Guidance

Sierra Leone: Knowledge Base profile

Published 29 August 2025

Version 2.0

About: Sierra Leone

This document contains useful information about Sierra Leone which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 15 August 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Sierra Leone: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Sierra Leone

Names in Sierra Leone consist of a:

• given name
• family name (often used as a surname)

Many families in Sierra Leone inherit their father’s surname. However, in some cases, the father’s first name may also be used as a surname.

Change of name

Names changes are legal in Sierra Leone.

A woman can take her husband’s name when they are married.

Sierra Leone: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Sierra Leone.

Dual nationality is allowed in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Sierra Leone.

Legitimacy

Sierra Leone recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child is considered:

• legitimate if:
  • their parents are married at the time of birth
  • their parents marry after the child’s birth
• illegitimate if their parents never marry

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility for their child in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Sierra Leone.

Adoption is allowed in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Sierra Leone.

Surrogacy is allowed in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Sierra Leone.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Sierra Leone.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are not recognised in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone recognises:

• customary marriage:
  • if neither party is already married under the Sierra Leone, Christian, Muslim or Civil Marriage Acts
  • by proxy
• Christian marriage
• civil marriage
• Islamic marriage:
  • Islamic polygamous marriage for up to 2 wives
  • by proxy

Sierra Leone: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Sierra Leone.

All births, marriages and deaths are recorded centrally on a digital database with the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) in Sierra Leone.

Birth certificates

All births in Sierra Leone must be registered within 3 months, at either:

• the hospital the birth took place
• a health centre
• a District Registrar’s office
• the place where the birth took place

Birth certificates are issued approximately 1 month after the initial registration of the birth. Late registrations are allowed.

Birth certificates from Sierra Leone show the forename and surname next to each other instead of on separate lines.

If the parents are not married, the fathers name will not be added to the birth certificate unless both parents acknowledge his paternity and, ask for his details to be added.

If an error is found on a certificate, a new certificate will be issued with no reference to the previous certificate.

A hospital notification record is given to the birth mother after the child is born. This is known as a Live Births Statistical, or a Notification Report.

Marriage certificates

All marriages in Sierra Leone must be registered with the Office of Administrator and Registrar General (OARG) within 6 months of the date of marriage. Late registrations are allowed and must be agreed by court order.

Marriages that are not registered are not considered invalid. Marriage certificates are issued for all registered marriages.

Death certificates

All deaths in Sierra Leone must be registered at a District Register Office within 3 months from the date of death. Late registrations are allowed. A death that is registered more than 12 months after the date of death can only be registered with the consent of the Director General.

Death certificates are issued in Sierra Leone.

Identity documents

All Sierra Leone citizens and residents, aged 12 years and above, can apply for their National biometric identity card at their nearest National Civil Registration Authority office.