ECOWAS free movement and entry to The Gambia

What the protocol says

The Protocol Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, A/P.1/5/79, was signed in Dakar on 29 May 1979. ECOWAS publishes the text on its website ¹.

Article 2 gives community citizens the right to enter, reside and establish in member states, in three phases over up to 15 years. Phase I covers entry and the end of visas. Phase II covers residence. Phase III covers establishment ¹.

• Article 3: a citizen visiting for up to 90 days needs a valid travel document and an international health certificate, and no visa. A longer stay needs permission for an extension from the relevant authority ¹.
• Article 4: a member state may refuse entry to a community citizen who is an inadmissible immigrant under its own laws ¹.
• Article 5: commercial vehicles carrying passengers may stay in another member state for up to 15 days ¹.
• Article 11: an expulsion decision must be notified to the citizen, their government and the ECOWAS Executive Secretary ¹.

How The Gambia applies it

The Gambia High Commission in London says citizens of the UK, the Commonwealth and ECOWAS need no visa for holidays or business trips of up to 90 days ³. The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) visa page lists West African countries from Benin to Togo. It notes that citizens of Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso enjoy privileges as accorded, and that country statuses can change ².

The GID says a visa or entry clearance does not guarantee entry. The final decision rests with the immigration officer at the port of arrival ².

In July 2012 The Point, as reported by Sainey M.K. Marenah, said immigration officials told ECOWAS nationals they could stay 90 days and then had to apply for a residential permit. Those who did not regularise their status risked prosecution and deportation ⁴. Status: historical statement, check with the GID.

Permit fees for ECOWAS nationals

The most recent fee list this site found is from the 2023 budget speech in December 2022, as reported by Jankey Ceesay in The Point ⁵. Status: proposed. This site found no notice confirming when the new rates took effect.

The ECOWAS biometric ID card

ECOWAS says its heads of state adopted the machine-readable ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) as an official travel document in 2014, to replace the hand-written ECOWAS Travel Certificate. In September 2023 the ECOWAS Commission held sessions in Banjul for immigration officers and cross-border commercial drivers on the card ⁶.

In September 2024 the GID hosted the 8th annual forum of ECOWAS heads of immigration. The Point, as reported by Jankey Ceesay, said the forum would discuss faster ENBIC rollout and ending the 90-day stay limit and residence permits for community citizens. The report did not say a decision was taken ⁸. Status: under discussion in September 2024.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

ECOWAS said the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger took effect on 29 January 2025. It asked member states to keep recognising national passports and identity cards bearing the ECOWAS logo held by their citizens, and to keep visa-free movement, residence and establishment rights for them, until further notice ⁷.

Charges at the airport

Free movement covers visas. It does not remove the airport security fee. UK advice says you must pay US$20 when you arrive and when you leave, and lists exemptions for children aged 1 or under and transit passengers ⁹. The sources this site opened list no exemption for ECOWAS citizens.