Crime

 

Most visits to Sierra Leone are incident free. But a small number of incidents have been reported since mid 2013 of foreign nationals being robbed, sometimes at knife-point. These incidents were reported in the areas of Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road, Lumley Beach and Aberdeen.

 

The greatest risk to short-stay travellers is from pick pocketing and mugging in Freetown. If you are staying for a longer period make sure your property is secured properly and employ guards.

 

You should take the following precautions against crime:

 

avoid crowds and political demonstrations

don’t display or carry expensive items or large sums of money

avoid walking alone after dark

plan your transport arrangements and minimise use of public transport, taxis, poda-podas (minibuses) and Ocadas (motorbikes). Some robberies have been carried out by associates of the drivers and other passengers.

familiarise yourself with your surroundings and remain vigilant.

 

Local Travel (Getting to Freetown from the airport)

 

Lungi airport is situated on the far side of a wide estuary from Freetown. There are several transfer options from Lungi airport: road, ferry, Pelican water taxi and local boats/pirogues. None is without risk. Genvisec advises not to use the local boats/pirogues. If you plan to stay at one of the Lungi Airport hotels book early as rooms are extremely limited and in high demand.

 

Transfer by road

 

The journey time by road is normally between 3 and 5 hours. You should prearrange pick-up. as there are no car hire facilities at the airport. 

 

Transfer by sea

 

The options are Pelican water taxi, ferry and local boats/pirogues. No option is without risk, but reports of incidents and injuries using the Pelican and ferry are rare. Diplomatic staff in country regularly use the Pelican water taxi and occasionally the ferry but not the local boats/pirogues.

 

During the rainy season (May to October) rough sea conditions may lead to delays or cancellations. If you choose to cross by boat, notify a reliable contact of your departure and expected arrival times and agree what action they will take if you don’t arrive at the expected time.

 

Pelican – the journey time is 25 to 45 minutes on the water. These water taxis operate between Freetown (Aberdeen) and Lungi (Mahera Beach). They have navigational aids, night lights and provide life jackets for passengers. They have limited additional safety equipment and rescue capability.

 

Ferry – the journey time is about 1 hour on the water. The service terminates in Freetown in the eastern end of the city. You should pre-plan your onward journey from there, particularly if you are arriving at night. The service offers a crossing for both foot passengers and vehicles. The ferry lacks basic safety equipment. Foreign foot passengers have reported being pick-pocketed.

 

Local boats/pirogues – these craft operate without lights and any safety equipment. You should avoid using these craft. Previously a hovercraft service operated but it is currently out of service.

 

Road Travel

 

Plan your journeys outside Freetown, travel in convoy if possible and report your progress. Have a plan for what to do and where to go in case of emergencies.

 

Make sure you use well maintained vehicles. Erratic driving is common and motorbikes are a particular problem. Most roads have little or no lighting and have hazards like vehicles with no lights, wandering pedestrians and animals. Serious traffic accidents are common.

 

Children will sometimes put a rope across the road and ask for a small donation for mending the road. These incidents are most common at the weekend and on roads to tourist beaches in the Western Area. The rope will be lifted in you indicate that you don’t intend to stop. You can distinguish them from official police checkpoints, which are manned by uniformed officers with marked barriers.

 

Avoid road travel outside the Freetown peninsula during night hours.

 

We strongly advise you do not use local taxis, poda-podas (minibuses) or ocadas (motorbikes).

 

Air Travel

 

All airlines from Sierra Leone have been refused permission to operate services to the EU because of safety concerns. A list of recent incidents and accidents in Sierra Leone can be found on the website of the Aviation Safety network.

 

Swimming

 

Sierra Leone has many attractive beaches, but strong currents exist at some. Seek local advice about conditions. There are no lifeguards. Swimming is at your own risk. Beware of hospital waste, including needles, on Lumley beach.

 

Political situation

 

Sierra Leone is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and has taken significant strides following 3 democratic elections since the end of its civil war in 2002. But it is still one of the poorest countries in the world, with associated capacity and other challenges. Keep up to date with local and regional developments. Avoid all political demonstrations anywhere in the country.

 

Water and power

 

Mains water is limited. Power is improving but remains unreliable. Rented accommodation and hotels rely on generators and private water supplies.

 

Telephone network

 

No mobile network provides country-wide coverage. Some areas have no mobile reception. There is no public telephone system outside the Western Area and landline connections are poor. It is not possible to call a Sierra Leone mobile phone from a Sierra Leone landline and vice-versa.

 

Money

Sierra Leone has a cash-based society and bank or credit cards are only accepted in a few hotels in Freetown. There are a few ATMs in the capital, but you should be vigilant when using them because of high levels of fraud. Outside the capital bank and credit cards are not accepted and you should assume that ATMs will not be available.

 

Opportunities to exchange travellers’ cheques are limited. All foreign exchange transactions must be handled through banks and official exchange offices. A small number of banks in central Freetown may be prepared to accept credit cards to buy local currency.

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Local laws and customs

Sierra Leone has a tolerant multi-religious culture. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs.

 

Don’t become involved with drugs of any kind.

 

All precious stones require an export licence. Check the quality of any gems and/or minerals you buy. Any deals that appear too good to be true probably are.

 

If you commit any criminal offences, including drug trafficking and diamond smuggling you can expect to be subjected to local law. There are heavy penalties and local prison conditions are harsh.

 

Homosexual acts are illegal in Sierra Leone.

 

You should carry ID (passport or residence permit) at all times.

 

The Sierra Leone Police levy a SLL300,000 fee for all foreign nationals who need a police report. They are unable to issue crime reference numbers without a police report. You should make your payment to the Sierra Leone Police Revenue Generation Fund Account at the Bank of Sierra Leone and get a receipt. Don’t pay the Sierra Leone Police direct. If you wish to report a crime but do not require a crime reference number or a written report there will be no charge. 

 

Adoption  

 

Adoption orders from Sierra Leone are not recognised in the EU. The Government of Sierra Leone, together with UNICEF, are tackling issues related to the trafficking of children. If you are planning to adopt a child make sure you comply with Sierra Leone’s adoption laws. The government office responsible for adoptions in Sierra Leone is the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (Telephone: +232 76 624 597).

 

Health

Medical facilities are poor. You should carry basic medical supplies and make sure you have adequate supplies of prescription medication, bearing in mind the risk of delays due to flight cancellations. You should expect to pay for all medical treatment in advance. British nationals have been refused admittance to hospital without proof of ability to pay their medical bills. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad, medical evacuation and repatriation. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

 

Rabies, Lassa fever, water-borne diseases, malaria and other tropical diseases are common to Sierra Leone. Vaccination against yellow fever is required to enter Sierra Leone.  

 

Cholera is endemic in Sierra Leone with outbreaks, particularly during the rainy season, in areas where there is poor sanitation. You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks.

 

In the 2012 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 52,000 adults aged 15 or over in Sierra Leone were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 1.5% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.25%. You should exercise precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS.

 

Visas

 

All foreign nationals need a visa to enter Sierra Leone. 

 

UK-The Sierra Leone High Commission in London sometimes issues Emergency Travel Certificates to Sierra Leoneans resident in the UK and those with dual British/Sierra Leone nationality. These documents are not valid for return travel to the UK. 

 

Passport validity

 

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the time of your visa application.

 

Yellow fever

 

Yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. You need to show a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate when entering Sierra Leone.

 

Emergency Travel Documents

 

Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are not valid for entry into Sierra Leone. ETDs are accepted for airside transit and exit from Sierra Leone