Just Landed in Gambia? Your First 7 Days

Prepaid mobile data is how almost everyone gets online; fixed home broadband is limited and expensive outside a few coastal areas. Coverage is good along the coast and in Serrekunda but thins out upcountry, and speeds drop noticeably during power outages when masts fall back on battery. In early 2026 the regulator PURA capped data prices, pushing Africell and QCell down to roughly 65-75 dalasi per gigabyte, so bundles are cheaper than they were.

Typical cost: A SIM costs around 50-100 dalasi and a monthly data bundle of several GB runs roughly 300-600 dalasi at the current regulated rate of about 65-75 dalasi per GB. Africell and QCell have the widest and fastest 4G coverage along the coast and are the usual choice for newcomers; Gamcel and Comium are cheaper on paper but patchier.

The dalasi is a closed, non-convertible currency, so change money on arrival and do not expect to buy or sell it meaningfully abroad. Bring euros, pounds or US dollars in cash to exchange, as hard-currency notes get the best rates at bureaux de change; the rate moves, so check XE before you accept a quote. ATMs exist on the coast but can be empty, out of order or capped at low withdrawal limits, so never rely on a single card.

Opening an account: Opening an account is realistic once you have residence paperwork, and foreigner-friendly banks include Ecobank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Trust Bank, Access Bank and Standard Chartered. Expect to provide your passport, a residence or reference letter, passport photos and proof of address, and to wait a week or two for the account to open. Branches and ATMs cluster along the coast and in Serrekunda rather than upcountry.

Cash: The Gambia is almost entirely cash-based; markets, taxis, most shops and rent are paid in dalasi notes. Card machines exist only at some larger hotels and supermarkets and frequently fail or are offline, so plastic is a backup at best. Mobile money is growing but far less dominant than in Kenya or Ghana, so cash remains king for daily life.

Tipping: Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. Round up taxi fares, leave roughly 5-10% at restaurants that do not already add a service charge, and small, regular tips keep porters, guards and helpful drivers on your side. A little generosity smooths a lot of interactions here, but you are not expected to over-tip.

There is no local residents' address-registration scheme for arrivals of the kind common in continental Europe; you do not report your home address to a town hall. What matters instead is your immigration status. Visitors receive a short stay on entry, and anyone intending to stay long-term must obtain a residential permit and an alien identity card from the Gambia Immigration Department (GID), renewed annually. Fees vary by nationality and permit type, with ECOWAS citizens paying less than non-ECOWAS applicants; check current rates directly with the GID, as they change.

Where: Gambia Immigration Department (GID) headquarters in Banjul handle visa extensions, residential permits and alien ID cards; their website is gid.gov.gm. Go in person, early in the day, with your passport, photos and supporting documents.

Getting around means shared yellow taxis, green 'tourist' taxis you charter, and gelly-gelly minibuses on fixed routes; there is no metro or formal city bus network in town, though the state GTSC runs some longer-distance buses. Ride-hailing is minimal and unreliable, so most expats build a relationship with one or two trusted drivers they call directly on WhatsApp. Fuel price swings and the rainy season, which floods dirt roads, both affect what you pay and how long a trip takes.

From the airport: Banjul International Airport (BJL) at Yundum is about 20-25 km from the Kololi and Senegambia coast, typically 30-45 minutes by road. Official green tourist taxis wait outside arrivals at a posted board rate of roughly 800-1,500 dalasi to the coast, and a pre-arranged hotel pickup or trusted driver is the smoothest option after a long flight. Shared yellow taxis are much cheaper but involve changes and are awkward with luggage.

Most newcomers rent in the coastal belt: Kololi, Senegambia, Kotu, Bijilo, Brusubi, Bakau and Fajara. Deals are done through local agents, word of mouth and Facebook groups rather than big listing portals, and it always pays to view in person before paying anything. Portals like 4321 Property list some options, but the best places often circulate privately, so tapping into expat networks early is worth the effort.

Typical rent: A modest one-bedroom inland runs from around 8,000-15,000 dalasi a month, while a furnished coastal apartment or small villa aimed at expats can be 15,000-35,000 dalasi or more, sometimes quoted in euros. Larger villas in Fajara, Bijilo or Brusubi go well above that. Short holiday-let rates are far higher, so negotiate a proper long-term monthly rate.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for several months upfront, sometimes six to twelve months of rent at once, plus a deposit. Negotiate hard, insist on written terms, verify that the person really owns the property, and be extremely wary of paying large sums before you have keys and a signed contract in hand.

Public facilities such as the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul are free or very cheap but basic and often short of supplies, staff and equipment, so most expats use private clinics on the coast for anything non-trivial. Serious or complex conditions are frequently referred abroad, most often to Dakar in neighbouring Senegal or to Europe, which makes evacuation cover essential rather than optional.

How to access it: Walk into a private clinic such as those in Kololi, Fajara or Bijilo and pay cash on the day; there is no registration, GP list or referral gatekeeping to join. Keep a personal stock of your regular medicines and note their generic names, as pharmacies can run out of specific brands and stock varies. For emergencies, call an ambulance on 116, or the private line 1919 / 8701919 which can be quicker on the coast.

Insurance: There is no national health scheme covering foreigners, so carry comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation. Evacuation cover matters here because anything beyond routine care usually means an urgent flight to Dakar or Europe, and those costs are far beyond local clinic prices. Confirm your policy covers The Gambia specifically before you travel.

• Greet properly before getting to the point; a handshake and asking after someone's family, health and work is expected, and skipping it reads as abrupt or rude.
• Dress modestly, especially away from the tourist beaches; The Gambia is majority Muslim and covering shoulders and knees is respectful in towns, markets and offices.
• Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving, as the left hand is traditionally considered unclean.
• Accept tea (attaya) or food if it is offered; sharing is central to social life and a flat refusal can quietly offend your host.
• Learn a few words of Mandinka or Wolof, even just greetings; the goodwill it generates is out of all proportion to the effort.
• Be patient with time and bureaucracy; deadlines are soft, and visibly losing your temper damages the relationship you actually need.
• During Ramadan, be discreet about eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight, as most of the country is fasting.

• Ask before photographing people, and never photograph the airport, the bridge, police, military or government buildings; officials can be sensitive and may demand you delete images.
• 'Bumsters', friendly young men on the tourist strip who attach themselves as guides or 'friends', will eventually expect money or favours, so be warm but politely firm early.
• Public displays of affection, open criticism of religion or authority, and any involvement with drugs are all best avoided and can carry real consequences.
• Homosexuality is criminalised and socially taboo; LGBT visitors should be aware of the legal and social risks and exercise discretion.
• Do not discuss or photograph anything that could be read as mocking Islam or the government, particularly online.