Marrying and Sponsoring a Gambian Citizen
Listen to this article- Located in Western Africa bordering North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
- The weather in the Gambia is tropical and hot, and the rainy season starts from June to November. From November to May, the weather is cooler and dry.
- Drought is the main hazard in the country, with rainfall levels have dropped considerably in the last 30 years
Marriage to a Gambian Citizen
Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Gambian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps. The Gambian government imposes strict requirements on foreigners who marry Gambians as an indirect way of discouraging Gambian citizens from moving to other countries.
You must demonstrate to Gambian officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married, or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven and that you have never committed any crimes in the Gambia. This is done by providing various documents, including an Affidavit of Single Status, to the Gambian government either in Gambian or via a Gambian embassy.
If you want to bring your Gambian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Gambian Marriage Basic Requirements
In order to marry a citizen of Gambia, you must demonstrate to the Gambian government that you are eligible to do so. This includes:
- Proof of country of birth
- Proof of single status
- Proof of age requirement
Family Members
If your Gambian spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Gambian Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Gambian citizen.
List of Gambian Consulates in Canada
Calling the Gambia from Canada
- The country code is 220 to call you would dial 011 – 220 – area code – local numbers
The Gambia does not use area codes. Cell numbers begin with a 7 or a 9.
Calling Canada from the Gambia
Dial 00 – 1 – area code – local number
List of Canadian Area Codes
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
The Gambia uses Greenwich Mean Time, or UK time. The Gambia does not observe Daylight Saving Time.
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours The Gambia is Ahead | # of Hours during DST |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 8 hours | 7 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Saskatchewan | 6 hours | 6 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario) | 6 hours | 5 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 5 hours | 4 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 4 hours | 3 hours |
| Newfoundland | 3.5 hours | 2.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in the Gambia
There is no Canadian mission in the Gambia but Canadians can contact the British High Commission if they need assistance.
British High Commission in Banjul48 Atlantic Road Postal Address: Telephone: 220 4495133 |
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Embassy of Canada in Dakarcorner of Galliéni and Amadou Cissé Dia Streets Postal Address: Telephone: 221 33 889 4700 |
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Canadian Government’s Travel Alerts for the Gambia
Sponsoring a Gambian
Want to learn more about sponsoring your Gambian spouse to Canada? Click the button below?
Want to learn more about marrying in the Gambia? Let us know!
Sponsorship Review
Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application. . Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about whether you’ve done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.
