How to Get Liberia CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- No residence route
- Language
- No route
- Dual citizenship
- Citizens abroad only
- Civic test
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Criminal record
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Income condition
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Partly accepted: for citizens who naturalise abroad onlyCitizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Africa
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Marriage or civil partnership
For spouses of citizens of Liberia, the rules below set out what this route requires. An application is required, and citizenship must be granted once the legal conditions are met.
Person is of Negro descent and marries a citizen. Conditional only on oath of allegiance.
Descent (citizen parent)
This route covers children of a citizen of Liberia, subject to the conditions below. The law of Liberia confers citizenship automatically, independent of any administrative decision.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Liberia to a citizen. Other conditions: must be Negro or of Negro descent.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen. Other conditions: must be Negro or of Negro descent.
Birth in the country
Birth in Liberia is the starting point of this route, together with the conditions below. The law of Liberia confers citizenship automatically, independent of any administrative decision.
Person is born in Liberia and is a Negro or of Negro descent.
Child of a new citizen
A parent acquiring citizenship of Liberia is the basis of this route.
Person is born outside Liberia and either parent is acquiring citizenship by naturalisation while the child is under the age of 21; Person is between the ages of 21 and 25 and either parent is acquiring citizenship and person takes the oath of allegiance
Adoption
This route covers people adopted by a citizen of Liberia, subject to the conditions below. The law of Liberia confers citizenship automatically, independent of any administrative decision.
Person under the age of 18 years is adopted by a citizen, provided that negro or of negro descent.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
Earlier citizenship of Liberia is the basis of this route. The law of Liberia confers citizenship automatically, independent of any administrative decision.
Person is a woman formerly a citizen who under a prior law lost citizenship automatically by marriage to an alien.
Ethnic or cultural affinity
An ethnic or cultural connection to Liberia is the basis of this route. Authorities retain discretion and may refuse an application even when the conditions are met.
Person is Negro or of Negro descent and has been lawfully resident for at least 2 years. Other conditions: good moral character and attached to the principles of the constitution, renounce citizenship of another country, declaration that s/he does not believe in anarchy, two witnesses to attest to moral character. Petition for naturalisation filed with the Circuit Court of the county in which the person resides and decided by the court.
Not available in Liberia: Naturalisation (residence), Other family members of citizens, Citizens of specific countries, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Stateless persons, Special achievements, Public or military service, Investment. Based on the GLOBALCIT coding of the law, updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Liberia accepts dual citizenship in one direction: citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
The law includes an explicit statement that a Liberian citizen may acquire another citizenship without affecting his or her Liberian citizenship.
Compare with neighbours
Compare Liberia with all countries in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Benin | 5 years | Assimilation only | Accepted |
 Burkina Faso | 10 years | None | Accepted |
 Cabo Verde | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Côte d'Ivoire | 5 years | None | New citizens only |
 Ghana | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Guinea | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Liberia Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/liberia/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/liberia/">How to Get Liberia Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Liberian citizen?
No number of years applies: Liberia has no ordinary naturalisation route. Other routes are listed on this page.
Does Liberia allow dual citizenship?
In part. The law of Liberia accepts dual citizenship for its citizens who naturalise abroad, not generally for new citizens.
Do I need a language test for Liberian citizenship?
Liberia does not offer a path to citizenship through residence.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Liberian citizenship?
Liberia does not offer a residence-based path to naturalisation.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Liberian citizenship?
Since no residence-based naturalisation route exists, this question does not apply to Liberian citizenship.
Can I get Liberia citizenship by marriage?
Yes, the law of Liberia has a route for spouses. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Liberia citizenship by descent?
Yes. A child of a citizen can acquire citizenship of Liberia by descent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Liberia citizenship by investment?
No investment route is coded in the law of Liberia.
Related pages
Also see: Liberia passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.