The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
Liberia
West Africa
Superb beaches, protected tropical forest and nature reserves. Monrovia, Providence Island and the forests of Gola.
- On the map
CapitalMonrovia
When to goDecember to February
Suggested length6 days min.
CurrencyLiberian dollar / Liberian dollar / United States dollar
LanguagesEnglish
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Monrovia · Buchanan · Robertsport
- Best season
- December to February, from Monrovia’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 6 days for these 3 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Avoid
November
Monrovia: mean maximum 30 °C, 190 mm of rain · rainy season.
- Mean maximum
- 30 °C
- Rain
- 190 mm
- Station
- Monrovia
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/liberia/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- To enter Liberia, your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You must have a visa to enter Liberia.
- As part of the visa application process, you need to provide a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination. For more details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, including yellow fever, see TravelHealthPro’s Liberia guide.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: There is also a risk of Lassa fever in Liberia, with several confirmed cases in 2026. Check TravelHealthPro’s information on Lassa fever. If you’re concerned that you might have been exposed to, or are showing symptoms of Lassa fever, get immediate medical advice.
- Hospitals and medical facilities throughout Liberia are poorly equipped. Blood supplies are unreliable and unsafe, and quality medication is scarce. There is no effective public or private accident and emergency or ambulance service anywhere in the country. Carry basic medical supplies with you.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Orange · Zones déconseillées sauf raison impérative
Une plus grande vigilance est de mise dans les zones frontalières des comtés de Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu et Lofa (frontière avec la Sierra Leone) et des comtés de Nimba (au sud de Butlo uniquement), de Grand Gereh, de…
- Yellow · Zones de vigilance renforcée
Le reste du pays est en zone de vigilance renforcée.
Dans le comté de Nimba, un point de passage frontière avec la Côte d’Ivoire est ouvert à Loguato et dispose de postes de douane sécurisés de chaque côté. Il s’emprunte sans difficulté.
- The crime rate in Liberia is high. Liberians are the main victims of crime, but foreign nationals can also be targeted. Most crime is opportunistic theft, but there are organised criminal gangs. Thieves are often armed with knives or machetes, and occasionally carry firearms.
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Liberia.
Currency
Liberian dollar / Liberian dollar / United States dollarViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Liberia. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 5,731,206
- Time zone
- −1 h from Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type A, B, C, E and F plugs · 120 V and 220 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +231
- Languages
- English
- Area
- 111,369 km²
- Highest point
- Mount Wuteve, 1,440 m
- Main religions
- Christian 84.9%, Muslim 12%, Traditional 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 2.6%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- ROBRoberts International AirportMonrovia133,656 passengers · official site
- BYLBelle Yella aerodrome
- FOYFoya AirportFoya
- GRCGrand Cess aerodrome
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you’re planning to drive in Liberia, see information on driving abroad. Get security advice about travelling by road anywhere outside Monrovia.
Destinations
The essentials.
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital and largest city of the African country of Liberia.
Buchanan
Buchanan (Bassa: Gbezohn), also previously known as Grand Bassa on some maps, is the third largest city in Liberia, lying on Waterhouse Bay, part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Robertsport
Robertsport is a town in western Liberia, about 10 miles (16 km) from the Sierra Leone border.
Robertsport
MrmaccaMust-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Palm Butter Soup
Palm nut soup or banga is a soup made from palm fruit common in Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast. The soup is made from a palm cream or palm nut base with stewed marinated meats, smoked dried fish, and aromat
Cassava Leaf Stew
Liberian cuisine refers to the cuisine of Liberia. It is centered on rice, cassava, plantain, yam, tropical fruits and vegetables (potatoes, greens, cassava leaf, okra, cabbage), as well as fish and meat. Liberian cuisine is also influenced by African American
Jollof Rice
Jollof (), or jollof rice, is a rice dish from Senegal, West Africa. It is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary
Dumboy
soup poured over it, cooked into the classic jollof rice, or ground into a flour to make "country breh" (bread). The cassava or tapioca root is processed and pounded into starchy foods such as fufu (using dried cassava) and dumboy (using boiled cassava). Fufu
Pepper Soup
Peppersoup (or pepper soup) is a soup eaten by Cameroonians and Nigerians. This soup is made using various meats or fish, chili peppers, salt, scent leaves and calabash nutmeg as its primary ingredients. It is a spicy soup that has a light, watery texture. Des
Palaver sauce
Palaver sauce or palava sauce is a type of stew widely eaten in West Africa, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone. The word palaver, meaning a talk, lengthy debate or quarrel, derives from the Portuguese language; palavra in general use means "speech" or "wo
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Christian 84.9%, Muslim 12%, Traditional 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 2.6%.
- Languages: English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English variants.
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 26 July (1847) ; independence: 26 July 1847.
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Mount Wuteve, reaches 1,440 m.
5,731,206 inhabitants in 2025 on 111,369 km², about 51 per km².
Independence on 26 July 1847.
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)915World Bank · 2025GDP growth5 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)8.3 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)2.9 %World Bank · 2025
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 18 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Liberia (Q1014)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Liberia · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Liberia · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Liberia · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Palm nut soup (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Liberian cuisine (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Jollof rice (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Peppersoup (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Palaver sauce
- Wikipedia · Monrovia
- Wikipedia · Buchanan (Liberia)
- Wikipedia · Robertsport
- CIA World Factbook · Liberia (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Liberia · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Monrovia · monthly normals (Deutscher Wetterdienst (average temperature and extremes only)) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.
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