Senegal visa and entry requirements

Senegal's Foreign Ministry lists the nationalities that need no visa for a stay of less than 3 months — among them France, Germany and other European states, the UK, the US, Canada, India and Japan, and African states including Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria. Ireland's foreign ministry says Irish citizens can enter without a visa for up to 90 days. The Foreign Ministry says nationals of countries not on the list, and holders of refugee travel documents, need a visa.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Senegal's Foreign Ministry says visa-exempt visitors need a passport or laissez-passer valid for at least 6 months. The UK government says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive.

Vaccinations

Conditional
  • Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card)) — The UK government says you must have a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country listed as a transmission risk, including if you transited through the airport of such a country, and that babies aged 9 months and under are exempt.

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states whether travel insurance is required to enter Senegal. The UK Foreign Office says to check before you travel that you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation.

Verified Oct 4, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Onward or return ticket

Required

The UK government tells British visitors, who can visit Senegal without a visa for up to 3 months, that they need to show border officials evidence of return or onward travel and proof of their arranged accommodation, and that they may be refused entry without them. Ireland's foreign ministry says Irish citizens entering without a visa must provide evidence of an onward or return ticket.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds amount for Senegal. Ireland's foreign ministry says Irish citizens entering without a visa must provide proof of sufficient funds.

Verified Oct 4, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Customs & currency

The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) sets at 5,000,000 CFA francs the threshold from which anyone entering a West African Monetary Union (UMOA) member state from a third state, or leaving it for a third state, must declare cash and bearer negotiable instruments to customs at the point of entry or exit.

  • Canada's travel advice says some items are subject to strict customs regulations and cannot be brought into Senegal without clearance by Senegalese authorities, including auto parts, computers and computer parts, stereo equipment, tools, and video cameras and players.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: bceao.int (opens in a new tab) · BCEAO Instruction No 231/07/2024 of 16 July 2024

Yellow fever certificate

The UK government says you must have a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country listed as a transmission risk, including if you transited through the airport of such a country, and that babies aged 9 months and under are exempt.

The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk

Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.

  • Angola
  • Argentina — Misiones and Corrientes Provinces
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Colombia
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Ethiopia
  • French Guiana
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Kenya
  • Liberia
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Uganda
  • Venezuela
Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · Source: cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
West African CFA franc (XOF, F CFA)
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK government says cases of robbery, burglary and assault have become more common in Dakar, in some cases involving weapons, that hotels frequented by foreign nationals have been robbed at gunpoint, and that pickpocketing and bag-snatching are on the increase in Dakar. It advises being particularly careful after nightfall, avoiding walking alone, and pre-arranging transport from the airport, as bogus taxi drivers overcharge arrivals.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
C, D, E, K · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 17 · Fire: 18 · Ambulance: 15
Languages
French
Time zone
UTC+0
International Driving Permit

Senegal is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government tells British drivers they can drive in Senegal with a UK driving licence for up to 6 months, and that a 1968 international driving permit may be helpful in offering a translation for traffic officials. Canada's travel advice tells Canadians they can drive with a valid Canadian driver's licence for 90 days, and that beyond this period they must have an international driver's licence together with their Canadian licence. No Senegalese official source we could read states Senegal's own rule on whether a permit is required in addition to a national licence, or for how long a foreign licence may be used.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives a best time to visit Senegal. Canada's travel advice refers to the rainy season from July to October; the UK government gives it as June to September, when torrential rains can cause floods and landslides that damage roads.

Tips & warnings

Senegal's Foreign Ministry says that if your nationality is not on its list, you need a visa to enter Senegal.

The UK government says you must have a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from a country listed as a transmission risk, including if you transited through the airport of such a country.

Canada's travel advice says the security situation in Casamance has improved since the peace agreement of February 2025, but that some rebel factions remain active, particularly along the border with the Gambia. If you travel to Casamance, it advises travelling overland only during the daytime, using only main roads, travelling in a convoy and hiring reputable carriers or tour operators.

The UK government says mobile payment applications such as Orange Money and Wave are widely used around the country.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanVisa required—
AlbaniaVisa required—
AlgeriaVisa required—
AndorraVisa required—
AngolaVisa required—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa required—
ArgentinaVisa required—
ArmeniaVisa required—
AustraliaVisa required—
AustriaVisa-free90 days
AzerbaijanVisa required—
BahamasVisa required—
BahrainVisa required—
BangladeshVisa required—
BarbadosVisa required—
BelarusVisa required—
BelgiumVisa-free90 days
BelizeVisa required—
BeninFree movement90 days
BhutanVisa required—
BoliviaVisa required—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa required—
BotswanaVisa required—
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa required—
BulgariaVisa-free90 days
Burkina FasoVisa-free90 days
BurundiVisa required—
Cabo VerdeFree movement90 days
CambodiaVisa required—
CameroonVisa required—
CanadaVisa-free90 days
Central African RepublicVisa-free90 days
ChadVisa required—
ChileVisa required—
ChinaVisa-free90 days
ColombiaVisa required—
ComorosVisa required—
Costa RicaVisa required—
Côte d'IvoireFree movement90 days
CroatiaVisa-free90 days
CubaVisa required—
CyprusVisa-free90 days
CzechiaVisa-free90 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoVisa required—
DenmarkVisa-free90 days
DjiboutiVisa-free90 days
DominicaVisa required—
Dominican RepublicVisa required—
EcuadorVisa required—
EgyptVisa required—
El SalvadorVisa required—
Equatorial GuineaVisa required—
EritreaVisa required—
EstoniaVisa-free90 days
EswatiniVisa required—
EthiopiaVisa required—
FijiVisa required—
FinlandVisa-free90 days
FranceVisa-free90 days
GabonVisa required—
GambiaFree movement90 days
GeorgiaVisa required—
GermanyVisa-free90 days
GhanaFree movement90 days
GreeceVisa-free90 days
GrenadaVisa required—
GuatemalaVisa required—
GuineaFree movement90 days
Guinea-BissauFree movement90 days
GuyanaVisa required—
HaitiVisa required—
HondurasVisa required—
Hong KongVisa required—
HungaryVisa-free90 days
IcelandVisa required—
IndiaVisa-free90 days
IndonesiaVisa required—
IranVisa required—
IraqVisa required—
IrelandVisa-free90 days
IsraelVisa required—
ItalyVisa-free90 days
JamaicaVisa required—
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordanVisa required—
KazakhstanVisa required—
KenyaVisa-free90 days
KiribatiVisa required—
KosovoVisa required—
KuwaitVisa required—
KyrgyzstanVisa required—
LaosVisa required—
LatviaVisa-free90 days
LebanonVisa required—
LesothoVisa required—
LiberiaFree movement90 days
LibyaVisa required—
LiechtensteinVisa required—
LithuaniaVisa-free90 days
LuxembourgVisa-free90 days
MacauVisa required—
MadagascarVisa required—
MalawiVisa required—
MalaysiaVisa-free90 days
MaldivesVisa required—
MaliVisa-free90 days
MaltaVisa-free90 days
Marshall IslandsVisa required—
MauritaniaVisa-free90 days
MauritiusVisa-free90 days
MexicoVisa required—
MicronesiaVisa required—
MoldovaVisa required—
MonacoVisa required—
MongoliaVisa required—
MontenegroVisa required—
MoroccoVisa-free90 days
MozambiqueVisa required—
MyanmarVisa required—
NamibiaVisa required—
NauruVisa required—
NepalVisa required—
NetherlandsVisa-free90 days
New ZealandVisa required—
NicaraguaVisa required—
NigerVisa-free90 days
NigeriaFree movement90 days
North KoreaVisa required—
North MacedoniaVisa required—
NorwayVisa required—
OmanVisa required—
PakistanVisa required—
PalauVisa required—
PalestineVisa required—
PanamaVisa required—
Papua New GuineaVisa required—
ParaguayVisa required—
PeruVisa required—
PhilippinesVisa required—
PolandVisa-free90 days
PortugalVisa-free90 days
QatarVisa required—
Republic of the CongoVisa-free90 days
RomaniaVisa-free90 days
RussiaVisa required—
RwandaVisa required—
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa required—
Saint LuciaVisa required—
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa required—
SamoaVisa required—
San MarinoVisa required—
São Tomé and PríncipeVisa required—
Saudi ArabiaVisa required—
SenegalFree movement—
SerbiaVisa required—
SeychellesVisa required—
Sierra LeoneFree movement90 days
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaVisa-free90 days
SloveniaVisa-free90 days
Solomon IslandsVisa required—
SomaliaVisa required—
South AfricaVisa required—
South KoreaVisa-free90 days
South SudanVisa required—
SpainVisa-free90 days
Sri LankaVisa required—
SudanVisa required—
SurinameVisa required—
SwedenVisa-free90 days
SwitzerlandVisa required—
SyriaVisa required—
TaiwanVisa required—
TajikistanVisa required—
TanzaniaVisa required—
ThailandVisa required—
Timor-LesteVisa required—
TogoFree movement90 days
TongaVisa required—
Trinidad and TobagoVisa required—
TunisiaVisa-free90 days
TurkeyVisa required—
TurkmenistanVisa required—
TuvaluVisa required—
UgandaVisa required—
UkraineVisa required—
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United StatesVisa-free90 days
UruguayVisa required—
UzbekistanVisa required—
VanuatuVisa required—
Vatican CityVisa required—
VenezuelaVisa required—
VietnamVisa required—
YemenVisa required—
ZambiaVisa required—
ZimbabweVisa required—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

Mauritania12 of 199 passports visa-free · 187 eVisa/ETAMali15 of 199 passports visa-freeGuinea22 of 199 passports visa-free · 177 eVisa/ETAGuinea-Bissau15 of 199 passports visa-freeGambia33 of 199 passports visa-free · 44 eVisa/ETACôte d'Ivoire24 of 199 passports visa-free · 175 eVisa/ETAGhana17 of 199 passports visa-free · 150 eVisa/ETAMorocco77 of 199 passports visa-free · 14 eVisa/ETA

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Senegal?

Senegal's Foreign Ministry says nationals of the countries on its list — including France, Germany and other European states, the UK, the US, Canada, India, Japan and a list of African and other states — need no visa for a stay of less than 3 months, with a passport or laissez-passer valid for at least 6 months. Ireland's foreign ministry says Irish citizens can enter without a visa for up to 90 days. The Foreign Ministry says nationals of countries not on the list need a visa.

How long can visa-exempt visitors stay in Senegal?

Senegal's Foreign Ministry says nationals of exempt countries need no visa for a stay of less than 3 months. The UK government says that to stay longer than 3 months you must register with local authorities after you arrive, and they will issue you with a Carte d'étranger.

How do I get a Senegalese visa?

Senegal's Foreign Ministry says nationals of countries not on its exemption list need a visa, and that holders of refugee travel documents also need one. No official source we could read describes a visa on arrival or the application procedure.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccination for Senegal?

The UK government says you must have a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country listed as a transmission risk, including if you transited through the airport of such a country, that babies aged 9 months and under are exempt, and that you may need a certificate for onward travel to some other countries because of the yellow fever risk in Senegal.

Is Senegal safe for tourists?

The UK government says cases of robbery, burglary and assault have become more common in Dakar, in some cases involving weapons, that hotels frequented by foreign nationals have been robbed at gunpoint, and that pickpocketing and bag-snatching are on the increase in Dakar. It advises being particularly careful after nightfall and pre-arranging transport from the airport because of bogus taxi drivers.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source