Liberia: Mandatory health declaration and stricter screening for arriving travelers

Travelers heading to Liberia must now comply with additional health requirements when entering the country.

On October 21, 2026, Liberia’s Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) issued a new directive, titled Travel Advisory No. 02 on the Threat of an Ebola Outbreak, aimed at strengthening health surveillance at the country’s borders.

Effective immediately, the directive requires all arriving travelers to complete a health declaration and undergo health screening.

It also introduces specific measures for travelers who have recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya, or Nigeria.

Liberian authorities have since introduced an online platform allowing travelers to complete their health declaration before departure.

Health declaration mandatory since October 21, 2026

Under the October 21 directive, everyone entering Liberia must complete a traveler health surveillance form, providing accurate information about their health and recent travel history.

The original directive states that the form may be provided to passengers on board their means of transportation or upon arrival in Liberia.

The requirement applies to all travelers, regardless of nationality or country of origin.

Health screening has also been introduced at all points of entry, including airports, land border crossings, and seaports. Checks include body temperature screening and assessments for possible symptoms of infectious diseases.

Travelers showing signs of illness may be referred for further evaluation and care under Liberia’s national health protocols.

An online health declaration form now available in English and French

Travelers can complete the health declaration through the NPHIL’s official online portal, which is available in English and French.

The platform allows travelers to submit their information before arriving in Liberia and obtain a confirmation QR code. According to the official website, the process takes approximately three minutes.

To access the form, travelers must select the arrival option, labeled “Arriving – I am entering Liberia”. The online questionnaire, reviewed by VisasNews, consists of five sections.

1. Personal information and travel details

The first section asks travelers to provide their full name, sex, date of birth, nationality, occupation, and passport number.

They must also specify the purpose of their trip, their intended date of entry, their mode of transportation, and their arrival point.

The form allows travelers to select arrival by air, sea, or land. They must provide their flight, vessel, or vehicle number, along with their country of departure.

Travelers are then asked to list the countries they have visited or transited through during the previous 21 days.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Nigeria are specifically listed as options. Other destinations, including Uganda where applicable, can be entered in an additional field.

Finally, travelers must provide their accommodation address in Liberia, a nearby landmark, and a local contact phone number.

2. Signs and symptoms

The second section focuses on the traveler’s current health.

The first question asks whether they are experiencing any symptoms. If they answer yes, they can report symptoms such as fever, headaches, vomiting, muscle pain, fatigue, digestive problems, or unexplained bleeding.

3. Potential exposure to health risks

This section covers possible exposure to infectious diseases during the 21 days preceding arrival.

Travelers must indicate whether they have been in contact with someone who was ill or had a viral hemorrhagic fever, visited a healthcare facility, attended a funeral, or traveled to an area affected by an outbreak.

Another question asks about possible contact with bodily fluids from an ill person.

4. Emergency contact information

The form includes fields for the name and phone number of someone to contact in an emergency. These details are not marked as mandatory.

5. Consent and submission

Finally, travelers must confirm that the information they have provided is accurate and consent to its collection and use by Liberian health authorities, particularly for disease surveillance, contact tracing, and public health monitoring.

Once the declaration has been submitted, a confirmation QR code is generated.

The official portal does not currently specify a submission deadline in terms of hours or days before arrival.

Travelers arriving from the DRC must self-isolate for 21 days

Beyond the health declaration, the October 21 directive introduces particularly strict measures for certain categories of travelers.

Anyone arriving in Liberia from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or who has transited through the country, must self-isolate for 21 days.

During that period, they are subject to daily monitoring by healthcare professionals.

The requirement applies to travelers arriving from or transiting through the DRC, with no explicit exemption in the directive based on how long they spent in the country.

Affected travelers should therefore consider how this requirement could impact their plans in Liberia.

Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria: 21 days of daily health monitoring

The directive establishes a separate set of requirements for travelers arriving from Uganda, Kenya, or Nigeria, as well as those who have transited through any of these countries.

These travelers must undergo daily health monitoring by healthcare professionals for 21 days.

Unlike travelers arriving from the DRC, they are not subject to a general self-isolation requirement under this provision.

The measures are intended to help Liberian health authorities quickly identify potential symptoms and reduce the risk of Ebola transmission.

Travelers who have recently visited any of these four countries are therefore particularly affected by the new health requirements.

Liberia tightens border controls amid regional Ebola concerns

Liberia’s new measures come amid concerns over the regional spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.

In a bulletin published on October 23, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed significant transmission of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as imported cases in Kenya and Nigeria.

The organization emphasized the need for stronger cross-border surveillance and early detection of infections.

In Liberia, the NPHIL has stepped up preventive measures, particularly at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia and at major land border crossings.

The October 21 directive also sets out infection prevention measures for travelers and transportation operators, including regular handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer.

Anyone experiencing symptoms that could indicate Ebola or another infectious disease is advised to seek medical attention.

Liberian authorities have provided two health assistance hotline numbers: 4455 and 5888.

Visa and vaccination requirements for travel to Liberia

The health declaration does not replace the other documents required to enter Liberia.

U.S. citizens must obtain a visa before traveling to Liberia, regardless of the length of their visit.

According to the U.S. Department of State, American travelers must hold a passport valid for at least six months upon entry, with at least one blank page available for immigration stamps.

U.S. citizens residing in the United States should apply for their visa through the Embassy of Liberia in Washington, D.C., which provides information on application requirements and processing times.

Liberia also operates an online Visa on Arrival application system, primarily intended for travelers residing in countries without a Liberian diplomatic mission. Applicants should verify their eligibility before using this service.

Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for entry into Liberia. Travelers must carry a valid International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), commonly known as the Yellow Card, as proof of vaccination.