What is the process for Sierra Leonean citizenship and what is delivered?

The four steps

What is delivered

• Passport: the travel document issued by the authorities
• Naturalisation certificate: the official proof of citizenship
• Oath document: the written record of the oath procedure
• Obtaining ID cards or bank cards separately requires travel in person, with travel and accommodation costs borne by the applicant

On timing and outcomes

Payment milestones are normally the first instalment on signing and the balance once the review is passed; the exact proportions and refund arrangements are governed by the written agreement. The reference timeline in the programme file is subject to that agreement and to the authorities' progress, and we do not guarantee an approval outcome or a processing time.

Dependencies to plan for

Three dependencies sit outside the adviser's control: the authorities' review, the courier, and the applicant's own document preparation. The first two are the reason we do not quote a completion date; the third is the reason we send the checklist at the start rather than after signing.

Where the file is complete and legible, the remaining sequence is largely administrative. Where it is not, each round of clarification adds time — which is why we ask for the documents in the requested format the first time.

• Review timing rests with the authorities
• Courier transit is tracked but not controlled by us
• An incomplete file adds a clarification cycle
• Deliverables should be checked against the certificate and oath document on arrival

How payment milestones and timing are set

Payment is structured around the applicant's own decisions rather than around a completion date: an instalment when instructions are confirmed and the agreement is signed, and the balance once the review has produced a result. This keeps the second payment tied to something visible to the applicant.

Refund and cancellation terms live in the written agreement, not in conversation. If a term matters to you, ask for it in writing before signing; we will not describe arrangements verbally that are not stated in the agreement.

• First instalment on signing, after instructions are confirmed
• Balance once the review produces a result
• Refund and cancellation terms stated in the agreement
• No verbal arrangements outside the written terms

After delivery: keeping the documents in order

Once the documents are in hand, the practical work is keeping them usable: storing the passport, the naturalisation certificate and the oath document together, and holding a scanned copy somewhere reachable when the originals are not.

Two points come up repeatedly. First, the passport is the travel document — carrying the certificate is not the same as carrying the passport, and some institutions will ask for both. Second, if the passport is later renewed, the earlier documents should be kept, because later applications refer back to the grant recorded in the certificate.

• Keep the passport, naturalisation certificate and oath document together
• Store a scanned copy separately from the originals
• Expect some institutions to ask for the certificate alongside the passport
• Retain the earlier documents after any renewal