Expatriate Quota

Expatriate quota management and control is under the Ministry of Trade. The Gambia Immigration Department serves as the secretariat and the enforcement pillar to ensure that quota payments, procedure and rules are implemented effectively and efficiently.

Like the immigration department being a stakeholder, the Ministry of trade, Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) and Labour Department are also an integral part of the Expatriate Quota management and control.

Consistent with the Labour Act, credence and consideration of most categories of Jobs are meant and allocated for Gambian citizens. Therefore, investors and businessmen and women are prohibited to hire and bring into the country persons to handle position or jobs in their businesses for which qualified Gambians are available to handle or perform.

Essentially, an expatriate is a position held by an expert in an establishment, organization or a business enterprise that Gambians cannot occupy. The purpose is to debar or deter so-called experts from occupying a position that Gambians can occupy and the sole purpose is not to generate revenue but to create employment opportunities for Gambian youths. The status quo is that the total workforce should comprise 80% Gambians and 20% non-Gambians with skill that are not available in the Gambia. There is an expatriate quota secretariat which is headed by an immigration officer.

The application procedure for expatriate quota follows the steps mentioned below:

    1. Application form shall be issued by the secretariat at a cost of one hundred dalasi (D100);
    2. The application form shall be filled and signed by the duly authorized officials of the applicant establishment;
    3. Filled forms shall be returned to the secretariat for processing.
    4. Establishments are required to submit a monthly report on the utilization of the expatriate quota approval issued to them by the Board. For any visiting expatriate, regardless of whether such expatriate is on business or temporary work, should also be disclosed in the expatriate quota monthly report.
  1. The payroll of the company.
  2. Certificate of incorporation.
  3. Memorandum and articles of association.
  4. Joint venture and partnership agreements.
  5. Company current tax clearance certificate.
  6. Program/strategy for the reduction of expatriates with specific target dates to convert the expatriate position to the Gambian positions.
  7. Organizational chart or an organogram.
  8. Advertisement report(s); and
  9. Interview report and list of successful candidates.

Upon approval of the recommendations of expatriate quota allocation Board, the coordinator shall communicate the decision to the secretariat. Consequently, the secretariat shall convey the approval including a demand note to the applicant who will then pay the following applicable rates per expatriate to the Gambia Revenue Authority:

  • ECOWAS Nationals D10,000 (ten thousand dalasi only) per annum
  • NON-ECOWAS Nationals D50,000 (forty thousand dalasi only) per annum

Application procedures for expatriate quota

The application procedure for expatriate quota follows the steps mentioned below:

  1. Application form shall be issued by the secretariat at a cost of one hundred dalasi (D100);
  2. The application form shall be filled and signed by the duly authorized officials of the applicant establishment;
  3. Filled forms shall be returned to the secretariat for processing.
  4. Establishments are required to submit a monthly report on the utilization of the expatriate quota approval issued to them by the Board. For any visiting expatriate, regardless of whether such expatriate is on business or temporary work, should also be disclosed in the expatriate quota monthly report.

Documents Required

  1. The payroll of the company.
  2. Certificate of incorporation.
  3. Memorandum and articles of association.
  4. Joint venture and partnership agreements.
  5. Company current tax clearance certificate.
  6. Program/strategy for the reduction of expatriates with specific target dates to convert the expatriate position to the Gambian positions.
  7. Organizational chart or an organogram.
  8. Advertisement report(s); and
  9. Interview report and list of successful candidates.

Fee for Expatriaite

Upon approval of the recommendations of expatriate quota allocation Board, the coordinator shall communicate the decision to the secretariat. Consequently, the secretariat shall convey the approval including a demand note to the applicant who will then pay the following applicable rates per expatriate to the Gambia Revenue Authority:

  • ECOWAS Nationals D10,000 (ten thousand dalasi only) per annum
  • NON-ECOWAS Nationals D50,000 (forty thousand dalasi only) per annum

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