Sierra Leone visa and entry requirements

Under the ECOWAS free movement protocol, a Community citizen visiting for up to 90 days enters free of visa requirements, and the official eVisa portal offers no visa for citizens of Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Eswatini, Fiji, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago, and for such a nationality it shows "Your nationality has a Visa free benefit, there is no Visa required". Other nationalities can apply on the official eVisa portal (evisa.sl) — USD 80 single entry, USD 25 for African Union nationals — and the visa is issued on arrival at the airport or border once the application is approved. The UK government says British visitors can also get a visa on arrival for USD 80, paid in cash in US dollars.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 3, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Sierra Leone eVisa

Fee
80 USD
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Stay per entry
30 days
Entries
single

Single entry, for nationals outside the African Union. A multiple-entry visa, valid 365 days with a stay duration of 30 days, costs USD 160. The portal's terms say an online payment processing fee of 4.49% plus a fixed charge of $0.49 is reflected in the final amount due.

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 5, 2026 · evisa.sl · evisa.sl says valid 1 year, multiple entries, stays up to 3 months

eVisa for African Union nationals

Fee
25 USD
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Stay per entry
30 days
Entries
single

Single entry. A multiple-entry visa for African Union nationals, valid 365 days with a stay duration of 30 days, costs USD 50. The portal's terms say an online payment processing fee of 4.49% plus a fixed charge of $0.49 is reflected in the final amount due.

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 10, 2026 · evisa.sl · evisa.sl says valid 1 year, multiple entries, stays up to 3 months

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Sierra Leone's eVisa portal says that to apply, your travel document must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you intend to enter the country.

Verified Oct 9, 2026 · evisa.sl · official portalCompare every country

Vaccinations

Required
  • Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card)) — The UK Foreign Office says you must have a certificate proving yellow fever vaccination to enter Sierra Leone.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.ukCompare every country

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for visitors to Sierra Leone.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · evisa.sl · official portal · archived copy

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source states a return or onward ticket requirement for visitors to Sierra Leone.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · evisa.sl · official portal · archived copy

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for visitors to Sierra Leone.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · evisa.sl · official portal · archived copy

Arrival cards & declarations

Required
  • Sierra Leone Health Declaration Form — The National Public Health Agency's Sierra Leone Health Travel Portal says all travellers must complete a Health Declaration Form upon entry and exit, not more than 72 hours before the intended date of travel. The portal has an arrival form and a departure form. (not more than 72 hours before travel) poep.npha.gov.sl
Verified Oct 9, 2026 · poep.npha.gov.sl · official portalCompare every country

Customs & currency

No official source we could read states Sierra Leone's cash declaration threshold. The Government of Canada says strict rules limit the import of foreign currency in cash.

  • You need an export licence to leave Sierra Leone with precious stones, according to the UK Foreign Office; the Government of Canada says the licence to export precious minerals is issued by the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and reports fraud, including fake certificates of export. The UK Foreign Office says diamond smuggling carries heavy penalties, including prison sentences.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · evisa.sl · official portal · archived copy

Yellow fever certificate

The UK Foreign Office says you must have a certificate proving yellow fever vaccination to enter Sierra Leone.

Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · cdn.who.int · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Sierra Leonean leone (SLE, Le)
Cards & payments
The Government of Canada describes Sierra Leone as a cash-based economy: strict rules limit the import of foreign currency in cash, credit cards are not widely accepted and there are very few ATMs in Freetown. It says to exchange foreign currency only at banks or official foreign exchange offices, and that the US dollar and the euro are the easiest to exchange. The UK Foreign Office says many medical facilities, particularly outside Freetown, only accept cash.
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK Foreign Office says the political situation has improved since the civil war ended in 2002 but can change, and protests can turn violent, so avoid political gatherings and follow any curfews. It says that in a small number of incidents British nationals have been robbed, sometimes at knifepoint, in areas of Freetown and at beach resorts along the Freetown peninsula, and advises trying to complete road journeys in daylight, as risks are higher at night. Canada says armed robberies, carjackings and burglaries have occurred in foreigners' homes, with a heightened risk of serious crime after dark.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk · archived copy
Power plugs
D, G · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 112 · Ambulance: 999 · Fire: 033 / 300 / 301
Time zone
UTC+0
International Driving Permit

Sierra Leone is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection).

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

The Government of Canada says the rainy season extends from May to November, when seasonal flooding can hamper overland travel and mudslides and landslides can make roads impassable; the UK Foreign Office says that during the rainy season from May to October rough seas may delay or cancel the Freetown–Lungi water taxis.

Tips & warnings

The UK Foreign Office says the visa on arrival costs USD 80, paid in cash in US dollars, or you can apply online for an e-visa before you travel.

The UK Foreign Office says Lungi airport is on the far side of a wide estuary from Freetown, around 3 hours by road, and that British High Commission staff do not travel by road after dark; the two main water taxi operators run a reliable 30–45 minute service between Freetown and Lungi, scheduled to align with flight arrivals and departures.

The Government of Canada says the rainy season extends from May to November; seasonal flooding can hamper overland travel, and roads may become impassable due to mudslides and landslides.

The UK Foreign Office says you must have a certificate proving yellow fever vaccination to enter Sierra Leone.

The Government of Canada says the US dollar and the euro are the easiest currencies to exchange, and to exchange foreign currency only at banks or official foreign exchange offices. The Bank of Sierra Leone says its redenomination divides the currency by 1,000, removing three zeros from the leone.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistaneVisa30 days
AlbaniaeVisa30 days
AlgeriaeVisa30 days
AndorraeVisa30 days
AngolaeVisa30 days
Antigua and BarbudaeVisa30 days
ArgentinaeVisa30 days
ArmeniaeVisa30 days
AustraliaeVisa30 days
AustriaeVisa30 days
AzerbaijaneVisa30 days
BahamasVisa-free—
BahraineVisa30 days
BangladesheVisa30 days
BarbadosVisa-free—
BelaruseVisa30 days
BelgiumeVisa30 days
BelizeeVisa30 days
BeninFree movement90 days
BhutaneVisa30 days
BoliviaeVisa30 days
Bosnia and HerzegovinaeVisa30 days
BotswanaVisa-free—
BrazileVisa30 days
BruneieVisa30 days
BulgariaeVisa30 days
Burkina FasoFree movement90 days
BurundieVisa30 days
Cabo VerdeFree movement90 days
CambodiaeVisa30 days
CamerooneVisa30 days
CanadaeVisa30 days
Central African RepubliceVisa30 days
ChadeVisa30 days
ChileeVisa30 days
ChinaeVisa30 days
ColombiaeVisa30 days
ComoroseVisa30 days
Costa RicaeVisa30 days
Côte d'IvoireFree movement90 days
CroatiaeVisa30 days
CubaeVisa30 days
CypruseVisa30 days
CzechiaeVisa30 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoeVisa30 days
DenmarkeVisa30 days
DjiboutieVisa30 days
DominicaeVisa30 days
Dominican RepubliceVisa30 days
EcuadoreVisa30 days
EgypteVisa30 days
El SalvadoreVisa30 days
Equatorial GuineaeVisa30 days
EritreaeVisa30 days
EstoniaeVisa30 days
EswatiniVisa-free—
EthiopiaeVisa30 days
FijiVisa-free—
FinlandeVisa30 days
FranceeVisa30 days
GaboneVisa30 days
GambiaFree movement90 days
GeorgiaeVisa30 days
GermanyeVisa30 days
GhanaFree movement90 days
GreeceeVisa30 days
GrenadaeVisa30 days
GuatemalaeVisa30 days
GuineaFree movement90 days
Guinea-BissauFree movement90 days
GuyanaeVisa30 days
HaitieVisa30 days
HonduraseVisa30 days
Hong KongeVisa30 days
HungaryeVisa30 days
IcelandeVisa30 days
IndiaeVisa30 days
IndonesiaeVisa30 days
IraneVisa30 days
IraqeVisa30 days
IrelandeVisa30 days
IsraeleVisa30 days
ItalyeVisa30 days
JamaicaVisa-free—
JapaneVisa30 days
JordaneVisa30 days
KazakhstaneVisa30 days
KenyaVisa-free—
KiribatieVisa30 days
KosovoeVisa30 days
KuwaiteVisa30 days
KyrgyzstaneVisa30 days
LaoseVisa30 days
LatviaeVisa30 days
LebanoneVisa30 days
LesothoVisa-free—
LiberiaFree movement90 days
LibyaeVisa30 days
LiechtensteineVisa30 days
LithuaniaeVisa30 days
LuxembourgeVisa30 days
MacaueVisa30 days
MadagascareVisa30 days
MalawiVisa-free—
MalaysiaVisa-free—
MaldiveseVisa30 days
MaliFree movement90 days
MaltaeVisa30 days
Marshall IslandseVisa30 days
MauritaniaeVisa30 days
MauritiusVisa-free—
MexicoeVisa30 days
MicronesiaeVisa30 days
MoldovaeVisa30 days
MonacoeVisa30 days
MongoliaeVisa30 days
MontenegroeVisa30 days
MoroccoeVisa30 days
MozambiqueeVisa30 days
MyanmareVisa30 days
NamibiaeVisa30 days
NaurueVisa30 days
NepaleVisa30 days
NetherlandseVisa30 days
New ZealandeVisa30 days
NicaraguaeVisa30 days
NigerFree movement90 days
NigeriaFree movement90 days
North KoreaeVisa30 days
North MacedoniaeVisa30 days
NorwayeVisa30 days
OmaneVisa30 days
PakistaneVisa30 days
PalaueVisa30 days
PalestineeVisa30 days
PanamaeVisa30 days
Papua New GuineaeVisa30 days
ParaguayeVisa30 days
PerueVisa30 days
PhilippineseVisa30 days
PolandeVisa30 days
PortugaleVisa30 days
QatareVisa30 days
Republic of the CongoeVisa30 days
RomaniaeVisa30 days
RussiaeVisa30 days
RwandaeVisa30 days
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa-free—
Saint LuciaeVisa30 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadineseVisa30 days
SamoaeVisa30 days
San MarinoeVisa30 days
São Tomé and PríncipeeVisa30 days
Saudi ArabiaeVisa30 days
SenegalFree movement90 days
SerbiaeVisa30 days
SeychelleseVisa30 days
Sierra LeoneFree movement—
SingaporeVisa-free—
SlovakiaeVisa30 days
SloveniaeVisa30 days
Solomon IslandseVisa30 days
SomaliaeVisa30 days
South AfricaeVisa30 days
South KoreaeVisa30 days
South SudaneVisa30 days
SpaineVisa30 days
Sri LankaVisa-free—
SudaneVisa30 days
SurinameeVisa30 days
SwedeneVisa30 days
SwitzerlandeVisa30 days
SyriaeVisa30 days
TaiwaneVisa30 days
TajikistaneVisa30 days
TanzaniaeVisa30 days
ThailandeVisa30 days
Timor-LesteeVisa30 days
TogoFree movement90 days
TongaeVisa30 days
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free—
TunisiaeVisa30 days
TurkeyeVisa30 days
TurkmenistaneVisa30 days
TuvalueVisa30 days
UgandaeVisa30 days
UkraineeVisa30 days
United Arab EmirateseVisa30 days
United KingdomeVisa30 days
United StateseVisa30 days
UruguayeVisa30 days
UzbekistaneVisa30 days
VanuatueVisa30 days
Vatican CityeVisa30 days
VenezuelaeVisa30 days
VietnameVisa30 days
YemeneVisa30 days
ZambiaeVisa30 days
ZimbabweeVisa30 days

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

Guinea22 of 199 passports visa-free · 177 eVisa/ETALiberia15 of 199 passports visa-freeGambia33 of 199 passports visa-free · 44 eVisa/ETAGhana17 of 199 passports visa-free · 150 eVisa/ETA

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Sierra Leone?

ECOWAS citizens visiting for up to 90 days enter free of visa requirements under the ECOWAS free movement protocol, and the official eVisa portal offers no visa for citizens of Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Eswatini, Fiji, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago, and for such a nationality it shows "Your nationality has a Visa free benefit, there is no Visa required". Other nationalities can apply on the official eVisa portal, evisa.sl (USD 80 single entry; USD 25 for African Union nationals), and the visa is issued on arrival at the airport or border once approved; the UK government says British visitors can also get a visa on arrival for USD 80, paid in cash in US dollars.

How much is the Sierra Leone visa on arrival?

The UK Foreign Office says USD 80, paid in cash in US dollars. African Union nationals pay USD 25 for the e-Visa on evisa.sl; no official source we could read says whether that reduced rate also applies at the border. For citizens of Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi and Mauritius the eVisa portal offers no visa and shows that no visa is required.

Does Sierra Leone have an eVisa?

Yes — the Government of Sierra Leone eVisa Application System at evisa.sl takes applications online and displays the cost once you select your nationality; the portal says an approved visa is issued on arrival at the airport or border.

Is yellow fever vaccination required for Sierra Leone?

The UK Foreign Office tells people travelling on a full British citizen passport that they must have a certificate proving yellow fever vaccination to enter Sierra Leone.

Is Sierra Leone safe to visit?

The UK Foreign Office says the political situation has improved since the civil war ended in 2002, but it can change and protests can turn violent, so avoid political gatherings and follow any curfews. It says that in a small number of incidents British nationals have been robbed, sometimes at knifepoint, in areas of Freetown such as Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road, Lumley Beach and Aberdeen and at beach resorts along the Freetown peninsula, and that serious traffic accidents are common.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source