Sierra Leone Becomes "Visa On Arrival" Country
Visit Sierra LeoneEffective Thursday 5th September 2019, the West African country, Sierra Leone, has through its Immigration Department and Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs introduced a new "Visa On Arrivals Policy" which now allows visitors from different countries to travel to Sierra Leone where they can get their respective Visas on arrival at a minimum cost of US $28 for African countries and US $80 for other countries in the world. Sierra Leone Becomes "Visa On Arrival" Country.
By Sylvester SambaUPDATE: To apply for a "Visa upon Arrival," complete the eVisa online application before departure. Read the updated article for more information.
Except for ECOWAS nationals who are already on Visa-free movement
“To apply for a “Visa upon Arrival,” you must complete the eVisa online application.”
To apply for a "Visa upon Arrival," you must complete the eVisa online application days before departure for approval processing. The eVisa single entry application fee is US$80 plus applicable fees (US$4.27 at the time of this update information) for credit card processing. To start the eVisa application click the link ‘Welcome to Government of Sierra Leone eVisa Application System.’ Note: Check your email inbox including the Spam folder for ‘Code’ to log in.
Apply for your VISA in 3 easy steps or check on the status of your application
Select nationality, visa type and fill required application form
Submit electronic application and payment
Receive confirmation of your visa application status via email
If you need help or have any questions, please contact the Sierra Leone Immigration: Phone number: +232 30 769115 | Email: info@slid.gov.sl | Address (for the record): 14 Gloucester Street, Freetown
Applying for your 'Security Pass' online
Applying for your 'Security Pass' online, click the link 'Welcome to Securipass' and follow the online dialog.
Dr. Memunatu Pratt, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affair
Effective Thursday 5th September 2019, the West African country, Sierra Leone, has through its Immigration Department and Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs introduced a new "Visa On Arrivals Policy" which now allows visitors from different countries to travel to Sierra Leone where they can get their respective Visas on arrival at a minimum cost of US $28 for African countries and US $80 for other countries in the world. Sierra Leone Becomes "Visa On Arrival" Country.
Except for ECOWAS nationals who are already on Visa-free movement, the new Visa on Arrival policy was rolled-out for travelers from the following countries or block: United Kingdom, European Union, United States, Commonwealth countries, Gulf Cooperation Council member countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman), BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Iran, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Israel, Bolivia, East Timor, Macau, Samoa, Tuvalu.
Sierra Leone's Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. Andrew Jaiah KaiKai said countries not listed are required to visit the nearest Sierra Leone Embassy or Mission abroad to secure visas before visiting Sierra Leone.
“All persons coming to Sierra Leone for the purpose other than tourism, visit or business needs to apply for a visa before undertaken such travel...We wish to reassure all potential visitors of a continuing hassle-free visa processing experience”
Speaking to journalists in the capital of Freetown, the Chief Immigration Officer maintained that the decision for the introduction of this new policy is part of government's commitment to promote tourism and attract foreign direct investment in Sierra Leone. A notice has already been put out to the public and correspondence sent to airline operators, Sierra Leone Embassies and Missions overseas, International Air Transport Association (IATA), International partners and other government bodies.
Sierra Leone's Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jaiah Kaikai
Mr. Kaikai assured Sierra Leoneans that the Visa on Arrival policy will not compromise the country's security, adding that his government together with the relevant stakeholders such as the Office of the National Security (ONS), International Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the Immigration Department will profile visitors to make sure that they do not have a questionable character before entering the country.
As potential visitors were struggling with our embassies abroad to receive a Visa to Sierra Leone, such bold step by the government to introduce this new policy will help the country to be very close to the rest of the world, said the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt.
Dr. Pratt noted this is a step in the right direction, given that the country's tourism sector has been in crisis over the years. She added that the non-availability of Sierra Leonean foreign missions in most of the world has proved challenging for people who want to visit the country. Still, the introduction of the Visa on Arrival policy will allow visitors to get in and have a Visa right at the Freetown International Airport.
The Minister said they are again planning to take another giant step to meet with the Board of Airlines operating in the country and the Hotel Owners' Association to drop the prices for airline tickets and hotels which, she noted, are quite expensive and pose a challenge for tourists to visit Sierra Leone.
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Kenya Says First 'Visa-free' Tourists Arrive In Country
The government's immigration services department said the "maiden visa-free arrivals" landed in Nairobi from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and more were expected to touch down in the coming days.
This article is By AFP - Agence France Presse; January 5, 2024.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said visa requirements would be waived for all travelers to Kenya regardless of nationality.
January 5, 2024
The government's immigration services department said the "maiden visa-free arrivals" landed in Nairobi from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and more were expected to touch down in the coming days.
Kenya said Friday it had welcomed the first batch of foreign tourists who arrived under a simplified entry system it hopes will encourage more visitors.
The government's immigration services department said the "maiden visa-free arrivals" landed in Nairobi from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and more were expected to touch down in the coming days.
The "maiden visa-free arrivals" landed in Nairobi from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said visa requirements would be waived for all travelers to Kenya regardless of nationality.
Under the new system, travelers apply online for an electronic travel authorization (ETA)and pay a $30 "processing" fee.
"Right now... all countries around the world including Africa, Asia, America, Australia, and all over the world, can come in visa-free," he said at the scheme launch at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Last year President William Ruto announced that Kenya would become a "visa-free country" and existing requirements would be waived come January.
Even so, as recently as last Tuesday the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority warned the new ETA system was "in the process of development and implementation."
The number of tourist arrivals in 2022 rose to 1.54 million, still below pre-pandemic levels, according to tourism ministry figures.
Kenya Tourism Board chair Francis Gichaba voiced hope in November that the figure could top two million in the latest financial year, surpassing the 2019 figure of 1.9 million.
This article is By AFP - Agence France Presse; January 5, 2024.
Air Senegal to launch Geneva and London; Milan, Madrid, Rome next?
Abidjan, Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Freetown, Nouakchott, and Praia are available over Dakar on a two-way basis, with connections within about two hours in both directions. London – Freetown, for example, is a market of ~36,000 passengers, with timings as follows:
Freetown – Dakar: 1945 – 2230; Dakar – London: 0015 – 0625
London – Dakar: 0750 – 1405; Dakar – Freetown: 1600 – 1845
By Theo Edwards: Source: anna aero (airline network news and analysis)
Air Senegal has announced both Geneva and London, its fourth and fifth destinations in Europe
By Theo Edwards: Source: anna aero (airline network news and analysis)
Abidjan, Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Freetown, Nouakchott, and Praia are available over Dakar on a two-way basis, with connections within about two hours in both directions.
Air Senegal’s growth continues. In December, it added Dakar to Lagos via Accra; Abuja via Niamey; Casablanca; and Barcelona via Marseille. Freetown via Banjul is coming in June. The carrier is focusing significantly on hub-and-spoke, in contrast to the previous point-to-point Senegal Airlines. A highly coordinated hub is an obvious strategy for Air Senegal, partly given its geographic position.
Air Senegal has announced both Geneva and London, its fourth and fifth destinations in Europe. The carrier is to lease two 165-seat A321s – 149 economy seats, 16 lie-flat business – for these routes, and also for Abidjan, Casablanca, and Conakry.
Shown here are its West Africa – North Africa / Europe – West Africa connections, all well coordinated for connectivity over Dakar. Other African cities, such as Accra and Lagos, are timed to connect with other cities in West Africa (i.e., most of those that Europe connects with) rather than to Europe. Source: OAG Mapper.
Green = already served or announced. Blue = unserved. Geneva and London will be served non-stop. Marseille and Barcelona are currently linked in a triangle. Perhaps the A220-300 will be used to serve some thinner destinations, such as Toulouse? Source: OAG Traffic Analyser.
Geneva has ~69,000 passengers; London ~108,000
Geneva is a market of ~69,000 (Dakar point-to-point and demand to connecting destinations), and it will be partly driven by demand from the United Nations. It’ll probably also attract some of Lyon’s ~65,000 passengers, at least non-stop to Dakar, given the two cities are only 93 miles apart. London is a market of ~108,000 (excluding non-stop traffic to Banjul). It is reported that Stansted was chosen due to no early morning slots at Gatwick, with Air Senegal’s timings (or very similar) crucial for connectivity over Dakar.
Up to eight connecting destinations so far over Dakar
Its timings are, of course, based on maximizing connectivity to/from West Africa. Although it does vary a little based on day, Abidjan, Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Freetown, Nouakchott, and Praia are available over Dakar on a two-way basis, with connections within about two hours in both directions. London – Freetown, for example, is a market of ~36,000 passengers, with timings as follows:
Freetown – Dakar: 1945 – 2230; Dakar – London: 0015 – 0625
London – Dakar: 0750 – 1405; Dakar – Freetown: 1600 – 1845
Milan, Madrid, and Rome next?
Air Senegal’s European routes each had 60,000+ passengers before starting. Barcelona, Geneva, and Marseille also had local Dakar traffic averaging 47% of their total. Presumably, Marseille (~64,000) and Barcelona (~75,000) – each a good-sized market – will one day benefit from being de-tagged and served non-stop by A321s rather than on a triangle basis by the A330-900.
The figure, (Top 10 European markets for Air Senegal), shows the estimated two-way demand for Dakar and Air Senegal’s eight connecting destinations in the year to November 2019. For fairness, these numbers exclude any non-stop passengers as they’d be less likely to switch. Excluding short-term demand impacts from the coronavirus, Milan (76,000), Madrid (63,000), and Rome (58,000) seem good contenders for Air Senegal’s future European expansion. As is Lyon itself (65,000), but that’s now less certain given Geneva.
Milan stands out. Its ~76,000 is based on ~41,000 indirect Dakar traffic. Air Italy currently operates Milan Malpensa – Dakar four-weekly by the A330-200. However, the carrier is to cease operating. Therefore, it is fair to add its ~78,000 non-stop passengers, meaning Milan is a potential market of ~154,000.
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Why Africa? “The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa’s Economic Miracle” by Ashish J. Thakkar is the true story of today’s Africa, one often overshadowed by the dire headlines. Traveling from his ancestral home in Uganda, East Africa, to the booming economy and (if chaotic) new democracies of West Africa, and down to the “Silicon Savannahs” of Kenya and Rwanda, Ashish J. Thakkar shows us an Africa that few Westerners are aware exists.
By Theo Edwards
Mara Group & Mara Foundation
Africa Reach – An African company with investments and operations in 25 countries across the continent
Established in 1996, Mara has grown from a small computer hardware trading firm in East Africa to a multi-sector group with investments and operations spanning 25 African countries and 3 continents.
Why Africa? “The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa’s Economic Miracle” by Ashish J. Thakkar is the true story of today’s Africa, one often overshadowed by the dire headlines. Traveling from his ancestral home in Uganda, East Africa, to the booming economy and (if chaotic) new democracies of West Africa, and down to the “Silicon Savannahs” of Kenya and Rwanda, Ashish J. Thakkar shows us an Africa that few Westerners are aware exists.
Mara’s technology ventures capitalize on the rapidly growing smartphone and internet markets creating a suite of platforms that are tailored locally.
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