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ECOWAS Right of Establishment

Sierra LeoneFree movement

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Sierra Leone Read the five questions ↓

Which citizenship, status or regional agreement creates the person's right to move/reside?

ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol A/SP.2/5/90: a national of an ECOWAS Member State has the right to settle or establish in another Member State, access economic activities and set up and manage enterprises and companies under the same conditions as the host state's own nationals.

See recorded sources

Under which circumstances can the person reside: worker, self-employed, student, jobseeker, self-funded person or another recognised basis?

The basis is non-salaried (self-employed) activity and the creation and management of enterprises and companies, subject to the same conditions as the host country's laws set for its own nationals.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SUCC3A1.pdf
    Article 2 The right of establishment as defined in Article 1 above shall include access to non-salaried activities and the exercise of such activities as well as the creation and management of enterprises and companies which comply with the definition contained in Article 3 below subject to the same conditions stipulated by the laws and regulations of the country of establishment for its own nationals.

What entry, registration or residence-document formalities remain?

Under the ECOWAS residence protocol, Community citizens admitted without a visa who wish to reside in another Member State must obtain an ECOWAS residence card or residence permit, applying to the Department of Immigration of the host state under its own rules. The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm which formalities apply specifically to establishment (setting up an economic activity).

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • From the 1986 residence protocol; the establishment protocol itself and Sierra Leone national procedure for ECOWAS establishment were not found.
  • https://www.ecowas.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SU17521.pdf
    ARTICLE 5 Citizens of the Community who are nationals of Member States admitted without visa into the territory of one Member State and desiring to reside in the territory of that Member State, shall be obliged to obtain an ECOWAS RESIDENCE CARD or a RESIDENCE PERMIT ARTICLE 6 The applicant for the RESIDENCE CARD or RESIDENCE PERMIT in the territory of any Member State, shall deposit with the Department of Immigration of the host Member State, an application for a Residence Card or Residence Permit in accordance with the rules and regulations existing in each Member State.

Which non-member-country family members can accompany or join, and what broad rights do they receive?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm which non-member family members can join and their rights.

When do permanent/long-term rights arise and what continuity, absence or retention conditions matter?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm when permanent rights arise and the continuity or absence rules.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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