Updated
SL-CIP
For investors and their families
Citizenship of Sierra Leone for investors
We verify the investment basis, family composition and process terms before any agreement or payment.
- Checked against the 1973 and 2006 laws as at 27 August 2026
- The SLID announcement of 2 January 2025 checked separately
- Before any payment we confirm the basis, the authority, the timeline and the payments in writing
01 / About the program
What is known about citizenship of Sierra Leone
This page keeps the provisions of the law in force and the direction announced in 2025 separate. They are not equal in legal certainty, so they cannot be merged into one ready programme with a fixed price.
The published law provides for naturalisation
Section 8 of the Citizenship Act 1973 sets two qualifying periods of continuous residence: at least 8 years where at least one parent is of African descent, and at least 15 years where there is no such ground.
The 2006 amendments clarified the procedure
Section 9 as amended in 2006 ties the application to a prescribed form, an oath, a declaration of residence and employment satisfactory to the minister, and the fees provided for by law. A decision on naturalisation does not come down to a single payment.
In 2025 SLID announced a new direction
The Immigration Department’s press release of 2 January 2025 speaks of facilitating the naturalisation of qualified foreign investors and of people with roots in Sierra Leone. The press release itself sets no investment amount, fees, timelines, family composition or decision procedure.
The public rules are not enough for a calculation
As at the date this page was updated we have not found in open official sources a legal instrument with investment routes, rates and guaranteed timelines. That is why the page carries no price, no calculator and no promise of a passport in a few months.
What citizenship of Sierra Leone gives you
The published law provides for naturalisation based on residence; an investor route was announced in 2025. Before any payment we confirm the basis and conditions in writing.
Citizenship
A national passport and the ECOWAS region
- ECOWAS states
- Dual citizenship
- No annual renewal
Naturalisation under the law
0years
the minimum residence period if a parent is of African descent; the general period is 15 years. Act of 1973, section 8.
Assess the application
Three bases
The law and the announced route
Residence period
- Naturalisation, s. 8(a)
- 8 years
- General naturalisation, s. 8(b)
- 15 years
- For investors
- not published
We confirm conditions and paymentsin writing
Dual citizenship
Allowed by the 2006 amendments
Screening first
Conditions fixed before payment
Checked against the 1973 and 2006 laws
03 / Why people apply
When Sierra Leone is considered
This direction makes sense only where there is a specific link with the country or a verifiable legal basis. For the task of free travel around Europe it does not suit.
There are roots in Sierra Leone
First of all we raise certificates, archive records and relatives’ documents. The descent-based direction announced in 2025 requires the procedure to be confirmed separately.
There is actual residence in the country
If the qualifying period has already been accumulated or is close to complete, we check the continuity of residence, the ground of stay and the documents for the whole period.
There is a real investment project
A business or an investment may be a ground for a separate application, but it does not replace a published provision. Before any payments we check who receives the application and on what basis.
Lawful alternatives need comparing
If the investment direction cannot be confirmed, we compare it with programmes where the legal basis, the payments and the procedure are officially published.
Initial assessment
Who is included in your application
Choose your family composition. We will verify who may be included, which documents are required and on what terms the application is accepted.
Who is applying for citizenship?
about 1 minuteno calls or obligationsconfidential
- Investment basis verification
- Family composition and document list
- Terms, payments and action plan
04 / Under the published law
How the family is checked
The published provisions of ordinary naturalisation contain no single investment package for a whole family. Each person’s basis is checked separately. The rules of the direction announced in 2025 have not been disclosed publicly.
- Of full age and full capacity
- Meets the qualifying period under the applicable provision
- Files the prescribed form and takes the oath
- Discloses the information required by the law and the authority
- Automatic inclusion in one application is not confirmed by the published provisions
- Their own basis and the order of the process are checked separately
- The marriage is confirmed by official documents
- A child’s status depends on the parents’ citizenship and on the applicable provision of the law
- Birth certificates and the parents’ documents are checked separately
- The conditions of an unconfirmed investor route cannot be transferred to a child
- A separate application and their own lawful basis
- Kinship in itself does not replace the qualifying period or any other prescribed criterion
06 / Comparison
What is published and what is not yet
The comparison shows the level of legal certainty of each route. It determines whether a cost can be calculated and the work started.
| Ordinary naturalisation | The direction for investors | |
|---|---|---|
| The source | The 1973 Act and the 2006 amendments | The SLID press release of 02.01.2025 |
| Status | A published basis | A direction announced, no public rules found |
| Qualifying period | 8 or 15 years of continuous residence | The public conditions are not published |
| The investment amount | Not a condition of section 8 | No official threshold found |
| Family composition | Each person’s basis is checked separately | No public rules found |
| Can payments begin | After the qualifying period and the documents are checked | Only after written confirmation of the provision and the recipient |
The comparison reflects the open official sources as at 27 August 2026. The absence of any public rules we could find does not prove that no internal procedures exist, but it does not allow them to be presented as a published programme.
How we handle the application
From checking the basis to the decision. We confirm conditions in writing before any payment.
Before the contract
We check the primary sources
We go through the law in force, the amendments, the official SLID announcement and the instruments available. We record separately which conditions are published and which are not in open sources at all.
We do- Checking the law and amendments
- The 2025 SLID announcement
You doNothing: we handle this stage entirely
We go through the applicant’s facts
We check the parents’ descent, the history of residence, citizenships, convictions, sanctions restrictions, the source of funds and the purpose of obtaining the status.
We do- Descent and residence
- Sanctions and source of funds
You doTell us about your situation
We confirm the route in writing
We request the provision, the competent authority, the procedure, the family composition, the timelines, the payments and the consequences of a refusal. The written conclusion includes only confirmed conditions.
We do- Request for the provision and procedure
- The authority's powers
- Timelines and payments
You doNothing: we handle this stage entirely
We fix the conditions before payment
The client receives a written conclusion, a list of risks and a plan of action. If the basis is not confirmed, we do not move on to collecting the file or to state payments.
We do- Written conclusion
- List of risks
- Action plan
You doMake a decision
After confirmation
We prepare the documents
Only after the route is confirmed do we collect civil status records, proof of residence, certificates, financial documents, translations and certifications.
We do- Civil status records
- Proof of residence
- Translations and apostille
You doHand over the documents
We run the application and the decision
We file the set under the confirmed procedure, answer requests and monitor the issue of documents after a positive decision. We do not guarantee the outcome in advance.
State involved: Sierra Leone Immigration Department
We do- Filing under the confirmed procedure
- Answers to requests
- Tracking issuance of documents
You doNothing: we handle this stage entirely
Checking the basis and an action plan
The legal provision, the authority, timelines and payments - in writing before the contract.
10 / Travel
Travel on the passport and the ECOWAS region
We do not publish a number of visa-free countries without a current check. For each destination what matters is the passenger’s citizenship, the purpose of the trip, the length of stay and the rules of the receiving state.
The ECOWAS states
Sierra Leone is a member of ECOWAS. The conditions of entry, residence and work are checked against the regional and national rules of the chosen country in force.
Without a visa in advance
On individual destinations entry without a consular visa is possible. The length of stay and any further documents are confirmed before tickets are bought.
An eVisa or a permit on arrival
For some countries the application is filed online or the permit is issued at the border. That is not a visa-free regime and the requirements differ.
A visa in advance
For countries with a consular regime the application is filed before the trip. A Sierra Leone passport in itself gives no right to enter the Schengen area, the United Kingdom or the United States.
Sierra Leone’s membership of ECOWAS is checked against the community’s official list. The visa rules of other countries are confirmed separately as at the date of travel.
Free of charge
Preliminary Due Diligence before the contract
Fill in a questionnaire about yourself, your activity and your sources of funds. BRIDGES compliance officers will run a preliminary check and identify which circumstances may raise questions when the application is reviewed or the funds are transferred. You do not need to attach documents at this stage.
Start the check- No obligations
- Confidential
- NDA on first request
What information you will need
The questionnaire has eight sections. The key ones are your activity, the source of funds and legal circumstances.
- Applicant
- Citizenship and residence
- Professional activity
- Source of funds
- Banks and transfer of funds
- Public status and sanctions
- Legal circumstances
- Program and family members
What you receive
- 1An assessment of sanctions and reputational risks
We check information about you and your business against sanctions lists and open sources, including media and online publications. We explain which circumstances may affect the review of the application.
- 2An assessment of the sources of funds
We look at how your capital was built and where the funds for the program will come from. We tell you which documents will be needed to confirm their lawful origin.
- 3A check of the planned payment
We assess from which account, through which banks and to whom the funds will be transferred. We identify possible restrictions in advance and tell you what to prepare to reduce the risk of a delay, return or block of the payment.
After you send the questionnaire we will contact you by phone or messenger. The assessment is preliminary: the decision on the application is made by the competent authorities of Sierra Leone, and on the payment by the banks involved.
11 / Our role
Why the legal check is entrusted to BRIDGES
The BRIDGES team checks the basis, the procedure and the payments against the official sources available. After the check the client receives a written conclusion and a clear next step.
We work from the primary source
We separate the law, an official press release and a commercial offer. Each document carries its own legal weight.
We put the check before the payment
The amount, the recipient, the basis, the stage and the terms of return must be confirmed in writing before any money is transferred.
We check the applicant and the route separately
Even a procedure in force does not mean a particular person meets its conditions. We assess both elements before the full file is prepared.
We propose an alternative where the basis is not confirmed
If the public basis is insufficient or the risk unacceptable, we compare countries with published rules instead of persuading the client to carry on.
12 / Team
The Sierra Leone team
The legal basis, the documents, compliance and coordination are split between specialists in each area. The final conditions are fixed in a single written plan.
Andres FerreiraHead of Investment AdvisoryThe strategy and the final assessment of the route
Eva LauriHead of OperationsThe legal sources and the set of documents
Klara RihterHead of Compliance and Due DiligenceCompliance and confirming the source of funds
Daniel KovachSenior International Law AttorneyCoordinating the applicant and controlling the stages14 / Reviews
Reviews of the work of BRIDGES
Client reviews on the support of international matters and the preparation of documents.
ViktorInvestor
I did everything correctly: chose the fund, invested the money, and waited for my residence permit. Then it turns out the fund's certificate has an error, and because of that I might be denied. The money is invested, but the paperwork is flawed - and I'm the one who suffers!
Read the case
DanielOwner of a car dealership chain
I compared four companies and stayed with the one that told me about the risks in my case first and about prices second. Compliance went through without a single additional request.
Read the case
FadiFrom Beirut
Ziraat wanted me to freeze a deposit. Nikos showed that with property the accounts could be opened without it. The accounts are open, residence granted.
Read the case15 / Materials
What the client gets before the start
The client gets a set for taking a decision, in which every material condition is tied to a verifiable source.
- A summary of the published provisions with the sections cited
- A written status of the investor direction
- A list of questions for the competent authority
- A personal list of documents and evidence
- A map of the payments, the recipients and the risks of recovering funds
- A comparison with confirmed alternatives
What goes into the materials depends on the basis. We do not include unofficial rates and timelines in the pack as conditions set by the state.
What has changed in the programme
- 24.05.1973
The Citizenship Act of Sierra Leone was passed. Section 8 fixed the residence qualifying period for naturalisation.
- 2006
Amendments clarified the order of naturalisation and allowed dual citizenship under the law of Sierra Leone.
- 02.01.2025
SLID announced new measures to facilitate the naturalisation of qualified foreign investors and of people with roots in Sierra Leone.
- 27.08.2026
BRIDGES updated its check of the open sources. No legal instrument with investment routes, amounts and guaranteed timelines was found.
Worth having
Checking the Sierra Leone route
A short list of what has to be confirmed before an agreement and any payments.
Inside the document
- The provision of law and the powers of the receiving side
- The requirements for the applicant and the family composition
- The official structure of payments and the recipients
- The order of decision, refusal and return of funds
We will send it after a short form - no call or obligation.
What to read about the programme
The passport, regional rights in ECOWAS and the country itself. Based on the citizenship law and official SLID statements.
17 / Questions
Answers to common questions
On 2 January 2025 SLID announced a direction to facilitate the naturalisation of qualified foreign investors. But as at the date this page was updated we have not found in open official sources a legal instrument with investment routes, amounts, timelines and rules for including a family. So we do not call the announcement a ready programme with fixed conditions.
The published law sets no such period. The 2025 press release likewise contains no guaranteed time to a decision. Any short timeline should be confirmed by official rules and by written conditions from the competent authority.
The open sources we found contain no official investment threshold and no full structure of state payments. That is why the page carries no amount and no calculator. A BRIDGES calculation will appear only once verifiable official conditions are obtained.
Section 8 of the Citizenship Act 1973 requires at least 8 years of continuous residence where at least one parent is of African descent, and at least 15 years where there is no such ground. The requirements as to the form of application, the oath, the declarations and the fees apply in addition.
The law of Sierra Leone as amended in 2006 allows dual citizenship. But the law of your current country of citizenship has to be checked separately, because restrictions may apply on its side.
The published provisions of ordinary naturalisation do not describe a single investment package for a family. The 2025 press release likewise does not disclose the rules on the composition of an application. The basis and the order of the process for each family member have to be confirmed separately.
The SLID press release of 2 January 2025 mentions people with roots in Sierra Leone. We have not found detailed public rules with requirements as to the degree of kinship, the evidence and the procedure. Before the work begins the family’s documents have to be checked and written confirmation of the applicable order obtained.
Sierra Leone belongs to ECOWAS, but the specific conditions of entry, residence and work depend on the regional protocols in force and on the rules of the chosen state. We do not replace that check with a general phrase about visa-free countries.
The provision of law, the powers of the receiving side, the official account, the purpose of the payment, the terms of return, the requirements for the applicant, the rules on family, the order of screening and the consequences of a refusal. Every material condition must be fixed in writing.
No. The decision on citizenship is taken by the competent authority after the applicant and the documents have been checked. Neither an investment nor an agreement with a consultant gives anyone the right to promise a decision in advance.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
