Sierra Leone
Get information, make an appointment and submit your application
Applying for a visa for France in Sierra Leone
Visa applications submitted in Sierra Leone are processed by the Visa Department of the French Embassy in Guinea, which is the only one authorized to make decisions regarding visas.
Sierra Leonean and Guinean nationals are required to obtain a visa to enter France, regardless of the duration of their stay and regardless of their travel documents, unless they hold a valid residence permit authorizing them to reside in France or in another State of the Schengen area.
- For short-stay visa applications, plan to submit your application at least 15 days before your planned departure date.
- For long-stay visa applications, allow 4 months between the submission of your application and your planned departure date.
In order to preserve the health of visitors and staff, CAPAGO has implemented precautionary measures for the prevention of COVID-19:
- Mandatory masks for the public and staff,
- daily disinfection of the premises,
- respect for the signs allowing for distancing inside the center.
The issuance of a visa does not guarantee the possibility of immediate entry into the country, which is determined by the restrictions applicable at the borders. Before applying for a visa, it is recommended that you check whether you are authorized to enter France by consulting the following page : Certificate of travel.
Book an appointment
Centre CAPAGO de Freetown
L'antenne diplomatique de Freetown
39 Loop Rd
Freetown
Sierra Leone
(+224) 62 49 33 333
(appointment only)
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday (1st and 3rd of the month) | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday (1st and 3rd of the month) | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
(without appointment)
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday (1st and 3rd of the month) | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday (1st and 3rd of the month) | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Public holidays in 2022 :
- Monday, April 18th
- Thursday, April 28th
- Sunday, May 1st
- Monday, May 2nd
- Wednesday, May 25th
- Thursday, May 26th
- Monday, June 6th
- Thursday, July 14th
- Monday, August 15th
- Tuesday, November 1st
- Friday, November 11th
Practical information about your appointment
Personal appearance: Visa applicants must appear in person at consular offices to submit their application.
Prepare your visit
The following items must be collected before your visit to the visa department:
- Your valid passport. The expiry date must be at least 3 months after the expiry date of the visa you are applying for;
- The application form, printed out, dated and signed, with a recent passport photograph (pdf);
- The list of supporting documents;
- The supporting documents on the list, assembled in the order of the list and ticked off on the list;
The above documents must be supplied in duplicate: one file consisting of the originals, the second consisting of A4 photocopies.
- The visa fee must be paid in EURO using an international credit card.
We remind you that only visa officers are authorized to request additional supporting documents, and that no outside intermediary is authorized to issue visas.
Beware of scams involving required documents
Several visa applicants have recently fallen victim to scams from fraudsters posing as embassy officials.
Applicants for visas to France are asked to comply with the entry formalities outlined on this website, presenting only the documents and supporting evidence requested by the visa services of the French Embassy in Conakry.
No other supporting documents may be requested outside the visa counter. Several visa applicants have recently fallen victim to scam artists posing as agents of the French Embassy and charging a fee for a medical certificate.
Only the Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (French Immigration and Integration Office) is authorized to issue medical examinations to beneficiaries of family reunification procedures, spouses of French nationals and employees who need to travel to France.
Collection of biometric data
All visas issued by France are biometric visas.
All visa applicants over the age of 12 are required to present themselves in person when submitting their first application. The following biometric identifiers are collected on this occasion: a photograph, scanned or taken at the time of application, and 10 fingerprints, taken flat and digitized.
However, it is possible to retrieve your biometric data if a previous biometric Schengen visa was issued to you less than 59 months ago.
Children under the age of 12 are exempt from biometrics. The application must be submitted by one of the child's parents or by the person with parental authority, although the child must be present when the application is submitted. The child's ISO/IEC-compliant photograph (pdf) will then be scanned.
Follow your request
You can track your file on the CAPAGO website under "Track my file".
Retrieve your passport
Once your visa has been issued, you will receive an email update from Capago informing you that the passport can be collected from the Capago Guinea center.
Capago offers a passport return service at the Sierra Leone branch where you can collect it during our opening days and times. This additional service is charged per file.