Just Landed in Sierra Leone? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is the primary way to get online; fixed home broadband exists but is limited, pricey and concentrated in a few Freetown neighbourhoods. Coverage is generally decent across Freetown and the main towns but patchy upcountry, and speeds can drop during power cuts when masts run on backup. SIM registration with your passport is mandatory, and unregistered lines are deactivated. Most expats end up carrying two SIMs (Orange plus Africell) because coverage strength flips between them depending on where you are.

Typical cost: A monthly data bundle runs roughly SLE 150 to 400 (about USD 7 to 18) depending on volume; always buy bundles rather than paying the punishing per-megabyte default rate.

Sierra Leone is overwhelmingly cash- and mobile-money-based; card payments work only at a handful of Freetown hotels, supermarkets and airline offices. Remember the 2022 redenomination stripped three zeros from the currency, so the new leone (SLE) trades at roughly 22 to 24 to the US dollar, yet people still quote confusing 'old leone' figures. ATMs exist across Freetown but can be offline or out of cash, so keep a working buffer and never rely on a single withdrawal method.

Opening an account: Foreigner-friendly banks include Ecobank, Rokel Commercial Bank, UBA, GTBank and Standard Chartered. Opening an account typically needs your passport, residence permit or valid visa, a local address, passport photos and often a reference; expect the process to take days rather than minutes. Some larger employers will help set this up as part of onboarding.

Cash: Cash is king and mobile money is queen. Keep a rolling stock of small new-leone notes for taxis, okadas, markets and tips, and use Orange Money or Africell Money for anything larger. Do not assume you can pay by card outside major hotels and a few supermarkets.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory but is appreciated; round up taxi fares, tip helpful drivers and guides, and leave around 10 percent at sit-down restaurants that have not already added a service charge.

Foreign nationals staying beyond a short visit must obtain a residence permit, and those working also need a work permit, almost always sponsored and processed through an employer. Since 2022 you must first obtain a National Identification Number (NIN) from the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) before you can lodge a residence or work permit application, and foreign residents are issued a Non-National ID card. This is a legal residence-and-work regime rather than the same-week address registration you may know from continental Europe, but you should still start it early because the steps are sequential and slow. You are expected to carry your residence card at all times once issued.

Deadline: Regularise your status and apply for a residence or work permit before your entry visa expires, generally within the first few weeks of arrival; permits are typically issued for one year and renewed annually.

Where: Sierra Leone Immigration Department in central Freetown (applications for foreign nationals are made in person to the Foreign Nationals Unit), with the NIN obtained separately from an NCRA office. In practice most employees are guided through both by their employer's HR or an immigration handler.

In-town travel is by shared poda-poda minibuses, shared and private (kekeh) taxis, tuk-tuk three-wheelers, and okada motorbike taxis, which are fastest through Freetown's gridlock but by far the least safe. There is no metro, tram or formal timetabled bus network, and you should agree the fare before you set off on anything private. Traffic on the main corridors like Wilkinson Road and into the city centre is heavy at peak times and after rain, so build in generous buffers. For anything important, use a driver you know rather than hailing a stranger, especially at night.

From the airport: Lungi International Airport is across the estuary from Freetown, not a simple taxi ride. The standard route is a Sea Coach Express or Sea Bird Express water taxi across the bay (about 30 to 45 minutes, roughly USD 40 to 45 including the shuttle legs), with the cheaper government ferry as an alternative, or a much longer road route via Port Loko. Pre-book, keep your ticket, and avoid unlicensed touts who cluster at the terminal.

Expats, the diaspora and better-off residents cluster in Freetown areas such as Aberdeen, Lumley, Wilberforce, Hill Station and the Spur Road corridor, where serviced or generator-equipped homes are concentrated. Furnished rentals are common in these areas, and landlords very often quote and expect rent in US dollars. Reliability of water and power, not just the look of the building, should drive your choice, so ask hard questions about the generator, inverter and water tank before signing. Using a reputable agent or a personal recommendation saves a lot of grief over verifying that a landlord genuinely owns the property.

Typical rent: A furnished one- to two-bedroom flat in a desirable Freetown area typically runs USD 500 to 1,200 per month; simpler local housing costs far less.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly demand a large chunk of rent well in advance, frequently six to twelve months upfront, plus a deposit; negotiate firmly, confirm what the rent includes, and get every term in writing.

Public healthcare is under-resourced and quality is limited, so serious cases are routinely referred to private clinics in Freetown or medically evacuated abroad. Pharmacies are widespread but stock levels and drug authenticity vary, so buy only from reputable, established outlets. Malaria is endemic year-round and is the illness most likely to affect you, so treat prophylaxis, nets and repellent as non-negotiable and get any fever tested quickly.

How to access it: For routine and urgent care, expats generally use private facilities in Freetown such as Choithram Memorial Hospital, the Emergency NGO Surgical Centre, and a handful of well-regarded private clinics. Save a clinic's and a doctor's direct number, plus your embassy contact, before you ever need them, and keep some cash aside because private care is pay-as-you-go.

Insurance: Arrange comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation before you arrive or immediately on landing, because local facilities cannot handle major trauma or complex emergencies and an air evacuation is enormously expensive out of pocket.

• Greet before you get to business; a handshake and asking how someone and their family are doing is expected before any request, purchase or transaction.
• Learn a few Krio phrases such as 'kushe' (hello), 'aw di bodi?' (how are you?) and 'tenki' (thank you); locals warm to any effort you make.
• Dress modestly, especially outside Freetown and around mosques and churches, since the country is religiously mixed and observant.
• Respect elders visibly, defer to them in conversation, and use both hands or your right hand when giving something to an older person.
• Accept hospitality graciously; being offered food or a drink is common, and refusing outright can read as cold.
• Ask before photographing people, and never photograph the airport, bridges, military, police or government buildings, which can cause real trouble.
• Be patient with 'salone time'; official processes, meetings and repairs run slowly, and visible frustration rarely speeds anything up.

• Use your right hand for greeting, giving and receiving; the left hand is considered unclean.
• Public discussion of the 1991 to 2002 civil war or the Ebola epidemic can be raw and personal, so follow local cues before raising them.
• Avoid overt displays of wealth, phones and jewellery in crowded markets, on the beach road and after dark.
• During the rainy season expect flooding, mudslides on the hills and days when travel simply stops, and plan around it rather than fighting it.
• Homosexuality is criminalised and socially unaccepted, so LGBT visitors should be aware of the legal and social risks and exercise discretion.