Visa for Sweden from The Gambia: price, documents and processing time 2026

Yes. A citizen of The Gambia must obtain a Schengen Type C visa for a tourist stay in Sweden, valid for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Sweden must be your main destination for its authorities to be responsible. No visa is issued on arrival, the application must be made in advance.

The published fee is the government charge alone. Two or three other lines are added before the visa is in the passport, and they are what makes the final bill.

• Government fee90 EUR

  Schengen scale: €90 for an adult, €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, free below 6. Some facilitation agreements set a lower rate, the consulate confirms which applies to you.

• Application centre feeCapped at €45

  The Visa Code caps an external provider’s service fee at half the visa fee. It is charged on top, and it is not refunded either.

• Agency or online serviceOptional, added on top

  Never compulsory. An intermediary fills the form for you, it does not change the decision or the processing time.

• ExtrasVariable

  Courier return, SMS tracking, compliant photo, insurance, sworn translation or legalisation, depending on what the post requires.

We only display amounts published by an official source. Confirm the total before paying anything.

Prepare: the completed and signed Schengen form, a passport valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure with two blank pages, two compliant photos, travel insurance covering at least €30,000, a return flight booking, proof of accommodation, financial evidence and the purpose of travel. The visa fee is normally €90 for an adult, with a possible service fee on top.

Sweden does not maintain an embassy in every country; for The Gambia, responsibility often lies with a regional Swedish mission (for example in Dakar) or a partner visa application centre (VFS Global). Check which embassy is responsible, book an appointment and attend in person for fingerprinting. The file is forwarded to the Swedish Migration Agency for a decision.

• Your application goes to the state that is your main destination. If Sweden is where you spend the longest, it handles the file, whatever the entry point.
• With no main destination, the competent state is the one you enter first.
• If Sweden has no consulate in The Gambia, another Schengen state may act on its behalf under a representation arrangement, or the file goes to the post accredited for your country.

Then the application goes to the post accredited for The Gambia, often in a neighbouring capital, or to a state acting on its behalf. Confirm which post is competent with the official source before travelling to a third country to apply, a rejected file at the wrong counter costs the trip and the fee.

The regime follows your nationality, not where you live. If you reside in The Gambia but travel on another country's passport, the rule on this page is not yours. Filing usually still happens from your country of residence, at the post competent for it, but the requirement itself comes from your passport.

Processing normally takes 15 to 45 days; apply no earlier than six months before travel and at least 15 days ahead. A yellow-fever vaccination certificate may be requested depending on your routing, so check the health requirements. Confirm the exact fee, timeline and intake partner on the official source before finalising your bookings.

Refusals often stem from insufficient insurance, poorly evidenced funds, a passport with too little validity, or applying at a mission that is not competent for The Gambia. Do not buy non-refundable tickets before the visa is granted, and keep your dates and itinerary consistent.