Africa
Container Shipping from the UK to Sierra Leone
Freetown's deep natural harbour serves a mining and reconstruction economy, with rutile, diamonds and iron ore out and plant, rice and relief cargo in.
Container shipping from the UK to Sierra Leone runs full container load to Freetown (SLFNA). There is no scheduled less than container load service to Sierra Leone at present. Sea transit is 14–19 days port to port and air freight 2–5 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Sierra Leone are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Sierra Leone
Full container load and groupage both go to Freetown. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Freetown
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Southampton.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to Sierra Leone at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say honestly which option is cheaper.
The FCL and LCL availability shown here is illustrative while we finish confirming our service map. Ask us and we will confirm what runs on this lane before you commit to anything.
Get a price for Sierra Leone
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Sierra Leone are payable there and are not included.
Rates for Sierra Leone are quoted per shipment rather than published — request a quote and we will come back with a firm figure for your route.
What can you ship to Sierra Leone?
Rutile and iron ore plant, rice and bulk staples, NGO and institutional cargo, cement and used vehicles move through Freetown.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone charges GST at a standard rate of 15%, charged on the customs value plus duty. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0%, 5%, 10%, 20% or 35% under the ECOWAS common external tariff, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
Sierra Leone charges GST rather than VAT, and the distinction matters for how a consignee recovers it. Most cargo reaches Freetown on a coastal rotation rather than a direct sailing, so build the feeder leg into the schedule rather than reading the port-to-port figure as door-to-door.
What are the import restrictions in Sierra Leone?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Sierra Leone?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
UK to Sierra Leone shipping: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Sierra Leone take?
Sea freight runs about 14–19 days port to port, and air freight 2–5 days airport to airport. Freetown is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 14 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Sierra Leone?
We move cargo through one port in Sierra Leone: Freetown (SLFNA). Full container load goes to Freetown. We have no scheduled groupage service to Sierra Leone at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Sierra Leone?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Sierra Leone — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Sierra Leone lane?
Quote the door-to-door schedule rather than port-to-port on this lane. Cargo almost always changes vessel at a regional hub, and that connection — not the ocean leg — is where the time goes. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes rutile and iron ore mining plant, rice and bulk food staples, relief, ngo and institutional cargo.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Sierra Leone — each one works as an origin or a destination.
South Africa
Import & export · Durban
LCL from
£88.00
per cubic metre
20+ days
Nigeria
Import & export · Lagos (Apapa)
LCL from
£92.00
per cubic metre
18+ days
Kenya
Import & export · Mombasa
LCL from
£93.00
per cubic metre
24+ days
Plan the rest of the move
Shipping to Sierra Leone? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.