Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Sierra Leone Immigration Department, in partnership with the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, has announced the suspension of resident and work permits for all foreign nationals until January next year.
In a public notice issued on 13 November, the Department said the temporary halt is necessary to facilitate the digitisation of the entire permit application and renewal process. According to the statement, the transition is part of a Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT) agreement between the government and Contrast Systems aimed at modernising the management of work and resident permits nationwide.
“We wish to inform the general public, employers of foreign nationals and all non-citizens engaged in employment, trade or business within Sierra Leone of the ongoing transition to a newly digitised Resident and Work Permit System,” the notice stated.
Immigration authorities said the new platform will become fully operational on 1 January 2026, after which all applications and renewals will be processed exclusively online. Foreign nationals whose permits have already expired will be able to renew them in January, while those with permits expiring between November and December are also expected to complete their renewals when the system goes live.
The Department encouraged all customers to remain patient during the transition, assuring the public that the digital platform will streamline the application process once completed.
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