France to The Gambia visa requirements

French ordinary passport holders do NOT need a visa in advance for a short tourist stay in The Gambia. As EU citizens they are visa-exempt; entry is granted at the airport or land border with no visa fee. The only mandatory cost is a security/airport fee of about USD 20 / EUR 20 (1,000 dalasi) on both arrival and departure. The Gambia grants visa-free entry to nationals of all EU member states, including France. The official Gambian government guidance states EU citizens may enter without a visa for stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business. The French Foreign Ministry (France Diplomatie) frames it slightly more conservatively, noting that a free short-stay visa is issued to French nationals on arrival (initially 15 days, renewable locally with the Department of Immigration). In practice, both sources agree on the key point: no visa must be obtained before travel and there is no charge for the visa/entry itself. The only mandatory levy is an airport/border security fee of roughly USD 20 (or EUR 20, or 10,000 dalasi cash) collected at both entry and exit; vehicles registered in Senegal pay a small "passavant" of about 100 GMD and bridge tolls may apply at land crossings. A valid passport is required and a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk. There were administrative updates to Gambia's visa policy in 2026, but the EU/France visa waiver remains in force. The best single classification for a short tourist visit is visa-free. Travelers planning to stay beyond the period granted on entry should regularize their stay locally with Gambian Immigration.