Working in the Gambia: rules, fees and vacancies

The Labour Act 2023, the new framework for work

The labour law adopted in 2023 governs employment relations in the Gambia; its text is available in the ILO NATLEX database. For the foreign workforce, it works through expatriate quotas managed by several bodies, rather than through individual permits.

Working hours set by the contract

Section 85, subsection 3, defines normal working hours as those set out in the contract. No numerical legal limit appears in the part of the text that was read, so it is essential to have the hours specified in writing.

Three bodies to manage expatriates

The Expatriate Quota Allocation Board advises the minister, who approves the quotas. A secretariat headed by the Commissioner of Labour handles the applications. A monitoring and enforcement committee, which includes the immigration service, checks that the rules are respected.

The 80/20 rule

According to the Gambia Immigration Department, the quota aims for a workforce made up of 80% Gambians and 20% foreigners. Foreigners are limited to skills unavailable locally, so a foreign candidate must demonstrate a genuinely scarce qualification.

What an expatriate costs

The form costs 100 dalasis. The employer then pays the Gambia Revenue Authority 10,000 GMD per expatriate per year for an ECOWAS national and 50,000 GMD for a non-national. These fees are borne by the company, not the candidate.

A mandatory replacement plan

The company must also present a dated plan for replacing the expatriate with a Gambian and submit monthly reports. A foreigner's post is therefore designed as temporary, with skills transfer to local staff expected.

An official source to handle with care

The immigration page assigns the quota secretariat to an immigration officer, whereas the Labour Act 2023 entrusts it to the Commissioner of Labour. The page may predate the law; confirm the fees and the contact point before submitting an application.

Minimum wage: amount not confirmed

The Labour Advisory Board reviews pay levels for employees qualified through trade tests, under section 28 of the law. However, the amount of a national minimum wage has not been verified; negotiate your pay and have it written into the contract.

GamJobs, the Gambian job board

GamJobs publishes vacancies located in the Gambia and is the national platform identified. Experienced managers can supplement it with pan-African sites for expatriates, presented on our page job and recruitment sites in Africa.

Teaching: comparative data

A World Bank study on teacher pay includes the Gambia among fifteen African countries. Candidates for this profession will find benchmarks on our page working in education in Africa.

A country enclosed by Senegal

The Gambia is surrounded by Senegalese territory, except on its Atlantic coast. Many candidates therefore compare the two markets: see employment in Senegal, which is French-speaking, and employment in Guinea-Bissau, another neighbour in the region.

What remains to be documented

The unemployment rate, the breakdown of employment by sector and the existence of a public employment agency could not be verified. For this information, contact the ministry in charge of labour or the ILO offices covering the region.

Gambian bodies and platforms

• Gambia Immigration Department: Immigration service that publishes the rules and fees of the expatriate quota.
• Commissioner of Labour: Official in charge of the expatriate quota secretariat under sections 34 and 35 of the Labour Act 2023.
• Expatriate Quota Allocation Board: Board established by the Labour Act 2023 to advise the minister, who approves expatriate quotas.
• Labour Advisory Board: Advisory body that reviews pay levels for employees qualified through trade tests.
• Gambia Revenue Authority: Tax administration that collects the annual expatriate quota fees paid by employers.
• GamJobs: Job vacancy platform for the Gambia, with adverts sorted by location.
• JobnetAfrica: Job board for local and expatriate managers in Africa, a useful complement for senior posts.

Steps towards a job in the Gambia

1. Consult GamJobs and pan-African sites, then draw up a list of target employers in your field.
2. Write a CV in English, the official language and working language of Gambian employers.
3. If you are a foreigner, check that the post requires a skill unavailable locally.
4. Ask the employer to apply for a place in its expatriate quota and to pay the fees.
5. Have the hours, salary and contract length specified in writing before signing.
6. Wait for official approval of the quota before starting any work.

Known amounts and rules

What the file must contain

• CV in English
• Valid passport
• Legalised degrees and professional certificates
• Employment contract specifying normal working hours
• Criminal record certificate
• For a foreigner, expatriate quota approval obtained by the employer
• Dated replacement plan provided by the employer

Pitfalls to avoid in the Gambia

• Paying quota fees yourself when an intermediary demands them: the annual levy is owed by the employer to the tax administration, never to an individual.
• Looking for an individual work permit when the 2023 law relies on the company's expatriate quota.
• Arriving on a visitor visa to work while waiting for the quota, at the risk of penalties during inspections.
• Accepting a contract without specified hours, since the law refers to the contract to define normal hours.
• Relying on an administrative page without checking that it takes account of the Labour Act 2023.

Information up to date as of October 2026. AfriqueJob.com does not recruit and never asks for money: beware of offers that demand fees.