Moving to Iceland from Sierra Leone
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sierra Leone to Iceland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sierra Leone to Iceland, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Reykjavik averages 45°F vs 86°F in Freetown, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sierra Leone to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Sierra Leone to Iceland · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Iceland?
Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.
- 21,102
- 3,918
- 3,171
- 2,604
- 2,357
- 2,284
- · · ·
-
103.19
Sierra Leone
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sierra Leone and Iceland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs significantly better than Sierra Leone across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Sierra Leone generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sierra Leone generally does better on environment, though Iceland leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Iceland performs significantly better than Sierra Leone across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Sierra Leone generally does better on employment & economy, though Iceland leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Iceland generally does better on family life, though Sierra Leone leads in education spending.
Data: National Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Freetown | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 87°/76°F (31°/24°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Freetown | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/75°F (29.9°/23.8°C) | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 87°/75°F (30.3°/24.0°C) | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C) | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 88°/77°F (31.2°/24.8°C) | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) |
| May | 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C) | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) |
| Jun | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.6°C) | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) |
| Jul | 84°/74°F (28.7°/23.1°C) | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) |
| Aug | 83°/73°F (28.4°/23.0°C) | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) |
| Sep | 84°/74°F (29.0°/23.1°C) | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) |
| Oct | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.4°C) | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 86°/75°F (30.1°/24.0°C) | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 85°/75°F (29.7°/24.1°C) | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) |
Data:
Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency,
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sierra Leone and Iceland. To live, work, or study long-term in Iceland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iceland's immigration authority.
Sierra Leone passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa Required
Iceland passport holder visiting Sierra Leone
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Iceland?
With 38.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Iceland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sierra Leone and Iceland.
Is Iceland safe for expats?
Iceland performs significantly better than Sierra Leone across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Sierra Leone.
How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 0.4 in Sierra Leone. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sierra Leone: 41).
What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Sierra Leone?
The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 86°F in Freetown. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Freetown gets 116.0 in.
What language do they speak in Iceland?
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Sierra Leone, the official language is English.
