Gambia - Customs

Arriving by Yacht: 

Customs may want to come and inspect your boat.   They will issue a Boarding Officers Report from the Department of Customs and Excise.  Visits to three offices are required to complete this process.

Length of Stay:

There does not appear to be any time limit on how long foreign yachts can stay in the country, although you will be asked about your intended length of stay on arrival and this will be noted on the river permit.

Other Items:

• Firearms must be declared.
• Gambia has strict laws on the import/export medications. Visitors arriving with substances containing hydroquinone, hydrocortisone, betamethasone, flucinonide, clobestatol, or clobestatone must have a doctor's prescription or may be subject to fines up to $2,000 and/or three years imprisonment.
• Medicines such as those containing codeine or diazepam are also banned under The Gambia’s drugs laws.
• Travelers in possession of prescription drugs should carry proof of their prescriptions, such as labelled containers. Police have been known to arrest foreigners carrying un-labelled pills.

Last updated:  January 2022