Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, ECOWAS and the African Union
Today Sierra Leone is a peaceful, democratic and resource-rich country of about 8.5 million people in West Africa. It is a member of The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The union consists of 12 countries with a combined population of about 420 million people, a bit less than the population of the European Union (about 450 million). ECOWAS shares some attributes with the European Union. Member states have a common design for their passports and national ID cards. On the basis of Protocol A/P.1/5/79 Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, bloc citizens have a right to free movement across the bloc. In practice this means that citizens can visit all member countries visa-free and enjoy a simplified residency procedure should they choose to reside in another member country. Sierra Leone is also a member of the African Union. The AU’s Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment aims to establish free movement across all 55 member countries for its citizens. So far, 4 countries have ratified it and the treaty will come into force after 15 have done so. This presents a valuable option in the long-term.
Projections show that Africa’s population will double by 2050. ECOWAS is home to some of the fastest growing economies as well as some of the fastest growing populations in the world. Acquiring Sierra Leonean citizenship offers investors – and their children – access and asset protection to fully benefit from the strong growth of the region and the continent – a hedge against declining populations and geopolitical instability in Europe, North America and Asia.
Facts about ECOWAS
Founded: 1975
Member states:
Benin 🇧🇯
Cape Verde 🇨🇻
Gambia 🇬🇲
Ghana 🇬🇭
Guinea 🇬🇳 (suspended)
Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼
Ivory Coast 🇨🇮
Liberia 🇱🇷
Nigeria 🇳🇬
Senegal 🇸🇳
Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
Togo 🇹🇬
Facts about Sierra Leone
– Member of the Commonwealth of Nations, UN, ECOWAS and African Union.
– NOT a Member of the OECD and NOT participating in CRS.
– English is the national language.
– Legal system based on Common Law.
– Independence gained from the United Kingdom in 1961.
Program Costs
Here is a breakdown of the program costs. Prices are all in United States Dollars. Crypto is also accepted. If paying with USDT there are no additional costs for choosing to pay with crypto. If paying with BTC, the client must compensate for any shortfalls in USD equivalence up to the point that the certificate of citizenship is issued.
Base cost for a single applicant – donation to the government of Sierra Leone:
– 140,000: for someone without African ancestry.
– 100,000: for someone with African ancestry. Living DNA test results required. Any amount of ancestry from anywhere in Africa, up to 5 generations back, qualifies.
Cost per dependent added to the application:
– 10,000: Spouse (same-sex and opposite-sex spouses are eligible), children age 18 and younger, parents and grandparents.
– 20,000: Children over the age of 18, siblings age 30 and below (siblings over 30 are not eligible as siblings, but can be added as a business partner if they are age 21 or older), spouses of siblings, children of siblings age 18 and below.
– 30,000: Business partner. Must be age 21 or older. Only 1 can be added to the application.
Government due diligence fee (in total):
– 5,000: Up to 5 people on the application.
– 10,000: From 6 to 10 people on the application.
– As above plus 900 per additional applicant beyond the 10th.
Additional options:
– 10,000: Legal change of name as a part of the citizenship procedure. Cost is for the main applicant. For each dependent who also wants to change their name, an additional charge of 1,000 per person.
– 10,000: Tax residency certificate. Cost is per person.
Required Documents
For the application, scans of the following must be made:
– Passport biodata page for the main applicant and all dependents.
– Passport photo for all applicants.
– Proof of current residential address for the main applicant.
– Marriage certificate if including a spouse.
– Birth certificate for children, parents and grandparents if including them.
– Birth certificate for siblings, if including siblings.
– Birth certificate for the main applicant, only if siblings, parents or grandparents are being added (to prove the relationship).
– Proof of source of funds.
Procedure
1 – Client securely uploads all of their documents directly to a secure, web-based platform operated by the program office.
2 – Client signs escrow agreement and makes the transfer. Their funds are placed in escrow until the application is officially approved, offering complete peace of mind. There is no escrow fee levied by the program escrow agent when choosing USD or USDT (crypto). The third option for escrow is for a client to use their own attorney. In that case any escrow fees levied are between the client and the attorney.
3 – After submitting all required documents and the successful completion of government due diligence, a video call will be scheduled between the agent (us), the main applicant and the program office for the applicant to certify with a notary the truthfulness of all documents submitted and to take the citizenship oath.
4 – A certificate of citizenship and passport will be issued and shipped by courier to the client.
Additional Program Information
– Documents do not need apostilles.
– All documents must be officially translated into English if they are not originally issued in English. Such translations must be made by a licensed translator.
– Current processing times: 30–60 days for approval; 60–90 days in total for passport and naturalisation certificate issuance.
– There is no need to travel to the country at any point during the process.
– Place of birth in your Sierra Leonean passport will be exactly the same as in the passport you use to apply. So for example if POB in the passport you use to apply is listed only as your city of birth, this is all that will be printed in the Sierra Leonian passport.
– Simply becoming a citizen does not trigger tax residency in Sierra Leone.
– The names of new citizens are not currently published in any form. This may be subject to change in the future. If an applicant chooses to change their name as a part of the application process, the name change will be published in Sierra Leone but only in print, not online. The print publication is a local, low circulation newspaper.
– After citizenship has been granted a local company will be registered for the main applicant, which they can use as they wish. A local bank account will also be opened for the company, making it fully capable from the start. The government registers a company for all new citizens as a way of encouraging investment into the country. There are no fees related to creating the company or maintaining it for the first year after founding and the citizen is free to close their company at any point within the first year without incurring any fees. The company includes a nominee shareholder/director and a registered office in Sierra Leone. After the first year there would be a 2,500 USD per year fee to maintain the complete structure.
– Children born after one of their parents has become a citizen will inherit their parent’s citizenship by descent. The procedure for registering a newborn would be no different than for any other citizen of Sierra Leone. There is no distinction between citizens by donation, descent or conventional naturalisation. There is no second-class citizenship in Sierra Leone – all citizens are equal before the law.
– Citizens of all countries are welcome to apply, except for North Koreans.
– The legal basis for citizenship is Section 27(a) of the Citizenship Act. See below:
Above: Lakka Beach, near Freetown. One of Sierra Leone’s many picturesque beaches. (Licensed, Getty Images)
Header image: River Number Two Beach, near Freetown. (Licensed, Getty Images)