British High Commission Freetown

Location:: Sierra Leone
Part of:: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The British High Commission in Sierra Leone maintains and develops relations between the UK and Sierra Leone.

Find out more on our UK and Sierra Leone news page.

We also provide services to British nationals living in and visiting Sierra Leone. You can access UK government services while in Sierra Leone. If you’re travelling in Sierra Leone, see our Sierra Leone travel advice. For anything not covered by our travel advice, contact us online.

Urgent assistance

If you are in Sierra Leone and need urgent assistance (for example, you’ve been attacked, arrested or someone has died), please call +232(0)76780713 and follow the options for consular emergencies. Consular assistance is available 24/7.

If you’re in the UK and worried about a British person in Sierra Leone, call 020 7008 5000 (24/7, 365 days a year).

Access to the High Commission is by appointment only. If you wish to make an appointment for consular services, please call or contact us online first.

Get an emergency travel document

You can apply for an emergency travel document if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen, damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.

Apply online for an emergency travel document

If the person needing the emergency travel document is under 16, a parent or guardian should apply on their behalf.

If you are travelling in more than 3 weeks, check if you can get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.

If you are not a British citizen or have not had a British passport before

If you’re not sure, check if you’re a British citizen.
If you’re not a British citizen but think you may be eligible, contact us to apply for an emergency travel document.

Other consular services

Notarial and documentary services

For legal reasons, we’re unable to carry out notarial acts in Commonwealth countries. This includes certifying documents as true copies of originals, administering oaths or taking affidavits. For these or other notarial acts, you should contact a local notary.

Consular fees

We charge fees for some of our services. See the full list of consular fees in Sierra Leone.

Visa enquiries

Visa applications for the UK can only be made online at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa. There is information on this website that explains the application process, and details of making payment for your application.

TLS is the commercial partner for UK Visas and Immigration in Sierra Leone. They operate the UK Visa Application Centre in Freetown and offer online guidance on making a visa application.

There is also guidance about making a visa application at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration

You can telephone to make a visa enquiry on +44 (0) 203 481 1736. Lines are open 24 hours Monday to Friday. Calls cost £1.37 per minute on top of your standard network charges.

Development work in Sierra Leone

The UK and Sierra Leone have strong ties built on decades of strong diplomatic, defence and development work. Our current investment in Sierra Leone acknowledges the conflict affected past and continued fragility, focusing on enhancing human capital through investments in education and health, supporting sustainable economic development and strengthening governance and accountability to consolidate stability and security.

Our people

Lisa Chesney

British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone

Contact us