Sierra Leone

Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV

The categories of restriction are:

  • No restrictions on entry or staying.

Restrictions on entry to Sierra Leone

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Sierra Leone based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Sierra Leone does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.

The Sierra Leone Immigration Department does not specify the regulations or required documents to enter the country or to apply visas and permits. 

However, the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Washington provides a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant. 

Evidence of yellow fever vaccine is required.

Restrictions on short-term stay in Sierra Leone

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Sierra Leone based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Sierra Leone does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.

Restrictions on long-term stay in Sierra Leone

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Sierra Leone based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Sierra Leone does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.

The Sierra Leone Immigration Department Describes the types of resident permits, however it does not specify the regulations or required documents to enter the country or to apply for visas and permits. 

Treatment access in Sierra Leone

The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Sierra Leone. There is no evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.

IOM reports that the Constitution of Sierra Leone (1991) guarantees all people within the country the right to healthcare. It states that the Government will make provision for ‘adequate medical and health facilities for all persons, having due regard to the resources of the State’. Migrants can access both free and paid healthcare services regardless of status, under the same condition as nationals. The scope of free healthcare remains limited, as such access for both nationals and migrants is also limited.

The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database

People living with HIV are criminalised in Sierra Leone. There are HIV-specific criminal laws in force which target alleged HIV ‘exposure’, non-disclosure, and/or transmission. We are not aware of any reported prosecutions under these or other laws.

UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data

This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.

Migrant populations

Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens Yes
Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) Yes
Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens Yes
Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) Yes
Migrants are able to access HIV services Yes

Refugees and asylum seekers

Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens Yes
Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) Yes
Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens Yes
Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) Yes

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This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.