergencies · Police · Ambulance 118Fire (220) 422-4914Police

Source: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United Kingdom passport

No visa needed · up to 28 daysSource: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United States passport

Visa on arrival · up to 30 daysSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

SIM and eSIM

Africell runs the main 4G network with outlets almost everywhere; show a passport for a SIM in minutes.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Apps locals use

XE.com: check the current dalasi exchange rate.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Cash is the usual way to pay, so carry enough for daily spending.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Gambia

Gambian Dalasi · GMD

Bring cash in CFA francs, euros or US dollars rather than relying on cards.

For Visa or MasterCard cash withdrawals, use GT Bank or EcoBank ATMs.

Carry cash for the visa at the Senegal land border, since there is no ATM there.

Walk a short way to catch a shared yellow taxi; it costs far less than a green tourist cab.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Gambian Dalasi in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day

Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day

Mon, 8 Feb 2027–8 Mar · Ramadan (expected date)

Thu, 18 Feb 2027 · Independence Day

Tue, 9 Mar 2027 · Eid al-Fitr (expected date)

Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday

Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday

Sat, 1 May 2027 · Labour Day

Sun, 16 May 2027 · Eid al-Adha (expected date)

Tue, 25 May 2027 · Africa Day

Thu, 22 Jul 2027 · Revolution Day

Sun, 15 Aug 2027 · Assumption Day

Source: Nager.Date · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Source: Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with ICU) · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Gambia say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

No travel warning

Calm ●

Caution

Serious

Don’t go

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Exercise increased caution

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Level 2 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 15 Jan 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

No advice against travel

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 7 Jul 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Bumsters

Politely but firmly refuse unsolicited help or guiding from young men on the beach.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Informal trips into Senegal

Never cross into Senegal with a freelance guide; skipping immigration can mean detention.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Bribe requests

Officials may ask for bribes; decline to pay them.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Drug entrapment

Refuse any drugs offered to you, as authorities are known to set traps.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Yellow fever jab advised (required from risk countries), plus hep A/B, typhoid, meningococcal. Malaria risk.

Vaccinations

Yellow fever vaccine is advised for everyone from 9 months old and required when arriving from a risk country; hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningococcal (dry season) and routine shots including measles are also recommended.

Malaria

Risk

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

€4.99once · all countries

Pay once. No subscription. All countries, yours forever.

Must-see · 1Juffureh

Made world-famous as the setting of Alex Haley's Roots.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

Gambians long voted by dropping marbles into candidates' tins instead of using paper ballots.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: For The Gambia Our Homeland. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

2 World Heritage sites in Gambia, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $2.6 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $919Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	packaged medicine, cars, harvesting machinery, refined petroleum, trailers (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	2.8 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	20.5 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	68.4 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1% (2019-20 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	11,300 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hillsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+220Source: libphonenumber · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with ICU) · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).