Do Finland passport holders need a visa to visit SL?
Finnish passport holders need a visa for Sierra Leone. The recommended route is the official eVisa (apply online before travel, about USD 80, single entry, up to 30 days). Visa on arrival is also available to EU citizens for USD 80 at Freetown airport and main land borders, but the eVisa is safer and avoids delays. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for entry. Finland is not on Sierra Leone's visa-exempt list (which is limited to ECOWAS states and a few other African nations), so Finnish ordinary passport holders require a visa for tourism. Two legal channels exist. The first and recommended option is the official electronic visa (eVisa) applied for online before departure: it is a single-entry tourist visa, typically USD 80, processed in roughly three business days, valid 90 days from issue and permitting a stay of up to 30 days. The second option, available to all EU member-state citizens including Finland, is a visa on arrival for USD 80, issued at Freetown (Lungi) International Airport and the Gbalamuya (Guinea) and Jendema (Liberia) land borders. Because the official eVisa portal can be intermittently unavailable and arrival queues are unpredictable, the eVisa obtained in advance is the conservative recommendation. A passport valid at least six months, a passport photo, proof of onward travel and accommodation are required. Critically, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is compulsory for all travelers entering Sierra Leone and is checked on arrival. There is no visa-free or ETA channel for Finnish tourists, and Sierra Leone is not part of the Schengen area.
VISA REQUIREDTOURISMSINGLE ENTRYLast verified 2026-05-30
For guidance only — visa rules change with little notice. Always confirm directly with the destination's embassy or foreign ministry before booking non-refundable travel. Information here applies to ordinary (non-diplomatic) passports unless noted.