Yes	Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes	Yes

Nationals of Liberia need authorisation from the Government of Sierra Leone or they will be refused admission.

Passport valid for a minimum of six months required by all.

Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo;
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport transit area.

Tourist: £45 (single-entry); £90 (multiple-entry). Express Tourist and Business: £40 in addition to cost. Business: £60 (single-entry); £120 (multiple-entry: six months), £200 (multiple-entry: one year).

Entry Permits and visas generally are valid for three months and allow a stay of one month in Sierra Leone for single-entry only. An extension is possible by application to the Department of Immigration in Freetown. Multiple-entry tourist and visitor visas are valid for six months; a business multiple-entry visa is valid for up to one year.

Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Passport/Visa Information.

(a) Completed application form. (b) Two passport-size photos. (c) Passport valid for six months. (d) Confirmation of hotel reservation for tourist visa. (e) Letter of invitation and company letter for business visa. (f) Vaccination against yellow fever, malaria and cholera are required in order to obtain a visa (see Health section). (g) Fee in cash or postal order for mail applications. (h) Evidence of sufficient funds.

Three. Several weeks are required where referral to authorities in Sierra Leone is necessary. One day for Express visa.

High Commission for the Republic of Sierra Leone in the UK
Oxford Circus House, 245 Oxford Street, London W1D 2LX, UK
Tel: (020) 7287 9884.
Website: www.slhc-uk.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-1300 and 1430-1500; Fri 1000-1300.

Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in the USA
1701 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 939 9261.
Website: www.sierra-leone.org

Street address: Cape Sierra Hotel, Room 100, Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Postal address: PO Box 1435, Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Tel: (22) 236 620.

Oxford Circus House, 245 Oxford Street, London W1D 2LX, UK
Tel: (020) 7287 9884.
Website: www.slhc-uk.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-1300 and 1430-1500; Fri 1000-1300.

1701 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 939 9261.
Website: www.sierra-leone.org

Yes	1
2	No
3	N/A
4	N/A

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of travellers arriving from infected areas. Travellers arriving from non-endemic zones should note that vaccination is strongly recommended for travel outside the urban areas, even if an outbreak of the disease has not been reported and they would normally not require a vaccination certificate to enter the country.

Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Sierra Leone. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness; see the Health appendix for further details.

Polio and typhoid both occur.

Malaria risk exists, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, throughout the country all year. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. The recommended prophylaxis is mefloquine.

All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Filariasis and dengue fever are present. Trachoma, hepatitis A and E, tungiasis and dysentery are widespread. Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) may be present and there is a significant risk of infection for travellers visiting or working in rural areas. Meningococcal meningitis and TB may occur. Hepatitis B is hyperendemic. Lassa fever can be contracted in Kenema and the east; the last widely publicised outbreak was in April 2004. There is a high incidence of HIV/AIDS.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Medical facilities are extremely limited and continuing to decline. According to UN estimates, Sierra Leone has the highest death rate and the second-highest infant mortality rate in the world (200 out of every 1000 infants die within one year of birth). Missions and foreign aid organisations provide some medical facilities. Health insurance is essential. It is advisable to take personal medical supplies.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2006-June 2007 period.

Jan 1 2006 New Year’s Day. Jan 10 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 11 Maulid-un-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet). Apr 14 Good Friday. Apr 17 Easter Monday. Apr 27 Independence Day. Oct 23 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day. Dec 31 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
Jan 1 2007 New Year’s Day. Mar 31 Maulid-un-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet). Apr 6 Good Friday. Apr 9 Easter Monday. Apr 27 Independence Day.

Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region. For more information, see the World of Islam appendix.