Senegal – Possible restoration of the entry visa for foreign tourists

Introduced in 2013 and then withdrawn in 2015, the entry visa will soon be restored for travellers wishing to visit Senegal.

In the spirit of the times, the Senegalese authorities have been preparing to restore the entry visa requirement for foreigners (excluding ECOWAS residents) in recent weeks.

It was at the microphone of RFI Africa that the Senegalese Minister of the Interior, Mr. Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, confirmed that, notably for security and reciprocity reasons, the entry visa would be restored for foreigners wishing to visit Senegal.

European nationals will therefore soon be affected by this requirement, from which travellers residing in ECOWAS countries will be exempt.

The Minister states that « for security reasons, we need to know who is coming in and out of the country and to control these arrivals. The file is very advanced, for implementation by the end of the year ».

Regarding the methods of issuing the next visa, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye is open to the use of several means, in particular electronic with the e-Visa or on arrival at the country’s border posts.
It will now be necessary to wait for the formalization of the country’s presidency to find out how President Macky Sall will decide between his two ministers and whether the entry visa will indeed be restored.