PASSPORTS
All persons entering Sierra Leone
must have a valid passport.
ENTRY VISAS
Passengers not holding Sierra Leone (or ECOWAS
member state) passports are required to obtain pre issued
visas for entry into Sierra Leone.Such documentation may be
obtained from Sierra Leone consular offices. Addresses are
to be found on this Sierra Leone website.
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
(guide - details from your nearest consular office)
• Currency Import: cash must not exceed US$ 5,000
(or equivalent)
• Currency Export: cash must not exceed US$ 5,000
(or equivalent)
IMPORT ALLOWANCES
• 200 cigarettes
• 1.136 litres of wine or spirit
• 1.136 litres of perfume
PROHIBITED IMPORTS
Firearms, explosives, obscene literature and live
animals
PROHIBITED EXPORTS
Firearms, explosives, live animals, gold and
historical artefacts
General etiquette
English is the official language of
Sierra Leone, though local languages, in particular Mende
(in the north) and Temne (in the south), are widely spoken.
In Freetown there is also a kind of Creole called Krio.
Useful Krio greetings are Kou-shay (Hello), Eh bo (Hi),
Howdee bohdee? (How are you?) and its reply Bohdee fine (I'm
fine). Tenk-kee is thank-you.
Business etiquette
Wear a lightweight suit for business
meetings. Make appointments well in advance and confirm
nearer the time. Be punctual yourself but don't expect
punctuality. Business cards are essential and it's good to
include relevant titles. A personal relationship is key to
doing business here so make sure you take time to develop
this.
General
business information
The working
week is Monday to Friday 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm. Muslim
festivals are public holidays, though under different names.
Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas and Boxing Days are
also taken off. There are other holidays on 1 January, 27
April (Independence) and 29 April (Revolution). Ramadan is
best avoided as a time to do business.
International
dialling code: + 232.