FCDO advises against all but essential travel to some areas
Good to knowCheck the latest FCDO Sierra Leone travel advice before departure; self-driving is uncommon and road conditions are poor outside Freetown.
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Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in Sierra Leone
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Sierra Leone: 8 legal requirements + 10 other things worth knowing.
8
Required
4
Recommended
6
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for Sierra Leone
8 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 IDP required alongside your licence
Sierra Leone recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP: carry it with your UK/EU photocard licence at all times when driving.
Passport with visa
Most UK and EU nationals need a visa obtained in advance or an e-visa; carry your passport in the vehicle for police checkpoints.
Local third-party insurance mandatory
UK/EU green cards are not valid; buy SLICOM or NIC third-party motor insurance locally: green card system does not extend to Sierra Leone.
Warning triangle and spare tyre
Vehicles must carry a warning triangle, jack, and serviceable spare wheel: police roadblocks routinely check these.
Drive on the right
Sierra Leone drives on the right: UK drivers must adjust; left-hand-drive vehicles are the norm and right-hand-drive imports are restricted.
Speed limits 80 / 80 / 50 km/h
Open highway and rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h; there are no motorways. Limits often unsigned and routinely lower in practice due to potholes.
BAC limit 0.08 g/L
Legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 g/L but enforcement is inconsistent; treat as zero given checkpoint culture and accident risk.
Cash declaration over USD 10,000
Amounts equivalent to USD 10,000 or more in cash must be declared to customs on entry and exit.
Documents
1949 IDP required alongside your licence
RequiredSierra Leone recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP: carry it with your UK/EU photocard licence at all times when driving.
Passport with visa
RequiredMost UK and EU nationals need a visa obtained in advance or an e-visa; carry your passport in the vehicle for police checkpoints.
Local third-party insurance mandatory
RequiredUK/EU green cards are not valid; buy SLICOM or NIC third-party motor insurance locally: green card system does not extend to Sierra Leone.
V5C or rental agreement
RecommendedIf shipping your own car, carry the V5C original and a Carnet de Passage; for rentals, keep the hire agreement and ownership letter in the glovebox.
Required equipment
Warning triangle and spare tyre
RequiredVehicles must carry a warning triangle, jack, and serviceable spare wheel: police roadblocks routinely check these.
First aid kit, fire extinguisher, hi-vis vest
RecommendedNot strictly mandated for private cars but strongly advised given limited emergency services outside Freetown.
Driving rules
Drive on the right
RequiredSierra Leone drives on the right: UK drivers must adjust; left-hand-drive vehicles are the norm and right-hand-drive imports are restricted.
Speed limits 80 / 80 / 50 km/h
RequiredOpen highway and rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h; there are no motorways. Limits often unsigned and routinely lower in practice due to potholes.
BAC limit 0.08 g/L
RequiredLegal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 g/L but enforcement is inconsistent; treat as zero given checkpoint culture and accident risk.
Avoid driving after dark
RecommendedUnlit roads, stray livestock, unmarked pedestrians and broken-down trucks make night driving genuinely dangerous: FCDO and AA both advise against it.
Emergency number 999 (or 019)
Good to knowPolice 019, ambulance 999; response is slow and unreliable: note your embassy contact and the nearest private clinic before setting off.
Tolls
Limited tolling on a few key roads
Good to knowTolls operate on the Freetown–Conakry highway and Wellington–Masiaka expressway, collected in cash at booths; typically SLL 5,000–20,000 (approx EUR 0.20–0.80) per car.
Vignette
No vignette system
Good to knowSierra Leone has no motorway sticker or e-vignette; road use is funded via fuel levy and the few physical toll booths.
Emissions / low-emission zones
No low-emission zones
Good to knowNo LEZ schemes exist in Freetown or other cities; however, imports of vehicles older than 10 years are banned.
Environment
Rainy season May–October
RecommendedHeavy rains cause flash flooding, mudslides and washed-out roads especially on routes to Bo, Kenema and the provinces; 4x4 strongly advised.
Money
Currency Leone (SLE), cash dominant
Good to knowPetrol around SLE 28–32 per litre (approx EUR 1.10–1.30); fuel stations are cash-only outside central Freetown: carry small notes and tip pump attendants SLE 5–10.
Cash declaration over USD 10,000
RequiredAmounts equivalent to USD 10,000 or more in cash must be declared to customs on entry and exit.
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Watch out for these
Drive on the right
RequiredSierra Leone drives on the right: UK drivers must adjust; left-hand-drive vehicles are the norm and right-hand-drive imports are restricted.
Speed limits 80 / 80 / 50 km/h
RequiredOpen highway and rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h; there are no motorways. Limits often unsigned and routinely lower in practice due to potholes.
BAC limit 0.08 g/L
RequiredLegal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 g/L but enforcement is inconsistent; treat as zero given checkpoint culture and accident risk.