How to Get Sierra Leone CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 15 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Africa
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024GLOBALCIT baseline, plus 1 later in-force change applied where the data records a new value.
- Last checked
- 5 November 2026
What changed since 2024
- In force
GO-FOR-GOLD programme added fast-track naturalisation routes for investors in January 2025.
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. 1 later in-force change in the timeline above takes precedence where it differs.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in Sierra Leone is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
In force, 2 January 2025: GO-FOR-GOLD programme added fast-track naturalisation routes for investors in January 2025.
- Residence
- 15 years
Person has been resident in Sierra Leone for at least 15 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Person has knowledge of a language in use in Sierra Leone.
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person has good character.
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Person would make useful and substantial contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of Sierra Leone (if not negro African).
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of Sierra Leone is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is a woman married to a citizen.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of Sierra Leone, the rules below set out how this route works. Sierra Leone grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is born abroad to a parent who is a citizen and is of negro African descent.
Birth in the country
This route concerns people born in Sierra Leone, and only in the situations described below.
Birth in country (two generations)
Person is born in Sierra Leone and one parent or any grandparent was also born there and is of negro African descent.
Birth in country (acquisition after birth)
Person is of negro African descent and was born in the country provided that neither parent is a citizen and father is not with diplomatic status nor an enemy alien.
Child of a new citizen
This route covers children of a person who becomes a citizen of Sierra Leone, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is under the age of 21 years, is born outside Sierra Leone, and parent has acquired citizenship by naturalisation.
Other family members of citizens
This route covers certain family members not covered by the marriage or descent routes in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person whose citizenship depended on the status of his father shall not cease to be entitled because of father's death.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
This route covers people who previously held citizenship of Sierra Leone, subject to the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is a former citizen who lost citizenship on acquisition of another.
Ethnic or cultural affinity
This route covers people with an ethnic or cultural link to Sierra Leone, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person has been resident in Sierra Leone for at least 8 years (if either parent is of negro African descent. Other conditions: knowledge of a language in use in Sierra Leone, good character, would be a good citizen.
Investment
In force, 2 January 2025: GO-FOR-GOLD programme added fast-track naturalisation routes for investors in January 2025.
The baseline has no rule text for this route because it was added after 1 January 2024. The entry above is the source for it.
Not available in Sierra Leone: Adoption, Citizens of specific countries, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Stateless persons, Special achievements, Public or military service. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Both groups can hold a second citizenship under the law of Sierra Leone: new citizens, and citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Sierra Leone requires 15 years, more years than the most common requirement of 5 years across Western Africa.
See how Sierra Leone compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Burkina Faso | 10 years | None | Accepted |
 Mali | 10 years | Assimilation only | Accepted |
 Mauritania | 10 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Niger | 10 years | None | Accepted |
 Nigeria | 15 years | None | Accepted |
 The Gambia | 15 years | None | Citizens abroad only |
Official sources
Official government page: not yet linked.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 8(2), 8(3), Schedule 3.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (2026, November 5). How to Get Sierra Leone Citizenship. https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/sierra-leone/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/sierra-leone/">How to Get Sierra Leone Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, last checked 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Sierra Leonean citizen?
The law of Sierra Leone sets 15 years of residence for ordinary naturalisation. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does Sierra Leone allow dual citizenship?
Yes, in both directions: new citizens and citizens who naturalise abroad can hold another citizenship.
Do I need a language test for Sierra Leonean citizenship?
Knowledge of the language is required, yet no formal test is defined.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Sierra Leonean citizenship?
There is no civic knowledge requirement for Sierra Leonean citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Sierra Leonean citizenship?
Your current citizenship does not need to be given up to get Sierra Leonean citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Sierra Leone citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Sierra Leone provides a marriage route. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Sierra Leone citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of Sierra Leone provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Sierra Leone citizenship by investment?
Yes. Sierra Leone has an investment route in the data. Amounts and terms should be confirmed with the official authority.
Related pages
Also see: Sierra Leone passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.