Gambia to Senegal Border Crossing Guide (Overland Travel) — Step-by-Step

Border Note: The information shared here reflects our personal experience at the time of crossing. Border requirements, visa rules, fees, and procedures can change without notice. Please verify details with official government sources before your trip.

In this article, we share our experience crossing from The Gambia into Senegal overland with our own vehicle. From all the borders we’ve crossed on our West Africa overland journey, this was by far the easiest and fastest. Below, we provide a step-by-step guide detailing everything you need to know — including the required paperwork, vehicle documents, and practical tips — so your border crossing goes as smoothly as ours did.

After completing your tour of The Gambia, it will be time to re-enter Senegal. You have two main options: cross through the northern Gambian border or the southern frontier. Which route you choose will depend on your overland travel plans, some overlanders choose to go southeast of Senegal, circle around The Gambia, and visit the Casamance region, before crossing into The Gambia and returning to Senegal., while others, like us, travel south through Senegal, cross into The Gambia, and then return via the southern border — a route commonly chosen by overlanders who plan to continue south into Guinea-Bissau. Below, we provide a detailed account of our experience at this crossing, including everything you need to know so you can plan ahead, avoid delays, and get back into Senegal quickly and efficiently.

If Senegal and The Gambia are part of your overland journey through West Africa, be sure to check out our detailed guides that explain everything you need to know to cross into Senegal via Mauritania and into The Gambia via Senegal. These guides cover visas, vehicle paperwork, and border procedures, giving you a complete overview so you can plan and execute your crossings smoothly.

As usual, we chose to cross early in the day and selected the Misera border post. This crossing point was the closest to our location in The Gambia, and I’m glad we chose it — the post is small, laid-back, and the process was fast and easy. We encountered friendly customs and immigration officers throughout. Our day started early in Janjanbureh; we left Assan’s Camping Kolibolong around 6:30 am and arrived at the border by 9:30 am. Before reaching the border, we stopped in the village of Misera at the gas station to fill up our tank (petrol is slightly cheaper here than in Senegal) and exchange money.

Money Exchange

You’ll likely end up with leftover Gambian Dalasi, and this will be your last chance to exchange them into CFA francs. In Misera, several small money exchange bureaus are available, often marked with a Western Union or “Wave” penguin sign, usually painted in blue. We exchanged ours at a small shop directly across from the last gas station (gas station on your left, shop on your right). You can also exchange money at the border itself, but there’s only one shop that does it — ask the Gambian customs officers on the street, and they’ll direct you. The rate at the border is slightly lower than in town.

Exiting The Gambia

At the Gambia border post, park directly in front of the customs office — the half-yellow, half-blue building clearly marked on your right. Hand over your Carnet de Passages through the window. In our case, I had to explain to the customs officer which voucher to keep and how to fill out the export counterfoil, likely because this crossing doesn’t see many overlanders. Despite that, the process went smoothly, the officer was very friendly, and we weren’t asked for any payment.

Police Exit Stamp

After handling customs, walk right next door — the half-yellow, half-brown building to the left of customs. Do not join the departure line — instead, stand in the middle section between arrivals and departures. An officer will guide you inside the building, down the hallway, to the last office on the right. Inside, a police officer will stamp your passport with the exit stamp. The officers were very friendly, and no payment was requested.

Entering Back into Senegal

Drive your vehicle to the Senoba border post — it’s just a short drive, only a couple of blocks. As you pass the “poste de police frontiere de Senoba” sign, you’ll see a small blue open-air building with a metal roof marked “control du flux migratoire” on your left. You can park directly across the street. The main police building is just behind it. Walk inside, and the office you need is the first on your left. Hand your passport through the window, and the officer will provide your Senegal immigration stamp. The process is very quick — it took us about a minute — and no questions or fees were required.

Senegal Customs (Douane)

Next, drive a few yards to the Senegal Douane office, located on your right. Look for the half-white, half-aqua-green building marked Bureau de Senoba, with a Senegalese flag on a flagpole in front. Inside, a customs officer will take your Carnet de Passages.

In our case, the officer initially insisted that he didn’t need to stamp the importation counterfoil, claiming this would only be necessary when leaving Senegal for Guinea-Bissau. We explained that the import counterfoil is required to prove the vehicle entered Senegal, and that the export counterfoils had already been stamped at the Gambia–Senegal border. After discussion, the officer agreed to fill out, sign, and stamp the import counterfoil and take the import voucher. I had to go back briefly because the date was missing. The officer was very professional, and again, no payment was requested.

Important: Always check your Carnet de Passages after the officers complete it. Make sure it is properly filled out, signed, dated, and stamped. Errors on this document can cause serious problems later, so it’s worth taking a moment to confirm everything is correct.

Unlike before, there was no 48-hour temporary permit this time, so a quick trip to Dakar for an extension wasn’t necessary.

That’s it — the Gambia to Senegal border crossing is complete. The entire process should take no more than 20 minutes, the officers are friendly, and there are no official fees.

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