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Money exchange and payments at Banjul International Airport

Last checked 24 October 2026 · 9 sources

Short answer

The Gambia is mainly a cash economy 2. The US$20 Airport Security Fee can be paid in dollars, euros, pounds or dalasi, and card machines at the kiosks are often out of order 1. The Central Bank of The Gambia lists one approved forex bureau with an address at Banjul International Airport 4. Licensed bureaus must display their rates and give a receipt for every deal 5. The US State Department says changing money unofficially is prohibited 3.
Currency
Dalasi. US dollars, euros and CFA francs are widely accepted 3
Security fee
US$20, payable in dollars, euros, pounds or dalasi 1
Approved bureau at the airport
Jah Kunda Foreign Exchange, listed as active 4
Central bank valuation rate
D72.46 per US dollar, as at 23 October 2026 6
Bureau receipt
Required for every transaction 5
Cash over US$10,000
Must be declared to customs 7

Paying the airport security fee

Every passenger pays the US$20 Airport Security Fee on arrival and on departure, except children aged 1 or under and transit passengers. It is paid at marked kiosks in US dollars, euros, British pounds or dalasi 1.

Visa credit cards are accepted at the kiosks, but the UK government says card machines are often out of order 1.

In June 2023 Securiport said the contract sets the fee at US$20 whichever currency is used. It said the dalasi amount had moved from D1,000 to D1,200 with the exchange rate, and that payments in dollars and euros must equal US$20 8. The Ministry of Interior said at the time it had not approved any rise in the fee 8.

Changing money at the airport

The Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) publishes a list of approved forex bureaus. The list carries no date and shows 82 bureaus, all marked active. One, Jah Kunda Foreign Exchange, gives its address as Banjul International Airport 4.

The US State Department advises exchanging money only at banks or exchange bureaus. It says changing money unofficially is prohibited 3.

CBG rules say no person shall carry on foreign exchange business except an authorised dealer with a valid licence. Bureau premises must not be a kiosk or an implant 5.

What a licensed bureau must do

The CBG Board approved revised guidelines for forex bureaus on 25 May 2024. They are issued under the CBG Act 2018 and the Banking Act 2009 5. Under them a bureau must:

  • Display its buying and selling rates for each currency at each premises 5.
  • Display a notice that customers are entitled to a receipt for any purchase or sale 5.
  • Issue a receipt for every transaction showing at least the customer's name, ID or passport number, the currency and amount, a transaction number, and the date and time 5.
  • Check the customer's identity before the deal starts. A passport, national ID card or driving licence is accepted 5.
  • Refuse deals deliberately split into amounts of US$10,000 or below to avoid reporting 5.
  • Display its approved business hours 5.
  • A bureau that breaks the rules, including by not issuing receipts, faces a fine of at least GMD2,000 plus GMD1,000 for each day of the breach 5.

Exchange rates

The CBG publishes daily valuation rates. These are reference rates. Bureaus display their own buying and selling rates 5,6.

Currency17 July 202523 October 2026
US dollar 9,6D71.85 9D72.46 6
Euro 9,6D83.89 9D85.00 6
British pound 9,6D95.28 9D96.72 6

Cards, ATMs and cash

The UK government says The Gambia is primarily a cash-based economy. Visa cards are increasingly accepted at hotels and restaurants, but very few places accept credit cards 2.

There are not many ATMs outside the tourist area of Senegambia, and ATMs elsewhere can be unreliable 2. The US State Department advises using only ATMs at banks, citing the risk of fraud. It says money transfers are widely available at Western Union offices 3.

The UK government advises against taking valuables or large sums of money to the beach or showing them in public 2.

Bringing cash into The Gambia

The Gambia Revenue Authority says foreign currency above US$10,000 or the equivalent must be declared and processed under customs procedures 7.

Common questions

Can I pay the Banjul airport security fee by card?

Visa cards are accepted, but card machines are often out of order. Cash in dollars, euros, pounds or dalasi is accepted 1.

Is there a money exchange at Banjul airport?

The central bank list of approved bureaus includes one with an address at Banjul International Airport 4.

What should a Gambian forex receipt show?

Your name, ID or passport number, the currency and amount, a transaction number, and the date and time 5.

How much is US$20 in dalasi?

Securiport said in June 2023 that US$20 equalled D1,200 8. The central bank valuation rate on 23 October 2026 was D72.46 per US dollar 6.

Do I have to declare cash when entering The Gambia?

Yes, for amounts above US$10,000 or the equivalent 7.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@gambiaairportguide.com.

Sources

  1. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: The Gambia travel advice, entry requirements (updated 7 July 2026)
  2. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: The Gambia travel advice, safety and security (updated 7 July 2026)
  3. US Department of State: The Gambia international travel information (last updated 11 December 2018)
  4. Central Bank of The Gambia: List of approved bureaus (undated page, viewed October 2026)
  5. Central Bank of The Gambia: Revised guidelines for the licensing and operation of foreign exchange bureaus (approved 25 May 2024)
  6. Central Bank of The Gambia: Daily valuation rates, home page (as at 23 October 2026)
  7. Gambia Revenue Authority: Customs FAQs (undated page)
  8. The Point: Securiport denies fee increment (2 June 2023)
  9. Central Bank of The Gambia: Official exchange rates for valuation purposes (17 July 2025)

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