Sierra Leone E-Passport Meets ICAO Standard

Since 2015, the service provider for the Sierra Leone Passport, Netpage SL Ltd, has been complying with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard in the new book design that was launched. This new passport book is a switch to e-passport from a machine-readable passport (MRP) book re-signed in 2022. It is also an electronic upgrade for faster processing of biometric data; currently, the e-passport is being used for ordinary diplomatic and service books. Netpage SL Ltd, through the government of Sierra Leone and their international partners, HID Global, has recently upgraded the e-passport with new security features and a higher-grade chip, which was recently revealed by Henley and partners. The Sierra Leone Passport improves 10 places to 74th in 2023, with Cote D’Ivoire taking second in the sub-region, ranking 79th while Guinea and Liberia are ranked 80 and 87 respectively. Netpage SL Ltd has complied with all its contractual obligations, and they are in the process of opening its service centres in Bo, Makeni, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The official price to take a passport is Two Thousand Two Hundred Leones (100 US dollars), and it is in line with the Bank of Sierra Leone rates. Parliament and some Civil Society Organizations, before now, had thoroughly investigated Netpage operations, especially on their contract agreement with the government of Sierra Leone, and have proven that Netpage as a company has all the legitimacy to operate.***