How to get a visa for Sierra Leone: a complete guide

Sierra Leone is a West African country whose tourism industry is still growing. Scarcely visited, this country has a wide array of landscapes (beaches, rainforests and more!) and, as is customary for Africa, thousands of years of history. 

Prepare to discover all that this country has to offer by learning how to get a visa for Sierra Leone. Learn about the types of documents available, visa requirements, costs, common entry points and more.

Do I need a visa for Sierra Leone?

Almost every foreign citizen needs a Sierra Leone travel visa. If you’re a citizen of an eligible country, you can apply for these two types:

• Single entry eVisa
• Multiple entry eVisa

If the country that issued your passport isn’t eligible, then you’re not going to be able to apply for the travel document you need on Visagov. You’ll need to go to the corresponding embassy or consulate and apply in person.

Visa types available for Sierra Leone

eVisa

There are two kinds of eVisa (electronic visa) available for Sierra Leone. They are the single and multiple entry eVisa, and they allow you to visit this African country for the following purposes:

• Tourism
• Visits
• Business
• Studying

Each visa type has its own characteristics.

• Single entry: the holder can only enter and leave Sierra Leone once. It’s valid for 30 days after entering the country.
• Multiple entry: this visa allows you to enter and leave the country more than once, and each entry can last up to 30 days.

What are the Sierra Leone visa requirements?

You will need the following to apply for the Sierra Leone visa:

• Passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining by the date of entry into Sierra Leone
• Bank card to pay for the fees
• Email address to receive all notifications and the approved eVisa

How to get a visa for Sierra Leone

Knowing how to get a visa for Sierra Leone through Visagov is quite simple: the process has been optimized and it’s entirely online, so it won’t take more than a few minutes. Just follow these steps:

• Complete the online application form. Make sure you fill out every single field with truthful and accurate information. 
• Pay for the fees with your bank card (credit or debit)
• Wait for the resolution to be sent to the email address you provided

Which nationalities need to know how to get a visa for Sierra Leone?

Almost all foreign nationals need to know how to get a visa for Sierra Leone to be granted access into the country. To see if that’s the case for the nationality of your passport, use our eligibility verifier. 

There are specific cases in which a foreign citizen can’t or doesn’t have to apply for a visa for Sierra Leone:

• Member countries of ECOWAS: they can travel just with a passport or ID card, they’re visa exempt. These countries are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. 
• These countries aren’t eligible for the online visa for Sierra Leone: Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Swaziland and Trinidad and Tobago.

Can I make changes to my application?

No, it’s not possible to make changes to an application once it’s been sent. To avoid having your request denied, it’s important to go over the form before submitting it to catch any possible mistakes or erroneous information. 

How much does the visa for Sierra Leone cost?

Each visa type has its own cost, and the nationality of the applicant also affects the final number. 

For the single entry visa, these are the attached fees:

• Citizens of these countries can obtain the single entry visa at a lower cost (27 USD): Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• For all other nationalities, this visa has a cost of 85 USD.

The multiple entry visa has the following costs:

• For these countries, it has a cost of 53 USD: Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• For all other nationalities, the cost is 169 USD.

How far in advance do I need to apply? 

It would be best to apply at least 7 days before your planned departure date. Even though you might receive the approval/rejection earlier than this, more anticipation means you have more time to work around any unexpected issues or additional information requests.

What are Sierra Leone’s entry points? 

The most common entry point for air travel is the Freetown International Airport. Freetown is the capital of Sierra Leone, and this airport is located right across the river from it in the city of Lungi. It’s just a short ferry ride away. 

The most important seaport, Queen Elizabeth II Quay, is also located on the shores of the capital. 

If you travel by land, you’ll have to cross the borders shared with Guinea or Liberia. The Gbalamuya Border Crossing is shared between Guinea and Sierra Leone, and the Jendema Border Crossing is shared with Liberia.

Although there are more points of entry, these four are the most frequently used.