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.
The types of restriction are:
- No restrictions.
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.
Sources
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.
Visit the Sierra Leone page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
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