# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Passports

How to Apply for a Sierra Leone Passport

Since emerging from years of civil war, Sierra Leone is witnessing both economic and political progress. If you, like television's Isaiah Washington, feel the urge to join this small West African nation for whatever reason, be prepared to prove that you have a blood connection. Washington did just that through the results of DNA testing, which linked him to Sierra Leone's Mende tribe, thereby netting him his very own Sierra Leone passport. Learn how to get yours.

Sierra Leone birth certificate
Money order (US $10)

Instructions

Instructions
- 1
  If your passport was stolen or lost, contact the police before applying for a new one. They will instruct you in filling out the lost/stolen passport form.
- 2
  Buy a Sierra Leone Passport Application Form. As decided by the Immigration Department of Sierra Leone, these forms for the issuance or renewal of passports must be purchased at the Sierra Leone Embassy for US$10 each.
- 3
  Fill out the application form.
- 4
  If you are applying for your first Sierra Leone passport, provide your Sierra Leone birth certificate along with the application form. A copy will not be accepted.
- 5
  If you need a renewal of your passport, photocopy the first five pages of your old/expired passport.
- 6
  Send your completed form with all necessary attachments to the Sierra Leone Embassy. (See Resources.) Your application may take between 1 week and several months.