Sierra Leone has updated its Go-For-Gold citizenship-by-exception program, adding two routes and increasing the price of its Heritage Citizenship pathway effective Oct. 1.
Two other African governments, Ethiopia and Kenya, are weighing investment-linked residency programs of their own, though neither has launched.
What Did Sierra Leone Change?
Go-For-Gold is a discretionary citizenship-by-exception framework, not a conventional, legislated citizenship-by-investment program. It relies on its Citizenship Act of 1973, which allows citizenship by naturalization in special circumstances.
Solo Entrepreneur Route: A pathway priced at a $95,000 donation for one main applicant. Including the mandatory $5,000 due diligence fee, the total entry cost is $100,000. The route excludes dependents, does not require a DNA test and makes local company incorporation optional.
Enterprise Route: A joint package allowing two unrelated business partners to apply together. The cost is $80,000 per applicant, plus a shared $5,000 due diligence fee, for a total of $165,000. A separate notary session, if required, adds $1,000. Dependents cannot be included.
Heritage Citizenship Route: A pathway for applicants with DNA-verified African ancestry. Its price has increased by $20,000, from $100,000 to $120,000 for the main applicant. Dependents may be included: $10,000 each for spouses, minor children, parents and grandparents, and $20,000 each for adult children and siblings under 30.
Fast-Track Route: At $140,000, this is the program’s most expensive route. It accepts dependents at the same rates as the Heritage pathway.
A “Plus One” add-on lets a Fast-Track or Heritage applicant include one unrelated adult for $30,000.
Who Is Sierra Leone Targeting and Why?
The program is handled entirely remotely, with no requirement to visit Sierra Leone before or after approval. Applications are reportedly processed in 60 to 90 days, and contributions are held in escrow until approval is issued.
The program appears aimed at three groups:
West African Business Owners: Sierra Leonean citizens benefit from regional mobility within the Economic Community of West African States. ECOWAS currently has 12 member states following the formal withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on Jan. 29, 2025. The program may appeal to foreign nationals already operating businesses in the region.
The Global African Diaspora: The Heritage route provides qualifying African American, Afro-Caribbean and other diaspora applicants with a potential pathway to establish legal and economic ties to Sierra Leone.
Cost-Conscious Solo Applicants: The $95,000 Solo Entrepreneur route targets individuals seeking citizenship without including family members or relocating to the country.
For Sierra Leone, the program is a source of revenue that does not come from taxes or borrowing. The country still carries infrastructure and fiscal strains from its 1991-2002 civil war, and its finances remain exposed to swings in commodity prices.
What Ethiopia and Kenya Are Planning
Ethiopia: The Ethiopian Immigration and Citizenship Service plans to introduce a 10-year golden visa card during the current fiscal year, according to state media. The government has set the threshold at $10 million, or $5 million for investors who create substantial local employment, with processing fees of $10,000, or $12,500 expedited. Officials say they are still finalizing an operational directive.
Kenya: Kenya is reviving its residency-by-investment golden visa proposal. The Kenya Investment Authority said in July that it is “exploring residency by investment,” without naming thresholds or a timeline. Foreign investors currently use the Class G Investor Permit, which requires a minimum investment of $100,000 in an active Kenyan business.
The three are not competing for the same investor. Sierra Leone is now selling citizenship remotely for under $100,000. Ethiopia and Kenya are still designing residency programs, and neither has settled its eligibility rules, legal basis or start date.
