Last updated: 21 Oct 2025

Sierra Leone

About

The country’s unique natural beauty, to sit on secluded white sandy beaches, to climb through unspoilt rainforests and to wade through refreshing waterfalls.

The most accessible part of Sierra Leone is the Freetown Peninsula. From Leicester Peak, superb views of the city between the sea and the mountains unfold below, and a narrow, steep road through the mountains leads to the old Creole villages (dating from 1800) of Leicester, Gloucester and Regent. The area was chosen as a resettlement area for liberated slaves who built the villages of Hastings, Kent, Sussex, Waterloo, Wellington and York.

Attractions include a 500-year-old cotton tree; the museum; the De Ruyter Stone; Government Wharf and ‘King’s Yard’ (where freed slaves waited to be given land); Fourah Bay College, the oldest university in West Africa; Marcon’s Church, built in 1820; and the City Hotel, immortalised in Graham Greene’s novel The Heart of the Matter. The King Jimmy Market and the bazaars offer a colourful spectacle and interesting shopping.

The Outamba-Kilimi National Park in northern Sierra Leone, which can be reached from Freetown by road or air, offers varied and spectacular scenery.
Capital:  Freetown (FNA)
Currency:  Leone (SLL)
Language:  English and Krio
Dialling code from SA:  + 232
Time Zones: No UTC/GMT offset (2 hours behind South Africa)
Side of the Road: Right. An International driving licence is required to drive in Sierra Leone
Best Time to go: November to April
Best For: Palm-fringed beaches
Plugs: 220 – 240 volts AC, 50Hz
Drinking Water: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated.
Health: Medical facilities are very limited. It is advisable to carry basic medical supplies. Comprehensive health insurance is recommended.
Customs: There is a large Islamic population, and respect to religious customs should also be shown during the month of Ramadan.
Local Offences / Laws: Homosexuality is illegal. It is illegal to buy or export diamonds, gold or ivory without the necessary licenses.
Duty Free: Travellers may bring 200 cigarettes or 225g tobacco, and 1 litre of wine or spirits into the country without paying customs duty.
Prohibited Imports: Narcotics, firearms without a licence from the Commissioner of Police in Freetown, antiques, asbestos, credit card blanks, furs, gambling devices, ivory, liquids (both hazardous and non-hazardous), pornography, and precious metals and stones.

Issuing Authorities

Public Holidays 2025: Jan 1; Feb 18; Mar 8, 31; Apr 18, 21, 27-28; May 1; Jun 7; Sep 5; Dec 25-26

Public Holidays 2026: Jan 1; Feb 18; Mar 8-9, 20; Apr 3, 6, 27; May 1, 27; Aug 26; Dec 25-26

Visa Requirements

SA passport holders do require a visa for entry into Sierra Leone.

For visa information, visit: slid.gov.sl

ONLINE VISA APPLICATIONS

Online Applications: evisa.sl

  • Visa applications for the following purposes may be applied for online: tourism, business, religion, and academic or ordinary visit to see family and friends.  
  • Each traveler must obtain a separate Visa, including infants and children (even if children/infants are included in their parents passports)
  • Passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you intend to enter the country.
  • Point of Entry at the following ports:
    Freetown International Airport, Lungi
    Jendema – the crossing point from Liberia into Sierra Leone
    Gbalamuya – the crossing point from Guinea into Sierra Leone

An application ID will be only issued after online payment and application approval. This ID has to be presented to the immigration office for the printing and delivery of the eVisa. The applicant must have with his/her passport used for the application.

Visa Processing Time

Can take several weeks. Please apply as early as possible. 

Visa Validity

30 days

Visa Cost

US$ 25

SA Representative

Representation accredited from Accra, Ghana

Travel Health

Compulsory:  Yellow Fever
Recommended Travel Vaccines:  Hepatitis A & B, Meningitis, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio
  Malaria Risk