Sierra Leone
SLESierra Leone is a small West African nation on the Atlantic coast, known for its white-sand beaches, diamond mining heritage, and post-civil-war recovery. Freetown, the capital, sits on a peninsula surrounded by the Sierra Leone River estuary. The country has a young, English-speaking population and is rebuilding infrastructure and democratic institutions since the 2002 peace agreement.
Expat activity is limited primarily to NGO and development-sector workers. The Sierra Leone passport offers modest visa-free access and dual citizenship is not permitted. Naturalisation requires 15 years of lawful residence. Cost of living is low but healthcare and public services remain underdeveloped.
- Naturalisation
- 15 years
- Tax system
- Residence Based
- Currency
- Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL/SLE)
- Dual citizenship
- Not allowed
- Capital
- Freetown
- Region
- africa
- Population
- 8,792,000
- Cost-of-living
- 28 /100
Passport Rank
#97
Visa-Free
58
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Sierra Leone passport has visa-free access to 58 destinations. See the full Sierra Leone passport breakdown →
Passports that enter Sierra Leone without a prior visa (135)
Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.
Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.
Immigrating to Canada from Sierra Leone
Current IRCC processing times for Sierra Leone nationals, by application type.
| Visitor visa (outside Canada) | 108 days |
| Super visa | No processing time available |
| Study permit | No processing time available |
| Work permit | No processing time available |
| Sponsor a dependent child | No processing time available |
| Adopted child (citizenship) | Not enough data |
| Government-assisted refugees | Not enough data |
| Privately sponsored refugees | sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data |
Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.
As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.
Sources & last verified
Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)
Country Details
- Capital
- Freetown
- Currency
- Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL/SLE)
- Languages
- English
- Population
- 8,792,000
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
- Naturalisation
- 15 years
- Schengen / EU
- No
- Climate
- Tropical; wet season May–November, dry season December–April
- GDP per capita
- $846
- Life expectancy
- 61.96 yrs
- Population growth
- 2.04%/yr
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
28
Safety
48
Healthcare
22
Quality of Life
30
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Territorial Taxation
- No — worldwide income taxed for residents
- Naturalisation
- 15 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
Climate
Freetown
Rainfall range: 10–790 mm/month · Daylight 11.5h (winter) to 12.5h (summer)
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Tourist
- Business
- Work Permit
- Investor (Go-For-Gold CBI from 2025)
- Student
- Family
- Permanent Residence
- Authority
- Sierra Leone Immigration Department (SLID)
- Official Portal
- www.slid.gov.sl
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- Language Test
- No
- Civic Test
- No
- Oath Required
- No
- Dual Allowed
- No
- Fee
- —
- Processing
- —
Safety
GPI Rank
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Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Sierra Leone, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
Sierra Leone eVisa
EVISAOfficial online eVisa portal linked by the Sierra Leone Immigration Department.
Unified Permit
PERMITOfficial government portal for work permits, residence permits, extensions, re-entry, renewals, verification and permit tracking.
Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency
SLIEPAOfficial investment promotion agency publishing investor guidance and business-support resources.
Related Guides
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Visa routes
Official visa and residence routes for Sierra Leone, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.
Residence
Permit Extension and Re-entry
ResidenceSierra Leone Unified Permit route for extensions and re-entry linked to existing work or residence permits.
Residence Permit
ResidenceOfficial Sierra Leone residence permit route for foreign nationals residing, studying or investing in Sierra Leone for more than 90 days.
Short-term / business
eVisa
Short-term / businessOfficial Sierra Leone online visa route through the Immigration Department eVisa portal.
Work (sponsored)
Work Permit
Work (sponsored)Official Sierra Leone work permit route for non-citizens intending to work, provide services or engage in gainful business.
Study
Student Residence Permit
StudySierra Leone residence-permit route for foreign nationals studying in Sierra Leone for more than 90 days.
Investor
Investor Residence Permit
InvestorSierra Leone residence-permit path for foreign investors staying in Sierra Leone for more than 90 days, supported by SLIEPA investment guidance.
Sources & last verified
Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.
Sources & last verified
- Last verified