Visitor’s visa and residence permit

A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other Schengen countries for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days. A residence permit gives you the opportunity to work in Norway and to stay for more than 90 days.

Important update!

From the 12th of March 2025, applications for visitor's visa and residence permits submitted in Dakar will be processed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi.

Applicants from the Gambia can submit their applications at VFS Global in Dakar as before. All applications submitted up to, and including, the 11th of March 2025, will be processed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Accra.

Please visit the website of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi for further information on the processing of visa applications submitted on or after the 12th of March 2025.

General information

Citizens of Gambia must hold a visa before entering Norway and other countries in the Schengen area. They need a residence permit to work or to take up residence if their intended stay is longer than 90 days (3 months).

Applications for visitor's visas and residence permits for Norway are handled by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Please see their website for more information on the application process.

All applications for both visas and residence permits must be handed in at one of our VFS Global application centers in any of the listed locations.

Where to hand in your application

Applications for both visas and residence permits must be submitted at one of the VFS Global application centers in any of the listed locations.

If you submit your application outside of Kenya, please allow extra time for shipping to and from the Embassy in Nairobi. This can take up to a week in each direction. It is recommended to apply at least 4 weeks before the intended departure.

VFS Global will forward the applications to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi who will process the visa applications and forward the applications for residence permits to the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) in Norway.

The processing time for visa applications from citizens of the Gambia, the processing time is 45 calendar days.

Important information to citizens of the Gambia

Stricter rules apply to citizens of the Gambia, regardless of where they live, who are applying for a Schengen visa. The processing time is extended to 45 days for all cases. The authority for the stricter rules are two decisions adopted by the European Union.

All applicants must present a complete set of supporting documents when applying for a Schengen visa.
Holders of diplomatic or service passports are required to pay the visa fee.
Only a single-entry Schengen visa can be issued.

The stricter rules do not apply to you if you are

a close family member of an EU/EEU citizen, or
you have been invited by an international organisation, or
you are to attend an international conference organised by a Schengen country

Please allow an additional week from the case is handed in at VFS Global for shipping to/from the Embassy in Nairobi. It is recommended to apply at least 8 weeks before the intended departure. A visa application can be submitted up to 6 months before the planned trip.