What does it take to get an e-money licence in The Gambia?
To hold an e-money licence in The Gambia, you need the Mobile money operator licence from Central Bank of The Gambia. Published timeline: The Bank decides within thirty days of receiving the complete information requested under §4.1 (Mobile Money Regulation 2011 §4.2). 2 entities currently hold an e-money licence in The Gambia. Full requirements — minimum capital, local presence, timeline, local ownership, fees and ongoing obligations — are set out below in each instrument's own words, with source and date; amounts are in the statute's own currency.
“E-money issuance” here is the normalized activity: Issue stored-value / electronic money redeemable at par and hold the customer float. The category of licence that lets a provider keep customers' money.
Activity id (as used by the Afriset MCP): fintech:EMONEY_ISSUE
Mobile money operator
Central Bank of The Gambia| Requirement | As published | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum capital | Not officially published: No official e-money-issuer capital figure is published: the Mobile Money Regulation 2011 expressly excludes « an authorised e-money issuer » from its D10M core-capital floor and refers such an issuer to the E-Money Regulation, an instrument referenced in the Mobile Money Regulation's own definitions but not published on cbg.gm (gate flag 1). | Regulation for the Provision of Mobile Money Services, 2011 — §4.1/4.2 (authorisation process, 30-day decision, LLC-in-Gambia, D10k fee), §4.5 (12-month renewal), §5.1/5.2 (D10M core capital + D5M security deposit), definitions (retail-transfer D10k cap; e-money issuer carve-out) | 2011-10-15 |
| Local presence / incorporation | The applicant must be a limited liability company registered in The Gambia (Mobile Money Regulation 2011 §4.2(a) — the authorisation condition for any mobile-money payment service provider). Verbatim“The person is a limited liability company registered in The Gambia” | Regulation for the Provision of Mobile Money Services, 2011 — §4.1/4.2 (authorisation process, 30-day decision, LLC-in-Gambia, D10k fee), §4.5 (12-month renewal), §5.1/5.2 (D10M core capital + D5M security deposit), definitions (retail-transfer D10k cap; e-money issuer carve-out) | 2011-10-15 |
| Timeline | The Bank decides within thirty days of receiving the complete information requested under §4.1 (Mobile Money Regulation 2011 §4.2). Verbatim“The Bank shall, within 30 days of receiving the complete information requested under 4.1, authorise a person as a payment service provider” | Regulation for the Provision of Mobile Money Services, 2011 — §4.1/4.2 (authorisation process, 30-day decision, LLC-in-Gambia, D10k fee), §4.5 (12-month renewal), §5.1/5.2 (D10M core capital + D5M security deposit), definitions (retail-transfer D10k cap; e-money issuer carve-out) | 2011-10-15 |
| Local ownership | No such requirement: The Mobile Money Regulation 2011 imposes no local-shareholding or nationality cap on a mobile money operator. | Regulation for the Provision of Mobile Money Services, 2011 — §4.1/4.2 (authorisation process, 30-day decision, LLC-in-Gambia, D10k fee), §4.5 (12-month renewal), §5.1/5.2 (D10M core capital + D5M security deposit), definitions (retail-transfer D10k cap; e-money issuer carve-out) | 2011-10-15 |
| Fees | A non-refundable application fee of Ten Thousand dalasis (D10,000) is lodged with the Bank (Mobile Money Regulation 2011 §4.2(i)). Verbatim“The person has lodged a non-refundable application fee with the Bank of Ten Thousand Dalasis or any such amount that may be determined by the Bank from time to time.” | Regulation for the Provision of Mobile Money Services, 2011 — §4.1/4.2 (authorisation process, 30-day decision, LLC-in-Gambia, D10k fee), §4.5 (12-month renewal), §5.1/5.2 (D10M core capital + D5M security deposit), definitions (retail-transfer D10k cap; e-money issuer carve-out) | 2011-10-15 |
| Ongoing obligations | The authorisation is valid for and renewable each twelve-month period, and remains in force while a renewal application is pending (§4.5); a retail transfer to a payee holding no payment account may not exceed ten thousand dalasis (definitions); quarterly reporting to the Bank applies (§13). Verbatim“An authorisation made under this clause may on expiry be renewed for a further period of twelve months, provided that where an application for renewal is made the authorisation shall be deemed to continue in force until the application for renewal is determined.” | Regulation for the Provision of Mobile Money Services, 2011 — §4.1/4.2 (authorisation process, 30-day decision, LLC-in-Gambia, D10k fee), §4.5 (12-month renewal), §5.1/5.2 (D10M core capital + D5M security deposit), definitions (retail-transfer D10k cap; e-money issuer carve-out) | 2011-10-15 |
Requirements as published in the cited instruments — not legal or compliance advice. Capital and fees are shown in the currency the statute itself uses. Where a value is located but not yet verified, we show that it exists but don't publish the figure. Verify directly with the regulator.
Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-04 · unchanged since the previous check.
Who already holds this licence?
2 entities are on the Central Bank of The Gambia register under the Mobile money operator category — view the register .
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