Visitors to Sierra Leone must obtain an e-Visa unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens who may obtain a visa on arrival.
Visa policy map
Visa exemption Ordinary passports Citizens of the following countries may enter Sierra Leone without a visa or are eligible for a free visa on arrival:
All ECOWAS member states
Date of visa changesVisa-free 30 April 1980: ECOWAS: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo
Visa on arrival 5 September 2019: BRICS countries, Commonwealth countries, European Union countries, Gulf Cooperation Council countries; Bolivia, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Macau, Norway, Samoa, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam
Non-ordinary passports A maximum stay of 1 month without a visa is allowed for holders of diplomatic, service and public affairs passports issued to citizens of China. A maximum stay of 1 month without a visa is allowed for holders of diplomatic and service passports issued to citizens of Iran. A visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and service passports was signed with Rwanda in August 2019, but it has yet to be ratified.
Future changes Sierra Leone has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:
Country Passports Agreement signed on Diplomatic, service February 2017
Visa on arrival The government of Sierra Leone began issuing visas on arrival on 5 September 2019.
Citizens of the following countries may obtain a free visa on arrival:
Citizens of the following countries may obtain a visa on arrival (valid for 1 month) at Freetown International Airport, Jendema (bordering Liberia) and Gbalamuya (bordering Guinea) for a fee 80 USD (unless otherwise noted):
African Union member states (except ECOWAS, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Mali and Niger)1 All European Union member states 2
1 - Citizens of Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi and Mauritius are issued a free visa on arrival. Other eligible African Union citizens are charged 25 USD for a visa issued on arrival.
Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Citizens of other countries must obtain an e-Visa. Citizens of countries eligible for a visa on arrival may also obtain their visa online. Citizens of countries eligible for a free visa on arrival do not need to use the platform.
See also
Visa requirements for Sierra Leonean citizens
References