Sierra Leone · Relocation guide
Moving to Sierra Leone: permission, arrival and practical setup
Sierra Leone operates a unified online channel for work and residence permits, with separate student and investor cases. An eVisa admits a visitor; it does not replace the permit required for employment or residence.
Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.
Separate entry, residence and work permission
Sierra Leone operates a unified online channel for work and residence permits, with separate student and investor cases. An eVisa admits a visitor; it does not replace the permit required for employment or residence.
A visa waiver, visitor visa or business-visitor permission is not an open right to take employment or provide local services. Remote work also needs an immigration, labour and tax analysis unless the authority publishes a route that expressly covers it.
| Plan | VisaAtlas route | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit | Work Permit | Use the unified permit process before employment. |
| Residence permit | Residence Permit | Residence alone does not authorise work. |
| Investor residence permit | Investor Residence Permit | Company and sector approvals remain separate. |
Complete the arrival record
Complete any biometric, endorsement or collection step directed by the unified portal and verify employer and validity. Keep the eVisa, permit and payment records as separate documents.
Inspect names, passport number, sponsor or purpose, permitted activity and expiry on every issued record. Keep the approval, receipt and a copy of the entry stamp outside the passport.
Make housing support the move
Freetown’s terrain, rain, traffic, water and electricity should shape the lease. Provincial or mining assignments need reliable employer transport, communications and medical evacuation.
Verify landlord authority, lease language, deposit, inventory, utilities, internet and early-exit terms. Keep the real address and payment trail for immigration, banking and employer files.
Set up banking, payroll and tax evidence
Agree salary currency and allowances and confirm bank and tax registration after the permit issues. Preserve mobile-money, payroll and foreign-transfer evidence.
Ask the bank and tax authority for their live identity, permit, address, tax-number and source-of-funds requirements. Immigration status alone does not determine tax residence: retain travel days, payslips, foreign income and business invoices.
Plan each family member and essential service
File each dependant or student separately and confirm whether an adult needs a work permit. Secure school transport, vaccination planning and emergency healthcare before choosing housing.
A dependant, student or family residence document should not be treated as an adult work permit without confirmation. Carry legalised civil records, prescriptions, vaccination records and prior-school reports.
Control renewal, changes and current risk
Use the extension and re-entry process before expiry or travel and clear employer changes. Review current road, election or public-health advice immediately before movement.
Read current official travel advice for Sierra Leone, the exact region and any overland route before travel. Confirm that insurance covers the location and planned work.
Your moving checklist
Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.
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Sources and checks
The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.
- Sierra Leone government unified permit portalSource checked 12 September 2026
- UK government: Sierra Leone travel adviceSource checked 12 September 2026