Entry and residence
Visa, passport, vaccination required at the border, customs and consular assistance. Rules depend on your nationality: each point says who it applies to.
Visa
A visa is compulsory. Apply online before departure (e-visa) or obtain it on arrival at Freetown airport for 80 dollars in cash. A single-entry visa is valid for 90 days for a stay of up to 30 days; a multiple-entry visa for 365 days. Sierra Leone has no embassy in France.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Sierra Leone travel advice: entry requirementsAll travellers entering or leaving must complete an online health declaration (Sierra Leone Health Travel Portal) within 72 hours before travel.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Sierra Leone travel advice: entry requirements- Passport: United States
Passport valid for 6 months, a valid visa and a yellow fever vaccination card. A USD 25 airport security fee must be paid before travel.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceU.S. Department of State, Sierra Leone International Travel Information - Passport: Germany
An e-Visa is required, applied for and paid online before entry; it is issued on arrival. An online health declaration must be completed within 72 hours before travel.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceAuswärtiges Amt, Sierra Leone: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise - Passport: Spain
A visa is required whatever the passport: online, with issue on arrival at Lungi airport, or from the Honorary Consulate in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; usually 30 days. Since 18 June 2026, an online health form must be completed within 72 hours before entry and exit.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceMinisterio de Asuntos Exteriores (España), Recomendaciones de viaje: Sierra Leona Passports of 14 countries (see the list)
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, TogoCitizens of ECOWAS states enter without a visa for stays of up to 90 days, through an official border post, with a valid travel document and an international vaccination certificate; beyond that, an extension must be requested from the authorities. Since Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew (29 January 2025), ECOWAS has maintained this right for their citizens until further notice. Each state keeps the right to refuse entry to anyone inadmissible under its law.
- Passport: China
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a visa is issued on arrival with an ordinary Chinese passport (November 2023 list: check before departure).
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26Medium confidenceMinistry of Foreign Affairs of China, Service consulaire: entry facilities for holders of an ordinary Chinese passport (list of November 2023)
Passport and documents
Identity checks are frequent: always carry your papers.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, useful information
Vaccination required at entry
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Sierra Leone travel advice: entry requirementsCDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Travelers' Health: Sierra Leone
Customs and currency
Importing more than 10,000 dollars is prohibited. Only professionals licensed by the Ministry of Mineral Resources may export diamonds. The leone can be neither exported nor converted.
Verified factVerified on 10/2/26High confidenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, entry and residenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, useful information
Useful contacts
Contact details taken from the official sources cited. Check them before going.
Immigration service
Immigration.
France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026
French diplomatic office in Freetown
Passport: FranceThe responsible embassy is in Conakry (Guinea); it can issue an emergency travel document if you lose your passport.
FCSC compound 2, 2 Mandalay Street, Cold Storage, Kingtom, Freetown+224 621 00 00 10+224 621 08 89 15France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, entry and residenceFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, safety· Oct 2, 2026
Sources for this guide
- France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, entry and residence · Source updated: September 15, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- GOV.UK (FCDO), Sierra Leone travel advice: entry requirements · Source updated: June 19, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Sierra Leone International Travel Information · Source updated: September 25, 2025 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- Auswärtiges Amt, Sierra Leone: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · Source updated: August 21, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (España), Recomendaciones de viaje: Sierra Leona · Source updated: June 19, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- CEDEAO, Protocole A/P.1/5/79 sur la libre circulation des personnes, le droit de résidence et d'établissement (article 3) · Source updated: May 29, 1979 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- Commission de la CEDEAO, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger's withdrawal from ECOWAS is now a reality · Source updated: January 30, 2025 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Service consulaire: entry facilities for holders of an ordinary Chinese passport (list of November 2023) · Source updated: December 7, 2023 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Sierra Leone, useful information · Source updated: September 15, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Travelers' Health: Sierra Leone · Source updated: August 25, 2026 · Checked on October 2, 2026
AfriPilot is not an official body. Information comes from the sources cited and may change: each source's date is shown.