Liberia: Information on obtaining a Liberian passport including a copy of the passport and a laissez-passer issued by the Liberian consulate in New York
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBR22508.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Liberia: Information on obtaining a Liberian passport including a copy of the passport and a laissez-passer issued by the Liberian consulate in New York, 1 January 1996, LBR22508.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acff24.html [accessed 16 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information on the Liberian passport and laisser-passer was obtained in a telephone interview with an official at the Liberian consulate in New York on 12 December 1995.
According to the official, a Liberian laisser-passer issued by the New York consulate is good only for one-way travel to Liberia from the United States or Canada. It is a temporary or emergency document for travel back to Liberia, for example in case of a family emergency when there is no time to wait for a passport. A laisser-passer can carry a validity period of one month to one year depending on the applicant's circumstance. A copy of a laisser passer and a birth affidavit is attached to this Response.
In a subsequent letter to the DIRB, the official noted that the appearance of laisser passer and birth affidavits varies among the Liberian missions (3 Jan. 1996).
Regarding passports, the official explained in a 12 December 1995 telephone interview, that passport applicants can apply either through the New York consulate or the embassy in Washington, but only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia can issue a passport. The minimum waiting period for a passport is three months. During this time the ministry verifies the application to determine whether the applicant is a Liberian citizen. The official said ministry or consular and embassy staff will try to interview applicants to authenticate the information provided by the applicant whenever possible. Sometimes relatives will make an application at the ministry's offices in Monrovia on behalf of a family member who is outside of Liberia.
Ordinary Liberian passports exist in two formats: a hardcover version with 32 pages and a smaller 64-page version, which is approximately the same size as a Canadian passport. The 64-page passport is valid for five years, and the 32-page passport three years. In a subsequent letter to the DIRB, the official noted that the larger hardcover version of the passport is now outdated and that the smaller version is the current version (3 Jan. 1996).
The covers are green with the seal of the republic and the wording Republic of Liberia printed in gold, as well as the word Passport in English and Passeport in French, which appear above the seal. Page one gives the passport number and how many pages are in the passport. On page 2 is the name of the official issuing the passport on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia and his or her signature and the issue date. Overlapping the signature is a stamp of the seal of the republic. The passport number and the name of the passport holder, as well as space for the names of an accompanying wife or accompanying children appear on page 3. (Women receive the same passport as men, whether or not they are married.) The pre-printed text on pages 3-5 appears in English and French. Personal data, including occupation, place and date of birth, place of residence, height, eye and hair colour, beard, moustache, special peculiarities, expiration date of the passport, and names and birth dates of any children appear on page 4. The fifth page carries the photo of the bearer and space for that of a wife, if applicable. On the left hand side of the photo page runs a series of seals which is superimposed on the paper which secures the photo(s) into the passport. Pages 6 through 31, and 63 in the smaller version, are reserved for visas and stamps. The 32nd and 64th pages carry a warning against damaging or mutilating the passport.
Pages in the passport are perforated with a number and have three vertical bands of colour in a blue-green-blue design; each page carries the word Liberia in various sizes and the seal of the republic as a watermark. The inside front and back covers resemble the endorsement pages but are printed in with three bands of colour in a pink-green-pink hue.
The official also stated that it was possible for an ineligible individual to possess an authentic Liberian passport because some passports were stolen from the ministry during the civil war in 1990. As a result, only Liberian officials can determine a bona fide Liberian passport holder.
Attached to this Response are photocopies of the passport pages described above.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Consulate of Liberia, New York. 3 January 1996. Package received by the DIRB.
Consulate of Liberia, New York. 12 December 1995. Telephone interview with official.
Attachments
Consulate of Liberia, New York. 3 January 1996. "Laisser Passer." (Package received by the DIRB)
Consulate of Liberia, New York. 3 January 1996. "Birth Affidavit" (Package received by the DIRB)
Consulate of Liberia, New York. 3 January 1996. "Passport." (Package received by the DIRB)
Consulate of Liberia, New York. 3 January 1996. "Passport." (Package received by the DIRB)
