Pamelap Border Post | Customs and Immigration
Sierra Leone
Details
- Verified:
- 22 days ago
- GPS:
- 9.17360, -12.95932
- Altitude:
- 40.3 masl
- Contributor:
-
rmm636
Amenities
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Description
Border between Guinea and Sierra Leone. Open from 7am to 6pm.
Change enough money into Sierra Leone currency before you enter the border zone as you must pay road tax in SLE and if you are eligible for VOA, you save 65$ per person!
Entering SL with a vehicle requires Carnet de Passage (free) or laissez passer (Le50,000 or more) with customs stamp.
You must buy a circulation tax vignette (fees depending on vehicle, see comments for actual pricing).
If you still don't have a visa for SL, it's easy to get on arrival for certain nationalities. Be prepared to name a place/address where you will be staying, you will need it for the visa. VOA is 800SLE or +/- 100$. Big price difference, so bring the right currency!
Orange Simcards for SL sold within the border area, very friendly guy. Look out for the orange-colored booth at the right side. Expect to pay 1$ per simcard and 1$ per Gb. Only SLE accepted.
To enter Guinea, you need 2 (!) copies of your entry visa. They keep one copy and you get the other one stamped. It’s an entry (!) visa that you can choose to be a transit visa OR tourist visa. If you exit the country within 5 days, no need to do anything. If you want to stay longer in Guinea, you have to convert this entry visa into a tourist visa for stays up to 3 months. It’s free, quick and easy at the airport in Conakry, see details on the relevant entry there. In our month in Guinea we were checked for the visa sticker (the thing you get at the airport) and depending on where you leave Guinea, it can get expensive to not have the sticker. Better stick to the rules.
Why? By checking in after you’ve visited a place you let others know this place is still functional. You can also add or correct any information.
Latest Check-Ins
80$ for VOA. Clearly stated on ducuments in immigration office. Officer said 800LE version not possible anymore. you need to pay the real equivalent to 80$...
Report Check-Innice and friendly staff at both sides.
Nothing to worry about! Read the other conments for details.
border crossing took around 2.5h. Guinea side immigration wanted a bribe of 20 usd, interpol officer Mr. Kourouama wanted a bribe of 30 usd, we bargained to 10 usd. Sierra Leone visa lady is happy, insisted we paid in usd fpr visa (40 usd for transit), we wanted to pay in leone and get a receipt. she was not happy, but asked some other guy to come, write a receipt and get 800LE for every visa on arrival. In addition a hundred meters form border post, there is an office selling circulation permit, 500 Le. laissez-passer cost at the border post was 375 LE. prices are in new le, not the one with 000.
Report Check-InGuinea to Sierra Leone
The police officer was asking for our Passavant and wouldn’t believe that we couldn’t get one in Koundara, but let us go after a while.
On the Sierra Leone side the visa on arrival was pretty easy. We changed GNF to SLE at the border. For the Laissez-Passer you have to pay in GNF depending on vehicle type. (50.000 motorbike, 100.000 car or 150.000 4x4). He needed a passport photo and tagged it on the document.
After the issuing you have to collect stamps (Douane, Immigration and Interpol). Don’t listen to the people that say you have to go to both Guinea and Sierra Leone sides to get 6 stamps in total. We followed a person and received one stamp at the Guinea side. But at the Guinea immigration they wanted 100.000 GNF to stamp the Sierra Leone laissez Passer and the Guinea Interpol wanted something as well. We refused and just went back to the Sierra Leone side where all 3 stamps were free. We didn’t have problems while leaving the border as the person said we would have without the Guinea stamps, so don’t bother with getting them.
After you leave the border there‘s another where you buy the Road permit. He wanted 500 Leone or 30$, we paid in Leone.
Report Check-InFrom Sierra Leone to Guinea it took a maximum of 30 minutes. A man from the SL office accompanied us to every spot, so things went very quickly. (no smuggler) Warning to everyone entering SL. When refueling, make sure that the display is at zero and that you don't fill a canister in between. Don't let yourself be distracted or out of your sight! They also like to cheat their own people (experienced by our taxi driver).
Report Check-InEasy border. Guinea --> SL.
Arrived at 17:00 and were done in ~30min.
Guinea only checked our passports and did not even look at the car documents.
Sierra Leone. Paid 500 SLE per car. They also asked for Liberian Laissez Passer - we had one, so they happily stamped it and let us through. Got it in SL embassy in Conakry in 15min.
Easy, friendly, efficient. The borderpost was built by the EU and you will definitely recognize the design. :-)
We know from other motorbike travelers that they were asked for the road tax vignette several times during their stay in SL, so don’t believe comments here. Those people were first ignorant and then lucky 😂 It’s 500 SLE per bike and valid for 3 months.
Easy, friendly, organized. The borderpost was built by EU and you will immediately recognize the layout.
Road toll is also mandatory for motorbikes, we know of other motorbike travelers that they were controlled for it several times throughout the country. It’s 500SLE and valid for 3 months.
Guinea -> Sierra Leone
All as with Britta_borderless below
No problem without a TIP for Guinea, as they've stopped issues then in the North.
Laisser passé for SL acquired for 50000 GF (~€5) - had to be stamped by LP, Interpol, Immigration and Customs, but easy guided process.
Whole border done in less than an hour.
Guinée -> Sierra Leone
Guinea side was businesslike and no hassle: stamped out passports and processed carnet, zero drama. Quick
SL side very welcoming. First fellow welcomes you into the kiosk and enters passport details in the book. Then they send you into Mme Juliette (as others have written, through I could have sworn it was Julianne?). Super friendly, especially to my wife, guided us to get pics taken, stamp passport, then on to another for pass-avant.
Visas on arrival for Canadian and American are USD$100 or 800 SLE (which is about $35 .. so change your money before meeting with Mme J!).
Also, on the SL side, the passe-avant had to be paid for with Guinean Francs (!). So weird. They brought a money changer in so I could change $6 into the right amount (50k GF or so).
Roads are amazing in Sierra Leone.
Report Check-InGuinea -> Sierra Leone
4x4 Camper, two people, no CDP
Change money in Pamelap. Very easy.
1 US = 22,5 LE
VOA for Sierra Leone is 80 US or 800 LE (~40US). Pay with local money !
(Transit visa for 3 days is 400 LE)
Laisser-passer for Sierra Leone is 150 GF (it was impossible to pay in LE, make sure you keep some GF)
Just outside the border offices we had to pay road tax 500 LE (receipt)
Took about an hour.
Buy Sierra Leone SIM card at small shop opposite road tax office.
Report Check-Inwe got our visa in the embassy in Conakry because we weren't sure if VOA is still possible. but at the border they told us VOA would have been the easiest way.
border was super easy and friendly.
SL to Guinea. Straight forward, got stamped out of SL very efficiently. Guinea, presented our e-visa which they stamped the paper as well as our passports. Customs also knew what to do with the CDP. Easy and efficient. Good rate at the border for USD to Guinean francs (above market)
Report Check-InSierra Leone to Guinée, on foot.
Still nice and easy. On SL side, the notorious Madam Juliette is still there, friendly and efficient. On Guinée side, the guy stamped my passport and my visa paper and I was gone (I think he was just busy shaking down some locals). Nobody at the sanitary checkpoint, so no yellow fever check.
All together, 10mn for both borders, no problems, no bribes asked, nice.
Some money changers at the border, plenty of them at the taxi parks in Kambia and Pamelap.
They’re not happy about Evisa they don’t know the process , its better to get VOA or in Embassy ! 80€ or 800L
Report Check-InVery easy border crossing.
From Guinea to Sierra Leone.
The entry stamp costs 80$/80€/800leones and cash only.
Exactly paying with Leone is the cheapest.
You can find a lot of exchange marketers at the village called Pamalap.
same experience here, very very smooth and fast both sides. no money asked... travelling by bicycle
Report Check-InGuinea side is easy, but they ask for money, just be friendly and say you don't have any, then you're out.
Sierra Leone side is perfect! There's the head of immigration, Juliette, she's brilliant and walks you to all of the friendly offices to get in.
VOA is SLL800k, she wouldn't reduce it, can pay in local currency or US$.
Whole process is 20mins
Report Check-InNice boarder go from Guinea to Sierra Leone as German I got visa on arrival 400 SLE (new money) and 500 SLE for my VW t3 bus fee for the road or something no extra money nice road stamp my CDP
Report Check-InVisa on arrival available - costing 80 USD or 800 SLL for those from outside the African Union. 800 SLL is 48 dollars as of October 2022, so exchange money before arriving to save!
Report Check-InWe cross the border from Guinea to SL. No problem for noth side, no money ask for nothing. We paid 800 000 Le for the SL visa and 500 000 for the car ( he ask for 700 000 because it's a truck, just negociate few minutes and it's ok).
We didn't have the biometric visa from Guinea but no problem to have the exit stamp.
We got the visa at the border and could pay the visa fee of 80 U$ pP in leonies. No PCR or vaccination card was asked. Straightforward and very friendly people.
Report Check-InCrossend the boarder on 1.1.2022.
On the Guinean side leaving they claimed thar my visa is not a biometric one. And I have to pay for the exit stamp. I didn't pay anything and could leave anyhow with my Pass stampet out.
SL side was quite nice. Road tax is now 500'000 Leone. Apparently they rised up the prices i 2020.
Report Check-In2 Canadians passing from Salone to Guinea in a shared public taxi.
My husband and I came through with printed e-visas and the first guy we dealt with tried to give us a hard time. We insisted that they were valid and then he called the district commissioner. We waited for a while for him to arrive, but he was very nice. He went through our documents and gave the go ahead. We went back to the initial man who was super sour as he stamped our paper visas. We had to demand that he stamp our passports- he was refusing to! Only wanted to stamp the paper visa. DO NOT PASS THROUGH A BORDER WITHOUT A STAMP IN YOUR PASSPORT.
All in all not bad. Wasn’t busy.
On the Guinean side they went around with my passport to different rooms and I followed them. I was invited to the chief's room who asked a lot of details about my trip (I explained everything I felt was enough). No bribes paid on the Guinean side although the official asked another passenger (African) for a few thousand francs. I avoided his questions by starting my own conversation about military service, and after I had shown some pictures of myself in military he just wanted to take a selfie with me and stamped me out.
On the Sierra Leonean side you wash your hands and they check your body temperature due to the recent Coronavirus epidemy. They write down your details and check that you have not been in China recently (or ever?). If you still don't have a visa, it's easy to get on arrival for certain nationalities. I went to an office with an official and he asked me the address of my stay in SL. I'm couchsurfing so I explained that I'll stay at my friend's place and gave the address. No problems and no other documents needed. Cost still 80 USD.
Report Check-Ingot visa on arrival in SL for $80
carnet got stamped, so no LP, no road tax pd.
it took them about 3h to reach the deputy director of the RSA who appears to be the only one who can grant an excemption for RHD vehicles. With this on hand no further issues.
Update:
You can get a Visa on Arrival at the Sierra Leone border. Cost $80 US dollar. Wait for the chef who excepts dollars otherwise the woman wants you pay in SLL. Which isn’t great for the exchange rate. Further the roadtax is 100.000 SLL and needs to be paid before the last military checkpoint. Otherwise the military did not let us through.
Report Check-InDepart from Guinea, they were finishing for bribes, claims my visa is fake.
I was not in rush, so I had the most deep conversation with a officer who can speak fluently English. He stamp me out after half hour and follow me on Instagram.
Sierra Leone side, everything is smooth. No need to stop at Interpol check. Just go to immigration office. The chief told me: “here in Sierra Leone, we don’t play games, welcome to Sierra Leone! “
After get out of the border area, there is another military check points will register your passport infos, at the same place someone will show up ask you to pay a road tax, military officer told me DONT PAY. And ask the guy leave me alone.
Easy boarder.
Nobody asked for money. We had Carnets and could avoid the laissez passez.
On the entry they said we need a Permit (round sticker probably road taxes) for entering SL.
Wen't back to our friend of custom and he give us right. Anyway the policeman said he dont care.
We tried to talk... Nothing to do.
Went farther to Gendamerie and did the buisness with them. After we finished they opened the rope.
These to offices don't talk to each other so we were gone without paying taxes.
just crossed with a bike, no carnet, paid 80000 leone for the tip
Report Check-InImmigration guy on Guinea side asked for money to stamp the passport for 3 times. Declined all 3 and he let us go.
Report Check-InCrossed border in 1 hour from Ginuea with a RHD defender, no one seemed too fussed. Paid no money, had a Carnet, made some friends, super easy.
Report Check-InThrough the border no problem no bribes
Don't change money here unless you have to the rates are terrible
There's a new issue with RHD cars entering Sierra Leone. I was shown the memorandum about this and it only applies to permanently importing or registering such vehicles, and shouldn't affect temporary imports by tourists. That said, the staff doesn't really understand this distinction and takes an absurd pride in enforcing rules. The immigration chief and customs chief were friendly and efficient and didn't comment on my car's steering wheel. We needed a lot more discussion with the security officers who proudly announced that my car would not be allowed in. Of course we got in. Beware of the guy selling ECOWAS road permits for 100,000 le at the first road block. This is not necessary for foreign vehicles.
Report Check-InRHD cars into SL are not allowed unless you have prior permission to use in SL
I had met the ambassador of SL in Gambia and he gave us permission but forgot to send the information through to the border
it took us 2 hours and many phone calls to be granted special permission and given 10 days max if we stayed loner we were told we would be arrested.
Exiting Guinea is easy enough. Plenty of money changers hanging about. offered better than xe.com rates for our left over Guinea Francs and CFA i was carrying as my hard currency. The money was not fake, paid for stuff just across the border with it
Entering Sierra Leone was easy enough if not time consuming. We were taken into thr senior immigration officers office. We were one UK passport, one Argentinian passport. Both on UK motorbikes
He stamped us in easy enough, gave a little bit of hazing and small fishing for a bribe. But with a little bit of playing dumb he stamped us in
For customs i have a carnet. Argentinian does not. They called the carnet a tourist book. They stamped it no fuss. They knew how to too. Argentinian tried to get a laissez pass but lots of confusion about having it. After not too much fighting he just said to go. We'd volunteered ourselves to customs believing the pass to be free as per other post. I reckon we could we have just driven out. There were 4 more checkpoints in the 2km from the border to the town. Just registering our passports. All sniffed at a bribe. Asking what do we have for the officers at Xmas. i just smiled and said i have a smile and my friendship. it worked
Pretty easy border. But lots of checks. Come with patience and good humour! And you'll be good
Report Check-InBorder between Guinea and Sierra Leone. Open from 7am to 6pm. Police in Pamelap allowed us to stay in their station in town for free when we arrived too late to cross into SL. Bikes were placed in small room, vehicle parking in front. Guarded by officers on duty. Leaving Guinea is straightforward.
Entering SL requires passing by immigration & customs. Vehicles need laissez passer (Le50,000 or more) with customs stamp (free for motorcycles, ~Le 50,000 for vehicles), free(!) immigration stamp and circulation tax vignette (Le100,000-200,000 depending on vehicle). Offices/shacks for both are 200m behind border station; go there and return for stamps. Interpol check and stamp to prove your vehicle isn't stolen also needed. Free.
We never got the circulation tax vignettes due to a lack of cash, didn't buy them in Freetown either. Nobody ever asked for them. Took some convincing and promising we'd get it in Freetown to be let off without.
Report Check-In