🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
ISO SLE / SL
Regulatory
- MLC 2006
- ratified (2018-04-23)
- Paris MoU rating
- black
- Tokyo MoU rating
- black
- USCG Qualship 21
- not listed
- ITF FoC
- listed as Flag of Convenience
Registry
- Vessel count
- —
- Deadweight
- —
- Administration
- Sierra Leone Maritime Administration
- File a complaint
- —
ITF FoC-listed. Paris MoU and Tokyo MoU black list — high PSC detention risk.
Compliance history
- Tokyo MoU
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Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications for
Country context
- Population
- 8,819,794 (2025)
- GDP per capita
- $846 (2025)
- Income group
- Low income
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Source: World Bank Open Data.
What this means for seafarers
- MLC 2006: This flag has ratified MLC 2006. Vessels must hold a valid Maritime Labour Certificate + DMLC Part II posted onboard. You can file an MLC complaint via the flag administration.
- Port-state-control profile: high-detention flag — expect rigorous PSC inspections at most ports. Read about PSC regimes →
- ITF Flag of Convenience: This flag is on the ITF FoC list. ITF Total Crew Cost (TCC) scale applies as the wage floor. Contact an ITF inspector at the next port if your contract is below TCC. Unpaid-wages route →
- STCW: Party to STCW. Verify a CoC issued under this flag at the administration.
See also: flag risk explained · MLC ratification list · white/grey/black lists.
Reference
- III Code — the IMO flag-state audit scheme measuring implementation of IMO instruments.
- Port state control — how Sierra Leone-flagged ships are inspected + detained in foreign ports.
- Minimum safe manning — the SOLAS V/14 basis for Sierra Leone's manning documents.
- Marine cyber incidents — case studies + the IACS UR E26/E27 cyber-resilience regime.
Ports in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone flag: FAQ
- Is the Sierra Leone flag safe for seafarers?
- The Sierra Leone flag has weaker port-state-control ratings under one or both MoU regimes. It has ratified MLC 2006, so seafarers retain convention-based rights. Operators on weaker-rated flags are not always poor employers, but they face less external regulatory pressure.
- Has Sierra Leone ratified the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006)?
- Yes — Sierra Leone has ratified MLC 2006 (ratified 2018). Seafarers serving on Sierra Leone-flagged vessels are entitled to make MLC complaints through the flag administration, port state, or seafarer welfare organisations such as the ITF.
- How do I file a complaint against a Sierra Leone-flagged vessel or operator?
- Complaints can be lodged with the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration. Under MLC 2006, complaints may also be lodged with the port-state authority of any MLC-ratified port. The ITF and seafarer welfare organisations (Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris, Sailors' Society) can advocate on your behalf. Keep contract, wage records, and seaman's book ready.
- What port-state-control rating does Sierra Leone have?
- Paris MoU rating: black. Tokyo MoU rating: black. PSC ratings classify flags by inspection and detention history. White / low-risk flags face fewer PSC inspections; black / high-risk flags face more frequent inspection and a higher detention rate.
- Is Sierra Leone on the ITF Flag of Convenience (FoC) list?
- Yes — Sierra Leone is listed by the International Transport Workers' Federation as a Flag of Convenience. ITF FoC listing reflects the union's view that the flag has minimal genuine link to the beneficial owner of vessels registered. Seafarers on FoC vessels are eligible for ITF inspector intervention in any major port and for the ITF's globally-negotiated minimum wage benchmark when on an ITF-affiliated agreement.
Compare Sierra Leone with another flag
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Compare →High confidence
Editorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.