Home How to get a work permit for a foreign employee in Sierra Leone
To get a work permit for a foreign employee in Sierra Leone, the employee first registers with the NCRA for a National Identification Number. You then apply online through the Unified Permit portal, upload the documents, pay the government fees and collect the permit card. SLONEC manages the whole process from Freetown, with one point of contact.
According to the Unified Permit portal, any non-citizen intending to work, provide services or engage in gainful business in Sierra Leone needs a work permit. Work permits are governed by the Work Permit Act 2023 (Act No. 11 of 2023), which replaced the work permit rules in the Non-Citizens (Registration, Immigration and Expulsion) Act 1965. It is administered by the Commissioner of Labour and Employment through the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security.
This covers expatriate employees of local companies, staff seconded by a foreign parent, consultants on short contracts, and investors who work in their own business.
Under the Act:
The Act does not apply to diplomats or to technical experts of international organisations whose agreement with the Government exempts them. The Minister can also exempt a person or class of people by issuing a certificate of exemption.
All foreign nationals residing, studying or investing in Sierra Leone for more than 90 days need a residence permit, according to the portal. Residence permits are the responsibility of the Sierra Leone Immigration Department. Family members who come with an employee or investor need their own residence permits, so plan for spouses and children as well as the employee.
Yes. The Work Permit Act 2023 has no general exemption for ECOWAS citizens, and the Finance Act 2026 sets work permit fee categories for ECOWAS citizens in both the formal and informal sectors, at lower rates than for other foreign nationals. Residence permit fees are also set separately for ECOWAS citizens.
ECOWAS rules give citizens of member states the right to live in another member state to take up work, but under the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on the right of residence they still need a residence card or residence permit and must follow the host country's rules. In practice, ECOWAS staff still go through the Unified Permit process, and we check the right category for each person.
From 1 January 2026, work and residence permit applications are made online through the Unified Permit portal, a joint service of the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security and the Sierra Leone Immigration Department. The portal describes these steps:
Because the NCRA registration comes first, it pays to start early, before the employee's start date. We do not promise a processing date we do not control.
The portal lists a passport, an employment letter and photographs as typical documents. The Work Permit Act 2023 lists the documents that go with a work permit application:
The Work Permit Committee can ask for other information, and the portal may ask for more for some nationalities. For residence permits for family members, NIB's investor guidance lists marriage and birth certificates for dependants. We give you a checklist for each employee and family member at the start.
The Finance Act 2026 sets penalties for not holding a work permit and for not holding a residence permit, and both the employer and the employee can be liable. Non-compliance can also cause problems with tax clearance, contracts and future permit applications. Keep a register of every foreign employee's permits and renew before they lapse.
We do. Permits for your staff and their families are handled end to end from Freetown, with one point of contact. In practice we:
International firms delivering donor-funded or MCC-funded contracts often need permits for key experts before mobilisation. We plan permits alongside the bid and mobilisation schedule, and check whether an international-organisation exemption applies. See partnering and JV bids in Sierra Leone.
If you don't have a Sierra Leone company, SLONEC Recruitment and Training, our Sierra Leone company, can employ the person through our employer of record service and apply for the permit as the employer. This does not by itself stop your business from having a taxable presence in Sierra Leone.
We keep a permit register, send renewal reminders, and update the permit when the job or employer changes, since a change of employer voids the permit.
Permits are usually one part of a wider move. We also help with company registration and market entry, investor support, and payroll and tax compliance. Scope is agreed in writing before work starts.
Related guides: Employer of record services in Sierra Leone · Payroll, PAYE and NASSIT services in Sierra Leone · Mining licences in Sierra Leone
Yes, if you are not a citizen. Any non-citizen intending to work, provide services or do business in Sierra Leone needs a work permit.
Foreign nationals residing, studying or investing in Sierra Leone for more than 90 days need a residence permit.
Online through the Unified Permit portal. The employee first registers with the NCRA for a National Identification Number, then the application is made, documents are uploaded and the fees are paid online. SLONEC can manage the application for you.
Yes. There is no general ECOWAS exemption in the Work Permit Act 2023, and the Finance Act 2026 sets separate, lower work permit fees for ECOWAS citizens.
One year from the date of issue, and it can be renewed each year. It covers one job only and cannot be transferred to another employer.
Yes. Spouses and children who live with an employee or investor need their own residence permits.
Permits are handled end to end from Freetown, with one point of contact throughout.
It depends on the authorities and on having complete documents. We start early, check documents before they are submitted and keep you updated. We do not promise a date we do not control.
Yes, we plan permits around your mobilisation dates. Processing times are set by the authorities, so we do not promise a date we do not control.
No. A change of employer makes the permit void.
The application needs an employer's documents; if you have no company, SLONEC Recruitment and Training, our Sierra Leone company, can employ the person through our employer of record service. This does not by itself stop your business from having a taxable presence in Sierra Leone.
Book a call or request a proposal. Call +232 73 253666, message us on WhatsApp or email hello@slonec.com. Our office is at 1 Hannah Benka-Coker Street, Freetown. Checked on 11 November 2026. This page is general information based on government sources at that date, not legal advice.
