Sierra Leone Launches 90-Day Citizenship Route

Moustafa Daly
Cairo

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A month after launching its GO-FOR-GOLD (GFG) Permanent Residency Program, Sierra Leone has introduced fast-track citizenship routes within the same framework. These new pathways give GFG investors direct paths to citizenship in as little as 60 days.

The new program offers a notable alternative to Sierra Leone’s traditional naturalization process, which requires applicants to reside in the country for eight years and demonstrate local integration.

In an official statement introducing the measures, Sierra Leone’s Chief Immigration Officer Alusine Kanneh outlined the Immigration Department’s goal of “emulating smaller nations that have successfully harnessed their national institutions, natural resources, and human talent to achieve modernization and growth” through “significant innovations and system improvements to align with global best practices.”

He says these “new pathways to citizenship are designed to unlock that wealth for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.”

Stephen Barnes, co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and main architect of the GO-FOR-GOLD program, reiterates the same sentiment, saying that the fast-track option “considerably expands Sierra Leone’s immigration framework.”

He says the government plans to attract international investors “who want to actively contribute to the country’s growth while benefiting from a clear and efficient path to citizenship.”

The government refers to these new pathways as “facilitated naturalization” for foreigners, but in practice, they function as direct citizenship routes in all but name. Authorities will legally grant citizenship to investors via a “revamped naturalization process,“ says Barnes.

Key features of Sierra Leone’s new fast-track option

The GFG citizenship route provides two main pathways:

• Fast Track Naturalization: Grants citizenship within 90 days for a total investment package of $140,000, which includes all program fees, legal costs, due diligence, and documentation.
• Heritage Naturalization: Grants citizenship within 60 days to individuals with African ancestry for a total investment of $100,000. Applicants submit a DNA test report as part of their application.

Both pathways let applicants include qualifying family members for an additional fee of $10,000 per dependent. Eligible family members are:

• Dependent children below 18
• Spouse (and legal second spouse)
• Dependent parents of any age

Investors can apply for the GFG citizenship route directly without getting permanent residency (PR). Those who opt to obtain PR and not citizenship in their application will have a chance to apply for naturalization under the framework in the future, but the government is still working on that process for now.

Gold discounts and the GFG club

Participants in the program qualify to join the GFG Club, which “offers personalized travel and concierge support, assistance with business incorporations, tax residency, in-country banking, and early access to investment opportunities,” according to Barnes.

GFG Club membership allows participants to purchase gold bullion mined in Sierra Leone at a 2% discount to market rates (up to 20kg over five years). The program directs 100% of gold purchases to small-scale miners in a bid to empower the country’s mining sector.

Sierra Leone passport overview

As a member of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), Sierra Leonean citizenship grants visa-free travel to a total of 66 destinations in Africa and Asia and residency privileges in 15 West African nations

Barnes views the launch of the fast-track route as a potentially significant step in Sierra Leone’s economic reform journey.

He says this program “isn’t just about granting citizenship” but also creating a framework that “actively supports Sierra Leone’s economic development goals.”

He explains that the program will fund “critical projects” for sustainable economic growth.