Published: April 29, 2026
Monrovia — A Liberian citizen residing in Indonesia has called on the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to urgently address what he describes as “serious complications” arising from the country’s current passport renewal system, warning that the issue is creating significant hardship for citizens living overseas.
Albert Stages Kamara, speaking on behalf of Liberians abroad in a communication shared with The Liberian Investigator on Tuesday, said the practice of assigning entirely new passport numbers upon renewal is leaving many citizens entangled in administrative and legal challenges. “When a new passport is issued, it is assigned an entirely new number, while the previous passport number becomes inactive,” Kamara wrote. “This process has created serious complications for many of us.”
According to Kamara, the issue extends beyond simple documentation changes. In many countries, critical legal documents such as visas, work permits and residency permits are directly tied to passport numbers. A change in that number, he explained, often forces Liberians to undergo costly and time-consuming reapplication processes. “Immigration authorities often question the validity of documents tied to the previous passport,” he said, adding, “Travelers are frequently stopped at airports, leading to delays, embarrassment, and in some cases, public distress.”
The situation, he noted, has left some Liberians at risk of falling out of legal status in their host countries, particularly where immigration systems lack mechanisms to easily verify changes in passport identity. Kamara is urging the Liberian government to explore solutions such as retaining previous passport numbers in renewed booklets or establishing a standardized linkage system that would allow immigration authorities worldwide to verify continuity between old and new documents.
In addition to the numbering issue, Kamara highlighted concerns about the limited number of pages in Liberian passports. Currently capped at 32 pages, the booklet size poses challenges for frequent travelers, including business professionals, students and athletes, who often exhaust available pages within a short period. “Many individuals exhaust their passport pages within a short period, forcing them to renew passports more frequently,” he said. “This not only increases financial costs but also compounds the passport number change issue.”
He recommended that the government consider introducing larger passport booklets ranging from 50 to 100 pages, particularly for citizens residing abroad, as a way to reduce the frequency of renewals and associated complications. Despite the concerns raised, Kamara emphasized that the appeal is made in good faith and reflects the continued commitment of Liberians abroad to represent their country positively.
“Addressing these issues will enhance the credibility of our national documentation system and ensure that Liberians abroad can live, work, and travel with dignity and security,” he said.
When contacted, Paul Ngafuan, the Director of Passport at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the change of passport numbers is an internationally recognized practice. “Liberia is not the only country that changes passport numbers when renewal is done. It is an international practice,” Ngafuan said. The Passport Director, however, did not name any country practicing the change of numbers on passports issued to people who seek renewal but maintained that it is a normal global practice.
For Kamara, the concerns underscore broader challenges facing Liberians in the diaspora and raise questions about how national documentation systems can better align with international mobility requirements in an increasingly interconnected world.
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