Document checklist
French Southern Territories → Sierra Leone: Short-stay tourist
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
17 itemsIdentity
Details that match your passport exactly
RequiredThe information on your visa must be exactly the same as the information in your travel document. Once a visa is processed nothing on it can be changed, and a visa that doesn't match your passport is invalid, with no refund.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Passport photographs
RequiredThe Ministry's visa page lists 2 passport photographs (no size is given). It doesn't say whether the online eVisa route also asks for them.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Sierra Leone
Signed visa application form
RequiredA completed and signed visa application form is the first item on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' list of visa requirements. The page doesn't say how it relates to the portal's online application.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Sierra Leone
Valid passport
RequiredAt least 6 months of validity remaining from the date you enter Sierra Leone. The eVisa Terms say an application won't succeed otherwise; the Ministry's visa page and the Immigration Department's travel advisory say the same.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Visa application (eVisa portal)
RequiredYou need a visa to visit Sierra Leone. Apply online on the official eVisa portal (evisa.sl): choose your nationality, pick single or multiple entry, fill in the application and pay by card. The portal sends status updates by email, and once you're approved it says your visa is issued when you arrive at the airport or border. Its guidance tells applicants to apply well in advance, because approval can take several weeks or longer.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Financial
Enough money to support yourself
RequiredThe eVisa Terms say you must be able to support yourself (and any dependents) during your visit. They don't say how much, or what proof to carry.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Visa fee (US dollars)
RequiredThe portal shows the price when you choose your nationality. For most nationalities it is US$80 for a single-entry visa or US$160 for a multiple-entry visa; for nationals of many African Union member states it shows US$25 (single) and US$50 (multiple). Pay by major credit or debit card only; the card doesn't have to be in your name. The Terms add an online processing fee of 4.49% plus US$0.49 (and GST at the applicable rate). Once you've applied you can't cancel or get a refund under any circumstances, including if you're refused, and paying doesn't guarantee approval. The Ministry's page mentions payment slips from SAMBA Bank; the portal takes cards only.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Purpose of travel
Tourist or business purposes only
RequiredAn eVisa is granted solely for tourist and business purposes and is not a work visa: you must not take paid employment during your visit.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Travel
At the border
RequiredArrive with the same passport you used to apply, and carry a copy of your eVisa when you first arrive. Immigration captures your biometric details on arrival, and holding an eVisa doesn't guarantee entry: that stays at the immigration officer's discretion. The Terms say the eVisa is valid for entry through all airports and/or seaports; they don't mention land borders.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Round-trip ticket and invitation letter (unclear for tourists)
The Ministry's visa page lists a copy of round-trip airline tickets and a letter of invitation from a registered company or organisation in Sierra Leone among the visa requirements, without saying whether they apply to tourist visas or only to business visits. Confirm with the Immigration Department or a Sierra Leone mission before you rely on either answer.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Sierra Leone
Single or multiple entry, and how long you can stay
RequiredThe portal describes the single-entry visa as valid for 90 days and the multiple-entry visa as valid for 365 days, each for a stay of up to 30 days; the Ministry's page also gives 30 days per entry. The portal's Terms say something different (a maximum stay of 3 months, valid for one year), so check what your own visa says. A visa can't be extended, and if it expires before you enter you must apply and pay again.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Visa on arrival, and what the portal says about your nationality
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' visa page says tourists and potential investors can now obtain a visa on arrival, but it doesn't say how that works or what it costs. The eVisa portal shows 'no visa required' for some nationalities that the Ministry doesn't list as exempt (it names only ECOWAS citizens). If the portal offers you no visa, confirm with the Immigration Department (the eVisa Terms give info@slid.gov.sl) how you will be admitted before you travel.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Sierra Leone
Other
A valid email address
RequiredThe Terms require a valid email address so the Immigration Department can contact you about your application. The FAQ says approval is confirmed by email.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
If you're a minor and apply at the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Kuwait: a letter of consent from both parents or the parent with full custody
On its visa page, the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Kuwait lists, for applicants who are minors, a letter of consent that is required from both parents or from the parent with full custody. This is one embassy's page, and the page does not say what age counts as a minor. The e-visa portal has its own rules for children (each child needs a separate visa, and an adult applies for a minor), and other Sierra Leone missions can ask for different things, so confirm with the mission where you will apply.
Source: Embassy of Sierra Leone in Kuwait: Visas (the page shows no date)
One application per traveller
RequiredEach traveller needs their own visa, including infants and children (even if they are in a parent's passport). You must be at least 18 to use the portal; if you apply for a child, you apply on their behalf.
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal)
Use only the official portal
The Immigration Department's eVisa advisory (notice SLID/VIS/004, dated 2026-02-20) says to apply only through the official eVisa portal and not to share one-time codes (OTPs) or personal data with third parties.
Yellow fever vaccination certificate
RequiredThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs' visa page lists an International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever among the visa requirements. It doesn't say whether the online eVisa route also asks for it.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Sierra Leone
Why applications on this route get refused
Visa details don't match your passport
The portal says the information on your visa must be exactly the same as in your travel document. If it isn't, the visa is invalid and there is no refund, and nothing can be changed once it has been processed.
How to avoid it: Copy your names, date of birth and passport details exactly from your passport, and check every field before you pay.
False or misleading information
The eVisa Terms say any application containing false or misleading information will be rejected, and that suspected cases can be shared with the authorities.
How to avoid it: Give true and accurate answers, and make sure they match your passport.
Passport with less than 6 months left
The eVisa Terms say an application will not be successful unless your passport has at least 6 months remaining from the date you enter Sierra Leone.
How to avoid it: Check your passport's expiry date against your entry date, and renew it first if it's too close.
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Sierra Leone · checked 26 Sept 2026
- Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal) · checked 26 Sept 2026
- Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal) · checked 26 Sept 2026
- Sierra Leone Immigration Department (Government of Sierra Leone eVisa portal) · checked 26 Sept 2026
- Sierra Leone Immigration Department · checked 26 Sept 2026
- Embassy of Sierra Leone in Kuwait: Visas (the page shows no date) · checked 6 Oct 2026
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