Senegal Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in senegal, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Business Customs

Senegal’s business customs are like French business customs. Americans should expect a high level of sophistication among Senegalese businesspersons.  

The official business attire is suit and tie, even during the hottest months of the year (June-October).  

The Senegalese concept of “Teranga” is very important in business dealings and contacts. The concept centers on a philosophy that welcomes other nationalities to share the Senegalese culture.  In a business environment, Senegalese are welcoming and accommodating. They do not usually say no explicitly, even though they may not be able to deliver what they have promised.  

Travel Advisory

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov. Messages for U.S. citizens traveling to Senegal are flagged on the U.S. Embassy website at https://sn.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/security-and-travel-information/. For the latest COVID-19 information affecting U.S. citizen travelers to Senegal, including COVID-19 testing requirements, please consult https://sn.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/.  

Visas

Short-term visas are available upon arrival in Senegal for U.S. citizens.  U.S. citizens must present a passport valid for at least 90 days.  Please see the Centers for Disease Control Traveler Information for Senegal regarding recommended vaccines and malaria prevention: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/senegal.

U.S. companies that desire travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States are advised that citizens of Senegal who seek to travel to the United States generally must first obtain the proper category of U.S. visa.

Currency

Senegal is a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) which uses the CFA Franc, a convertible currency pegged to the Euro.

Transportation

The country code for Senegal is +221.

Air:  Transportation: Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) is Senegal’s main airport. 28 airlines are operating out of Blaise Diagne.  Dakar is linked to numerous African cities by air, and daily flights go to Europe.  Delta Airlines flies nonstop from New York to Dakar and United Airlines operates a direct flight from Washington to Dakar.

Port:  Dakar has one of the largest deep-water seaports along the West African coast. Its deep-draft structure and 640-foot-wide access channel allows round-the-clock access to the port. Current infrastructure includes tanker vessel loading and unloading terminals, a container terminal with a storage capacity of 3000 20-foot-equivalent units, a cereals and fishing port, a dedicated phosphate terminal, and a privately-run ship repair facility. Senegal Minergy Port (SMP) was awarded a 35-year concession for the design, build, operation, and ownership of a multicommodity dry and liquid bulk port in Bargny-Sendou, Senegal. The facility will be a deep-water port that will be able to handle petroleum products as well as dry bulk volume and will relieve pressure from downtown Dakar’s port.

Additionally, a new port concession at Ndayane was granted to Dubai Ports World, who also manages Dakar’s container terminal. The port’s location at the extreme western point of Africa, at the crossroads of the major sea-lanes linking Europe to South America, makes it a natural port of call for shipping companies. Multiple shipping companies sail to Dakar from U.S. ports, usually by transshipment from Europe. The main direct call U.S./West Africa carriers are Wilhelmsen Lines, Torm Line, America Africa Delmas Line, and Atlantic Container Lines.  In addition, Maersk Line offers weekly sailings from the United States to Dakar with transshipment in Algeciras in southern Spain. Grimaldi offers bi-monthly sailings from the United States direct to Dakar.  Transit time from Houston, New Orleans, and Miami is 34, 36, and 40 days, respectively. Total freight traffic averages 10 million metric tons.    

Ground Transportation:  Black-yellow taxis are cheap, numerous, and available everywhere in Dakar. It is customary to negotiate the fare since most meters installed in the taxis are broken or missing. For travel outside Dakar, public transportation is available but often unreliable and uncomfortable. Unlike Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, Senegal has yet to open its market for Uber-type ride sharing solutions.

U.S. visitors who plan to stay in Dakar a few days may want to hire a car and driver. Numerous car rental agencies offer first-class service and have a desk at the airport and in hotels. Credit cards are accepted for payment. Visitors should note the charge for service from the airport is a flat rate, and the taxi driver will not use the meter. Check if your hotel has an airport shuttle, as this can be the most convenient means of transport to and from the airport.

Language

The official languages of Senegal are French and Wolof. Additional local languages are also spoken. English is not widely spoken. Firms seeking to visit Senegal for market or partner research should consider deploying French-speaking staff and/or hiring an interpreter.

Health

Medical Facilities

U.S. visitors are advised to consult the Center for Disease Control’s page on Senegal prior to their travels. There are several hospitals and clinics in Dakar which can treat major and minor injuries and illnesses. There is inadequate inpatient psychiatric care, though there is very good office-based psychiatry. There are no facilities in Senegal that are at the level of Western European hospitals or U.S. community hospitals, but there are some that are good and can be used in case of an emergency. The Embassy maintains a list of physicians and other health care professionals, although the Embassy does not guarantee their services or recommend physicians.  Medical facilities outside Dakar are limited.

Travelers should carry a supply of any prescription medicines needed along with copies of the prescriptions, including the generic name for the medicine, and a supply of preferred over-the-counter medications.  Consider consulting your medical provider before travelling to Senegal. Medications may be obtained at pharmacies throughout Dakar and in other areas frequented by tourists and are usually less expensive than those in the United States. French medications are far more readily available than American medications, and the limited selection of American medications in stock are often listed under the French trade names. When purchasing medications from Senegalese pharmacies, please check and confirm with the pharmacist that medications are manufactured in the United States or Europe.

Medical Insurance

Travelers should be strongly urged to purchase evacuation insurance prior to traveling abroad. Medical facilities in Senegal will only accept cash and will not accept medical insurance or even credit cards. U.S. medical insurance may cover overseas medical expenses on a pay-and-claim basis, but this is not guaranteed.  

Useful information on medical emergencies abroad, including overseas insurance programs, is provided in the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, available via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page.

Other Health Information

Tap water in Senegal is unsafe. Therefore, avoid drinking tap water, drinks and ice made from tap water, unless advised of their safety by a reliable source. Drink bottled water that is sealed, water that has been filtered, ice made with bottled or filtered water, carbonated drinks, hot coffee, tea, or pasteurized milk.  

Travelers are advised to review and update their vaccines in consultation with a travel medicine provider prior to travel to Senegal. Because some vaccines are provided in a series, please plan a consultation several months in advance. A list of vaccines that are recommended for visitors to Senegal is available on the CDC Senegal travel destination website.

Malaria is a serious risk to travelers in Senegal. Chloroquine resistant P. falciparum malaria is a severe form of the disease that is found in many parts of West Africa, including Senegal. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that a traveler on an appropriate anti-malarial drug has a greatly reduced chance of contracting the disease. Other personal protective measures, such as the use of insect repellents, help to reduce malaria risk. Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area and up to one year after returning home should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what anti-malarial medication they have been taking. For additional information on malaria, protection from insect bites and antimalarial medication, visit the CDC Travelers Health website at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.  

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747), fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC Internet site at www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s website at http://www.who.int/en Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith

Local Time, Business Hours, and Holidays

Dakar is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), four time zones ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST).  Daylight Savings

Time (DST) is not observed in Senegal, thus there is a five-hour time difference during DST in the United States. Business Hours are typically from 0800 to 1800, with a long lunch break (2 hours) typical for government offices.

Holidays

  • January 1 (New Year’s)
  • April 4 (Independence Day)
  • May 1 (International Labor Day)
  • August 15 (Assumption Day)
  • November 1 (All Saints Day)
  • December 25 (Christmas Day)

The following holidays are observed according to the religious calendars: Tabaski, Mawlud, Easter Monday, Ascension, and Pentecost.

Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings

Several types of items  - including computers and computer parts, video cameras and players, stereo equipment, tape players, auto parts, and various tools and spare parts — can be brought into Senegal without clearance by Senegalese customs officials.  

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