International Freight
Forwarding Companies:
If you are moving personal
effects to Gambia from the UK, USA or the EU, there are a number
of overseas freight forwarding companies who specialise in
shipping household goods to Banjul by sea and air freight.
Among these specialised, worldwide relocation firms are
AGS Frasers, Redcoat Express
UK / USA,
Global Shipping Net who can handle freight services to Gambia by offering
personalised household collection,
secure warehousing storage and overseas shipment of residential
items to the Port of Banjul or door-to-door to your residential
abode in Gambia.
If you are
forwarding a large quantity of household personal effects then
the advise is to go for an international removals company that
can send personal household belongings by sea freight to the port of Banjul
as this would be the cheapest option. On the other hand if you
simply need excess or unaccompanied baggage delivered then you
may want to consider sending your personal possessions by air
freight service instead.
If you are moving your household goods by sea, your
belongings will be packed into large
containers which might manage to fill a full container load
called FCL. They are most often
made of metal, that are usually loaded
at your house. They are then transported to a port where
they are then loaded on to a container ship. Once your personal
belongings have
arrived in the Gambia, the container is unloaded and must
go through Customs checks and paperwork processing.
International movers will be able to help you with the custom
forms and are responsible for clearing your goods from the Port
of Banjul.
Please not that, if you send your furniture by
ship, bear in mind you will be without furniture if you arrive
well ahead of your belongings.
Packing Tips:
Be aware that items can and do get stolen or go missing on
route to Gambia. Most of the time it is the smaller items that
are stolen
when packing boxes get damaged. To reduce the risk of this
happening you should pack
the walls of the box with larger items and place the smaller
ones towards the middle.
If you decide to relocate by air cargo, this is a quicker but more
expensive choice. It would be necessary to pack your personal
belongings
into smaller boxes. You will still have to go through the
Customs checks at Banjul Airport.
Advice on Choosing
a Freight Moving Company
to Gambia:
You should find at the bare minimum 3
separate moving companies who are experienced with international moves,
and consider your options thoughtfully. Do not just consider the
price that a removals firm quotes you, you should also consider
the full range of services they offer as well as security.
1)
What type of insurance does the firm offer? What is covered by
the policy? Ask to see their insurance copy documents and read
the small print. Are you covered by the policy until your goods
are cleared from the port.
2)
Ask about the company’s experience, how long have they been in
the international removals business and do they have clearing
agents in Gambia?
3)
Write down the logistics of the removal. What time will the
pick up van arrive? Approximately how long will it take to
complete the loading process?
4)
Does the firm have any references and can you contact their
former
clients?
5) Is the company a member of any of the recognised trade associations?
6)
Find out where your items will be stored prior to international
shipment to Gambia and what is the security situation at their
storage depot.
7)
Ask your removals company about all the required Customs forms. Will they handle
this for you and fill out all forms? Are they authorised to do
so?
8)
Do ask about what restrictions the Gambia has. Do
your own research on this and make sure that it tallies with
the information you are provided with.
9) Does the quote inclusive of all charges, for example destination
port charges and destination customs clearances?
You tend to find that this is where a low quotation from one company
might turn out to be not so good, if these charges are excluded
from the firm's fee.
Shipping Cars to
Banjul:
Take your time and do a lot of research on this issue.
Importation taxes on
vehicles, for example, can vary dramatically
depending on the year and model of the car. Here in the
Gambia cars are left-hand drive while in the UK cars are
right-hand drive so you should consider selling you vehicle and
flying over to Amsterdam over a weekend where you can buy a
cheap second-hand car and pay for shipment through Rotterdam en
route to Banjul.
You may also want to consider buying a car
in Gambia as this would save you the hassle of going through
customs clearance at the port.
How To Pack Boxes:
1) If you are using used boxes,
ensure you
cover over all print on the boxes with brown adhesive
tape, otherwise you can use plain moving boxes or wooden
removals crates.
2) Ensure that there is adequate padding for
fragile items. Every box should be filled to full capacity to
minimise internal movement. Avoid using newspaper to fill any
gaps. Sometimes double boxing
with foam in between the voids is a good method for quite
fragile goods.
3) Do not pack any hazardous materials or restricted items such
as aerosols, alcohol, and even perfume. If you are
not sure of any item that might be restricted for shipment, please
contact
your shipping agent.
4) All boxes should be closed and sealed with sturdy adhesive tape.
5) Label each box with your full name and the shipping address
in Gambia. Be sure to number your boxes e.g. 1 of 10, 2 of 10
etc.
Note: This list is not exhaustive. These are just some of the
tips when packing crates and boxes for international removals to
Gambia.
Living in Gambia
Expat Contacts |
 How to Get to Gambia?
If you are an expatriate leaving from the UK to Gambia on a charter
flight you will fly from
Gatwick airport (or possibly
Manchester) to Banjul. The
flight takes about 5 hours 40 minutes. Brussels
Airlines flies to The Gambia
via Brussels (you need to change plane at Brussels
Airport). Once you have cleared immigration in The Gambia there are
porters available to help you with your luggage - using a
porter will speed your passage through customs. It is helpful to
inform the Customs Inspector that
you are coming to work in Gambia. A porter will take your luggage to
your waiting vehicle in the car park and will expect a tip, $1 should
suffice.
What do I need to do before I go?
You must have a full current passport. Most EU and Commonwealth
citizens can obtain a visitor’s visa stamp in their passport on
arrival. This will be restricted (usually to 14 or 28 days). For
US citizens and French Nationals a visa is required before
arrival in The Gambia. Other nationalities should check with
their nearest Gambian High Commission or their travel agent.
What should I take if I intend to stay in The Gambia?
In the UK one can obtain VAT exemption for the majority of items that
are purchased for export outside the EU. Please inform
the retailer if you are planning to export the goods to The Gambia so
that VAT exemption forms are completed at the time of
purchase.
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