Institutions and audits

Current status of Sierra Leone's Securiport review

Last checked 25 October 2026 · 7 sources

Short answer

Sierra Leone's US$25 airport security fee remains suspended until further notice ². The suspension began on 6 July 2026 during a contract review and special audit ¹. The ministry said it did not terminate the operating contract ¹. The Immigration Department still lists Securiport as a border security service provider ⁴. No official result of the special audit or notice reinstating the fee was found as of 25 October 2026 ^2,4.

Fee status: Suspended from 6 July 2026 until further notice ^1,2
Contract status: Not terminated by the suspension notice ¹
Review bodies: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Audit Service Sierra Leone ¹
Current official listing: Securiport remains listed as a border security service provider ⁴
Equipment inspection: Immigration Department inspectors found the listed equipment in good working order on 20 June 2026 ³
Published outcome: No official special-audit result found as of 25 October 2026 ^2,4

What was suspended

A Ministry of Internal Affairs notice dated 3 July 2026 suspended collection of the US$25 airport security fee from 6 July 2026 until further notice ¹. The notice gave three reasons. It named a review of the contract framework, an independent special audit by Audit Service Sierra Leone and a study of a more integrated fee-collection system ¹.

An official government conference page later reminded delegates that the fee remained suspended until further notice ². That page said conference participants arriving in Sierra Leone would not have to pay it ². This is the clearest current government confirmation located for this review ².

What was not suspended

The ministry notice said the fee suspension did not terminate the existing operating contract ¹. It said Securiport would keep running background technology work and logging inbound and outbound passenger traffic data, apart from diplomatic passport holders ¹.

The Sierra Leone Immigration Department website lists Securiport as a border security service provider ⁴. That official listing is current institutional evidence. It does not prove that the US$25 fee is being collected. Fee status and service-provider status are two separate questions ^1,2⁴.

What the 2026 equipment inspection found

On 20 June 2026 the Immigration Department's Audit Committee inspected equipment at Freetown International Airport ³. The department identified enrolling cameras, scanners, monitors and electronic gate booths provided by Securiport ³.

The committee observed the equipment in real time and found it in good working order ³. It advised the airport team to make more space for visa sticker machines to improve processing time ³. This inspection concerned equipment condition. It was not the published result of the contract special audit announced in July ^1,3.

How the payment arrangement changed

A 2022 ministry notice published by Air Peace said government had paid for the service until 31 August 2022 ⁵. From 1 September 2022, inbound and outbound passengers paid US$25 ⁵. The notice named online, mobile-money and bank payment channels ⁵.

A Sierra Leone Telegraph report dated 1 September 2022 said the government had previously paid a US$40 contracted charge per passenger and that the new passenger-paid amount was US$25 ⁶. A 2017 Business Daily report had described a US$40 one-way fee collected by airlines at ticket purchase ⁷. The records show changes over time, so an old US$40 or US$80 figure should not be presented as the 2026 passenger charge ^5,6⁷.

What remains open

The suspension notice did not give an end date for the review ¹. No official special-audit report, replacement contract, termination notice or fee-reinstatement notice was found in the government records checked on 25 October 2026 ^2,4.

The current record supports a limited conclusion. Passenger collection of the US$25 fee is suspended. The operating contract was not ended by that notice. The provider remains named on the Immigration Department website. The special-audit outcome is not yet published in the sources on this page ^1,2⁴.

Common questions

Is Sierra Leone still charging the US$25 airport fee?

No. An official government page states that collection is suspended until further notice ².

Was the Securiport contract cancelled?

No. The ministry notice said the fee suspension did not terminate the operating contract ¹.

Does Securiport still work at Freetown airport?

The Immigration Department still lists Securiport as a border security service provider ⁴.

Has the special audit been published?

No official special-audit result was found in the government records checked on 25 October 2026 ^2,4.

Was Sierra Leone's fee US$80?

A 2017 report described US$40 each way, which equals US$80 for a return trip ⁷. The later passenger-paid amount was US$25 each way from September 2022, then suspended in July 2026 ^1,5.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].

Sources

The Securiport airport security fee in Sierra Leone
History and status of the US$25 airport security fee at Freetown International Airport, paid to Securiport and suspended from 6 July 2026.
What Sierra Leone's airport audits and reviews found
Dated audit findings on Sierra Leone's airport bodies, the US$25 Securiport fee suspension, the special audit and what is still unpublished.
Passenger data and border technology at Freetown International Airport
Who logs passenger data at Lungi, what the law says on advance passenger information, the Securiport role and the July 2026 fee suspension.
Passenger fees at Freetown International Airport
The fees and taxes a passenger can meet at Freetown International Airport at Lungi, with their legal basis, status and source dates.