Event: New State of Emergency, Curfew, and Additional Measures Announced by the Gambian Government
Location: The Gambia
The President announced a new National State of Public Emergency (SOPE), effective August 6 for 21 days. Under this declaration, the following regulations are in effect:
- Nightly curfew between the hours of 22:00 and 05:00.
- All houses of worship shall remain closed.
- All educational institutions shall remain closed.
- All non-food outlets in all markets shall remain closed, with exception of banks, pharmacies, drug stores, supermarkets, mini-markets, local corner shops, and essential food traders.
- Markets may be open between 06:00 and 14:00 daily, though all markets and shopping areas shall be closed on Sundays for fumigation and sanitization purposes.
- Land, sea, and air borders remain officially closed. Under the current State of Public Emergency, entry and exit of persons into The Gambia is suspended, except for diplomats, drivers of essential commodities, and persons seeking urgent medical attention abroad.
- Flights into The Gambia may be permitted only to transport Gambians returning to The Gambia, diplomats, and humanitarian workers.
- Any passenger, as noted above, seeking entry to The Gambia must be in possession of a valid certificate from point of departure indicating a negative COVID-19 test at least 72 hours before boarding.
- Mandatory quarantine for all arrivals into The Gambia remains in effect.
Additionally, the Gambian government previously announced new temporary measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, effective from July 30 for 90 days:
- Mandatory wearing of face masks in public places;
- Temporary closure of non-essential public places; and
- Prohibition of public and social gatherings
Note that any additional measures or changes could be implemented with little notice.
We do not anticipate additional repatriation flights from The Gambia to the United States. As commercial airlines resume operations, we encourage you continue to check with commercial airlines for updated information and flight availability.
U.S. Embassy Banjul Consular Operations: While maximizing necessary physical distancing, with most U.S. Embassy Banjul employees working remotely, we remain available for emergency American Citizen Services (ACS). If you are a U.S. citizen requiring assistance, please contact the ACS Unit by email at ConsularBanjul@state.gov; by phone during business hours at +220-438-1341; or for emergencies after hours at +220-429-2856. For the Embassy’s most up-to-date information related to COVID-19, please visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 Information page.
Routine ACS operations and visa processing at U.S. Embassy Banjul remain suspended at this time.
STEP Enrollment: All U.S. citizens in The Gambia are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and monitor the Embassy’s website and social media feeds for the latest available information. We will release updated information on the situation in The Gambia and our emergency services efforts as it becomes available.
Registering Interest in Potential Future Repatriation Flights: Though we are not expecting more repatriation flights, if U.S. citizens and LPRs remain interested please use the online request form https://tinyurl.com/y946xa2y to register. All form submissions from April 28th and earlier will be deleted, and a new list compiled. If you previously submitted the form, and did not depart on prior flights but remain interested if a future flight is arranged, please resubmit the form – one submission per individual traveler, including infants / children.