U.S. Embassy in The
Gambia

Important Notice for Visa Applicants

The consular section of the U.S. Embassy Banjul continues to address large COVID and staffing-induced backlogs and high demand for all visa classes, especially B1/B2 visas.

Unfortunately, applicants will continue to experience long waits and limited appointment availability for most visa categories for the foreseeable future.

Please try to arrange your visa interview as early as possible and do not make definite travel plans until you have received a visa.

Visa Fee Increase

The application fee for visitor and certain other non-immigrant visa categories will increase from $160 to $185, effective June 17, 2023. Similarly, the application fee for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205.  Applicants who paid for their visa application before May 30, 2023, will not be charged any additional fees.

For more information click here.

Expedited Appointments:  Applicants can request an expedited appointment through our online appointment system at https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en/expedited-appointment. You must already have a confirmed interview appointment date in order to request an expedited appointment. If your expedited appointment request is approved, you will be notified with instructions via email.

Expedited appointment are only approved for visa applicants going to the U.S. for urgent medical treatment, for the funeral of a close relative, or for urgent business travel.  Please note that due to the high volume of requests, we cannot accommodate all business travelers prior to their planned travel dates, even if the purpose of travel is time sensitive.  Requests for emergency appointments to attend weddings and graduations will not be approved.

What is a Visa?

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport.

Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Visa section of this website is about U.S. visas for foreign citizens and nationals to travel to the United States. Visit Travel.State.gov for additional information.

Note: U.S. citizens do not need a U.S. visa for travel to the United States. When planning travel abroad a U.S. citizen may need a visa issued by the embassy or consulate of the country they wish to visit.

What Type of Visa Do You Need?

For short-term visits to the United States (for tourism, business, education, and more), you can go directly to the online application (form DS-160). For immigrant visas,  which are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live and work permanently in the United States, you can visit the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services site for the relevant forms.  If you are unsure what type of visa you need, please use the Visa Wizard below.