Marrying and Sponsoring a Gambian Citizen

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  • 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

Click here 

 

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 Banjul

48 Atlantic Road
Fajara, Banjul
The Gambia

Postal Address:
P.O. Box 507, Banjul, The Gambia

Telephone: 220 4495133
Fax: 220 4496134
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/gambia


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Embassy of Canada in Dakar

corner of Galliéni and Amadou Cissé Dia Streets
Dakar
Senegal

Postal Address:
P.O. Box 3373, Dakar, Senegal

Telephone: 221 33 889 4700
Fax: 221 33 889 4720
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: senegal.gc.ca


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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?

Learn More

 

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.

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