Sierra Leoneans are all too familiar with the hurdles of international travel– expensive visa fees, long processing times and frustrating immigration queues when they finally arrive at their destination. Sometimes, a visa application even requires a trip abroad. These challenges reflect the global standing of the country’s passport. The latest Henley Passport Index ranks the Sierra Leonean passport 74th worldwide, with access to 62 visa-free destinations, a modest improvement of two places from 2025.
The passport’s strength has fluctuated over the years. It reached its highest position in 2006, ranking 51st globally. By 2015, it had fallen sharply to 90th. A gradual recovery followed in 2016, 2017 and 2018, before slipping again to 85th in 2021. Since then, the ranking has improved steadily.
Despite its weak global standing, the Sierra Leonean passport performs relatively well within West Africa. It currently outperforms several neighbours, Guinea – 81st (54 visa-free destinations) and Liberia – 86th (49 destinations). Only Ghana ranks higher in the sub-region, ranking 69th with access to 68 visa-free destinations.
But where can Sierra Leoneans travel visa-free? Sierra Leonean passport holders enjoy visa-free access across the ECOWAS bloc, which comprises 16 West African countries. The visa-free list covers many countries in the Commonwealth and beyond, many of which are hardly a destination of choice for many Sierra Leonean travellers. These include Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Iran, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Niue (ever heard of this?), and Haiti, among many not-so-familiar others.
However, Sierra Leoneans still require visas for 164 countries, including the Schengen area, most of continental Europe and North America, according to Henley.
When compared with other African countries outside of West Africa, the Sierra Leonean passport begins to look weaker, even with its 62 visa-free destinations. Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Zambia in southern Africa are all ahead in the Henley ranking.
The Henley Passport Index is a leading ranking of the world’s passports based on the number of countries that can be accessed without a prior visa, using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It compares 199 passports 227 travel destinations.
Data from Passport Index corroborates the numbers from Henley on the ranking, putting Sierra Leone 74th on its power rank.
Away from Sierra Leone and Africa, the top three countries in the Henley Index are in Asia—Singapore in 1st, Japan and South Korea in 2nd. A Singaporean passport holder can travel to 192 countries without a visa. Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway occupy the 4th spot, while the United Arab Emirates sits in 5th, along with Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
How about the United States and Great Britain? The UK is in 7th, with Australia and the United States moving back to 10th. A closer look at the ranking shows that 37 countries are ahead of the US. This is possible because more than one country can be ranked in the same position.
Several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway, share fourth place. The United Arab Emirates ranks fifth, tied with Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.
How about the United States and the United Kingdom? The United Kingdom ranks seventh, alongside Australia and others. The United States sits at 10th. Notably, 37 countries rank ahead of the US, as multiple countries often share the same ranking position.
Why does this matter? Well, for frequent travellers, these rankings show where a Sierra Leonean passport takes you with and without a visa. Or maybe just for your information.
