Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 December 2018:
The Sierra Leone Telegraph has been reliably informed that a story published two days ago suggesting that the government of Sierra Leone has increased visa fees for travellers from the UK visiting Sierra Leone is misleading.
The story believed to have been published by Umaru Fofanah, states that: “Sierra Leone increases visa fee for UK passport holders by more than 200%. It’s jumped from Le 470,000 ($55) to Le 1,736,000 ($204). – £160.34.
“A source at the immigrations department in Freetown said it’s a reciprocal action but wouldn’t say by how much London had increased its fee. Awaiting UK high commission response”.
Speaking to the Sierra Leone Telegraph yesterday, a senior official at the Sierra Leone High Commission in London was unequivocal.
He told the editor of the Sierra Leone Telegraph, that: “The Sierra Leone High Commission has received no communication relating to increase in visa fees. Visa fees have remained the same for more than five years despite inflationary trends. Hope this clarifies the matter.”
The current visa fee for a single entry into the country is £109. The alleged increase mentioned in the story – from Le 470,000 ($55) to Le 1,736,000 ($204 – equivalent to £160.34) is not true, according to the Sierra Leone High Commission in London.
Any future increase will be published on the High Commission’s website, the High Commission official told the Sierra Leone Telegraph.
I am married to Sierra Leone lady 16 years. Never visited Sierra Leone because your goverment are not interested in tourist, as they try to rob us of our money in visa fee.
Do they not know we have to buy expensive flight, expensive visa, other travel costs, high ferry prices, very very high hotel prices. Why should Gambia get all the tourists? Because visa fee is nothing. Look at how that country is rapidly expanding its facilities. Come on Sierra Leone dont hate your tourists.