Visitor's visa

A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days.

All citizens of The Gambia must hold a valid Schengen visa or residence permit to enter the Schengen area.

If you plan to visit more than one Schengen country in the course of one trip, or if you plan several separate trips within a period of two months, you must submit your application to the embassy or consulate of the country that is your main destination based on the length of your stay, or the purpose of stay.

If you plan to visit several Schengen countries and the main destination cannot be determined, you must submit your application to the embassy or consulate of the country that is your first point of entry to the Schengen area.

All enquiries should be directed to the VFS centre in Dakar.

The Norwegian Embassy in Accra, Ghana is responsible for processing applications from the Gambia.

SCHENGEN AREA

Before you apply

You should apply well in advance and as a rule no later than 15 days before you plan to travel. Due to the courier sending of documents in some countries, we recommend that you apply at least 4 weeks prior to your planned departure.
You may submit your application up to six months before your planned departure, or up to nine months for seafarers.
We recommend that you do not buy your ticket until a visa has been granted.
You must register your application online before you can hand in the required documentation.
When you hand in your application, you will be asked to provide fingerprints, unless your fingerprints have been collected within the last 59 months.

In order to apply for a visa from The Gambia you must either be a citizen of The Gambia or legally reside here.

You should apply to Norway if:
• Norway is the only Schengen country you will visit.
• Norway is the main destination of your trip (i.e. where you will spend the most days).
• If there is no main destination, you should apply to the first Schengen country you enter.

All applications for visas should be submitted at the Visa Application Centre (VFS) in Dakar. Applicants can no longer submit applications directly to the Norwegian Embassy in Accra.

All enquiries should also be directed to the VFS Application Centre.

Gather the necessary documentation

Online registration and payment

Before you can hand in your passport and other documentation, you must register your application online and pay the fee. If this is the first time you are registering an application in the portal, you will need to create a user account first.

Once you have completed the application form online and paid the fee, you will receive confirmation by email with a copy of your application form (schengen.pdf), application summary and payment receipt attached. You need to print the application form (schengen.pdf) and submit it together with the other required documentation

Begin your online registration

Application fee

The visa fee is EUR 80. Children under six years do not pay a fee. Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a visa fee of EUR 40. Please visit the UDI website for information about other groups exempted from the visa fee.

Please note that you pay the fee when registering the application in the portal. Applicants exempted from the visa fee requirement will have the fee refunded.

If you are a applying for a visa as a family member to an EU/EEA citizen you are not required to pay the application fee.

Please note that there two separate fees to be paid:

1) The application fee of € 80 must be paid electronically by VISA/MasterCard or similar credit or debit cards - after filling out the application form online. The application cannot be submitted electronically before the payment has been made.

2) VFS Global charges an additional service fee of € 30 in local currency. This fee must be paid directly upon submission of the applications to VFS. Please note that the VFS service fee is non-refundable.

Frequently asked questions about payment online.

Frequently asked questions about payment online

Hand in your documents

You must bring with you:

a printout of the application form (schengen.pdf) received by email;
the checklist and the documents listed.
Your passport (must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure from the Schengen area)
Photograph (must comply with international standards)
Your travel health insurance policy
- You should be covered for at least EUR 30 000, including expenses in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, treatment in medical emergencies and/or emergency hospital treatment, and death
- Your insurance should be valid in all Schengen countries
- It should cover the whole of your planned stay in the Schengen area
- It should as a rule be purchased in your home country. If this is not possible it may be purchased in another country.

The application process will start once all the required documents have been submitted.

Visa Application Centre (VFS Global)
Immeuble ATRYUM Center
Ground floor
Km, 8 Route de Ouakam DAKAR, Sénégal
Tel: +221 33 860 60 06
Website: www.vfsglobal.com/norway/senegal

You do not need to book an appointment.

You must visit the VFS in person. You cannot send someone else to submit on your behalf. VFS will collect biometrics from all first-time applicants.

Processing time

The processing time for applications is normally up to 15 calendar days after the embassy or consulate has received the application. In some cases, applications are sent to the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), and the processing time in these cases may be up to 45 calendar days.

VFS will send your application to the embassy the day after submission.

We will contact you if we need more information. The application process will start once all the required documents have been submitted.

The VFS may contact you for an interview in at the embassy if necessary.

Result of your application

VFS is mandated to notify you by telephone once there is a decision on your application

The decision can be picked up at the Visa Application Centre (VFS) where the application was submitted or can be delivered by courier service for an extra cost. More information about DHL charges to different destinations both local and international dispatch.

If you have been granted a visa, a sticker will be placed in your passport. Please check the duration of stay specified on the sticker. The duration of stay indicates how many days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area.

If your application has been rejected, you will receive a written explanation for the reasons of refusal. You can appeal the decision within 3 weeks. More information on appeals.

On arrival

When you cross the border into the Schengen area, you will have to present:

your passport with the visa sticker
proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay (e.g. cash or a credit card). If you have a guarantee form, you should also bring a copy of this with you.
documentation showing the purpose of your visit, such as an invitation, hotel reservation, etc.
a return or round trip ticket if you are visiting the Schengen area for tourist purposes or private reasons

You may be asked to provide fingerprints by the border control officer, in which case these will be compared with the fingerprints provided when you applied for your visa.
As long as your visa is valid, you can travel around freely in the Schengen area, or in the specific Schengen countries covered by the visa. If you leave the Schengen area, for example to visit the UK or Svalbard, you will need a multiple entry visa.