Gambia — the smallest mainland African country — punches well above its size for travel appeal. Beaches, the River Gambia (excellent bird watching), and West African cultural immersion in a compact English-speaking country. VOA on arrival: USD 40 cash + yellow fever cert. No direct flights from Nairobi — typically connect via Lagos or London.
Key Warnings
Insider Tips
Six months beyond your intended stay, with a blank page for the entry stamp. There is no visa to apply for — Gambia admits Kenyans without one — so the passport is the document that decides whether you travel.
The card must be at least 10 days old before travel and the original is required — photocopies and phone photos are not reliably accepted. This is the document most likely to stop you, not the absence of a visa.
Immigration routinely asks visa-free arrivals for a confirmed return or onward ticket and a first night's booking. Keep both reachable on your phone rather than describing them.
The officer sets the permitted stay, up to 90 days, and prints it on the entry stamp. Check it before leaving the counter — the stamp, not the published allowance, is what governs your stay.
⚠️ Yellow Fever Certificate required. Yellow fever certificate is MANDATORY for entry to Gambia. Gambia is endemic and also requires the certificate from travellers coming from Kenya (which has risk zones). Airlines will check at boarding. Obtain from a Kenya Ministry of Health-approved centre. Certificate must be at least 10 days old.
No visa application is made on this route, so there is no refusal rate. Entry can still be declined at the border.
The Gambia is visa-free for all African Union members, 90 days
The Gambia's exemption is granted by bloc rather than by country: every African Union member state, plus the Commonwealth, EU and EFTA, gets 90 days without a visa. This page previously described a 28-day visa on arrival.
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