Resume rules in the Gambia
What employers in the Gambia expect on a Curriculum Vitae (CV), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for the Gambia or a resume for the Gambia: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in English.
This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.
Law and practice, side by side
The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.
Photo: Optional
Optional; increasingly uncommon in government and formal hiring
What the law says: No specific legal requirement. General non-discrimination principles apply under Gambia's Labour Act.
Date of birth: Common
Common; included by many candidates, but legally unprotected if used to discriminate
What the law says: Labour Act prohibits age discrimination in employment; date of birth on CV is not legally required
Marital status: Uncommon
Uncommon; not typically included
What the law says: No specific prohibition; marital status unrelated to employment under Labour Act
Sex or gender: Optional
Optional; some candidates include pronouns or identity, others omit
What the law says: No specific requirement; gender discrimination prohibited under Labour Act and Constitution
Nationality: Optional
Optional; typically omitted unless relevant for position requirements
What the law says: Not specifically regulated for CV content; work authorization is separate legal requirement
National ID number: Uncommon
Uncommon; not standard practice
What the law says: Not required on CV; national ID used for employment verification by employer separately
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Language to submit in
- English
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages
- Address detail expected
- City/region typically included; full home address increasingly avoided for privacy
- Signature and date
- Not required; electronic CVs standard, handwritten signatures rare
- Officially prescribed form
- None; Europass sometimes used for regional positions but not mandatory
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- PROTECTED. Gambia's Labour Act and Constitution prohibit discrimination based on religion, ethnic origin, or race. Employers cannot request or act on this information. Candidates should NOT include.
- Health, disability or pregnancy
- PROTECTED. Employment Act and Disability Policy prohibit discrimination. Medical information not legally required on CV.
- Other customary attachments
- References increasingly requested by employers post-CV, not on document itself; no certificates or clearances mandatory at CV stage
- Employer may not ask for
- Age, religion, ethnic origin, family status, disability status, health conditions, sexual orientation, political affiliation, trade union membership
- Named statutes
- Labour Act 2007 (revised); Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia (1997); Disability Policy (2015); Not found: specific statute prohibiting collection of protected data on CVs
- Data protection regime
- Not found; Gambia lacks comprehensive data protection legislation. No national DPA. Limited protections in Labour Act.
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Gambia Labour Act 2007 (Chapter 267, Laws of The Gambia); Constitution Article 33 (equality); Disability Policy 2015
- Local language source
- English only
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. Medium confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.
Notes: Gambia has no comprehensive employment law or data protection framework comparable to GDPR or regional equivalents. Most information based on Labour Act provisions and general Commonwealth employment principles. Web sources on Gambian recruitment practices very limited. Cannot verify current government guidance on CV content.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this