Senegal entry requirements, by passport

What draws travelers to Senegal

Senegal is one of the easiest gateways to West Africa: stable, well connected by air from Europe, and a mix of historical memory, colonial towns and delta wildlife. Gorée Island, off Dakar, was one of the centres of the Atlantic slave trade and is today a place of memory — a World Heritage site since 1978, the country's first. Saint-Louis, the former colonial capital on an island at the mouth of the Senegal River, keeps its 19th-century layout and is also on the list. For nature, the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (the world's third-largest bird reserve, millions of migratory birds in season), the Saloum Delta (mangroves, shell mounds) and Niokolo-Koba National Park, in the southeast, are the three big protected areas, all World Heritage sites. Bassari Country, in the far southeast, adds cultural landscapes of mountain peoples. Senegal has 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Lake Retba (the "Pink Lake"), near Dakar, was for decades a draw for its colour, which has faded considerably since the 2022 floods. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises caution and avoiding certain areas: the Casamance region (Ziguinchor, Sédhiou, Kolda), under military control, with night-travel restrictions and landmines in some spots, and the eastern and northeastern border areas (Tambacounda, Kédougou, Matam) because of the risk of terrorism and kidnapping linked to the Sahel crisis.

Sources for this section: whc.unesco.org (World Heritage List, 7 sites in Senegal: Gorée 1978, Djoudj 1981, Niokolo-Koba 1981, Saint-Louis 2000, Stone Circles of Senegambia 2006, Saloum Delta 2011, Bassari Country 2012); Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel advice for Senegal (Casamance, border areas). Accessed 6 September 2026.