Land PoliceSign inBuying land in Sierra Leone from abroad: a safe-buying guide for the diaspora
Most land frauds against the diaspora follow the same pattern: money sent to a relative or agent, a plot that was never theirs to sell, and documents that only look official. Each step below closes one of those gaps.
Updated 7 November 2026 · by the Land Police team
Use people who answer to someone
- Instruct a registered Sierra Leone lawyer, not a friend or relative, to act for you. Check they are entitled to practise.
- If someone must sign for you, give a limited power of attorney for this one transaction only, never a general one.
- Pay for an independent licensed surveyor to check the boundary; don't rely on the seller's surveyor.
Check before any money moves
- Get copies of the seller's conveyance, survey plan and ID (see how to check who owns land).
- Have your lawyer do an official search and check for court cases and earlier sales.
- Have someone you trust visit the land and speak to neighbours and occupiers. Ask for dated photos and a video walk of the boundary.
- Search the parcel on Land Police, or order a due-diligence report covering ownership history, conflicts, valuation and flood risk.
Pay safely
- Never send money to a seller's or relative's personal account, and never pay in cash.
- Use your lawyer's client account or Land Police escrow: the money is released only when the land is registered in your name.
- Pay from an account in your own name and keep every receipt and message.
Walk away if…
- the price is far below what similar land sells for, or you are pushed to pay quickly;
- the seller won't let your lawyer or surveyor see the documents or the land;
- the names on the documents don't match the seller, or the plan doesn't match the land;
- you are asked to pay before the documents are checked. See all land fraud warning signs.
Questions
Can Sierra Leoneans abroad buy land safely?
Yes, with an independent lawyer, a limited power of attorney, an official search, an independent survey and payment through a lawyer's client account or escrow rather than to individuals.
Should I send money to a family member to buy land for me?
Not directly. Use a lawyer's client account or escrow so the money is released only when the land is registered in your name.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Land law and registry practice in Sierra Leone are changing; check with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning and a Sierra Leone lawyer before you pay for land.
More guides
- How to check who owns land in Sierra Leone
- Customary land in Sierra Leone: what buyers and families need to know
- Land fraud in Sierra Leone: 10 warning signs and how to protect yourself