Immigration
Immigration Act with ECOWAS free movement and residence permit classes
The Immigration Act (Cap 16:02) governs entry and residence, administered by the Gambia Immigration Department. Non-ECOWAS nationals require visas, and foreign workers require residence permits in classes tied to employment or business. ECOWAS nationals enter visa-free for 90 days.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Gambia Immigration Department under the Ministry of the Interior; Gambia Commission for Refugees for asylum claims.
- Deadline — Residence permits are issued annually and renewable
- Deadline — ECOWAS nationals may remain 90 days without a residence permit
Governing law
- Immigration Act (Cap 16:02) as amended
- Gambia Nationality and Citizenship ActCap 82:01
- ECOWAS Protocol relating to Free Movement of Persons 1979
- Refugee Act 2008 — domestic asylum framework and Gambia Commission for Refugees
In practice
The Gambia applies the ECOWAS free movement protocol, and because Senegal surrounds the country the practical movement of community nationals is continuous. Non-ECOWAS nationals require visas, with exemptions for a list of Commonwealth and other states. Residence permits are issued in classes — broadly employment, business and dependant — and are renewed annually; employers of foreign nationals must show the position could not be filled locally. The Refugee Act 2008 established a domestic asylum framework with the Gambia Commission for Refugees conducting status determination, which distinguishes The Gambia from states relying on UNHCR mandate determination, and the country hosted significant numbers of Senegalese from the Casamance conflict. Citizenship is governed by the Nationality and Citizenship Act, with the 1997 Constitution permitting dual citizenship, and the 2001 amendment allowing citizenship by descent through either parent.