Liberia: Knowledge Base profile
Published 4 September 2025
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About: Liberia
This document contains useful information about Liberia which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.
If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.
Publication
Below is information on when this version of the document was published:
- version 2.0
- published for Home Office staff on 2 September 2025
Changes from last version of this document
This document has been updated with formatting changes.
Liberia: nationality
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Liberia.
Dual nationality is recognised in Liberia since July 2022.
Liberia citizens who lost their citizenship by becoming a citizen of another country before July 2022 can regain their Liberia citizenship.
Liberia: legitimacy and parental responsibility
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Liberia.
Legitimacy
Liberia recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.
A child is considered:
- legitimate if:
- their parents are married at the time of birth
- their parents marry after the birth
- their parents are not married, but the courts legitimise the birth
- illegitimate if their parents never marry
Parental responsibility
Both parents have parental responsibility for their child in Liberia.
If both parents are deceased or if the child lives with another relative, that person is deemed to hold parental responsibility for the child.
Liberia: civil partnerships and marriage
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Liberia.
Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are illegal in Liberia.
Religious and Customary marriages are legal in Liberia.
Polygamous marriage is recognised in Liberia, where a man can have up to four wives.
Marriages performed under Liberian Maritime Law are recognised under Liberian Law as valid marriages.