Independent State of Samoa · citizenship by descent · Leads to settlement
Citizenship by Descent, Permanent Residence or Marriage
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Samoa citizenship routes by descent, permanent residence or marriage under the official Citizenship Services page.
- Processing time
- File the relevant citizenship application with Samoa Immigration or a Samoan Government Mission and confirm current timing.
- Government fees
- Official citizenship fees include SAT$150 for citizenship by descent, SAT$5,400 for citizenship by marriage, SAT$150 for citizenship certification, and other listed citizenship service fees.
- Typical duration
- Citizenship status after registration or recognition; processing depends on the citizenship route and decision.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
Overview
Samoa coverage is based on the official Samoa Immigration pages under the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The reviewed pages publish visitor-entry conditions, permit categories, temporary-residence purposes, employment restrictions, medical and police-report triggers, citizenship routes, official forms and fee tables. Applicants should still confirm the current form, fee, filing place and supporting evidence with Samoa Immigration before travelling, working, studying, investing or relying on long-stay status. Samoa Immigration says citizenship can be acquired by birth, descent, permanent residence and marriage under the Citizenship Act 2004. It says citizenship by descent can apply where at least one parent was a Samoan citizen at birth, citizenship by permanent residence can apply after holding a valid Samoan permanent residence permit for 5 years, and citizenship by marriage can apply after being married to and residing with a Samoan spouse for 5 years. Applications are lodged with fees at a Samoan Government Mission overseas or the Immigration Division in Apia.
Additional sources
Primary source
Samoa Immigration - Immigration Forms ↗ · Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Link last verified:
Primary source
Permanent Residence application form MPMC105 ↗ · Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Link last verified:
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓For descent, at least one parent was a Samoan citizen at the applicant birth, subject to the descent-specific residence rule where the parent is a citizen by descent.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- ✓For permanent residence, the applicant has held a valid Samoan permanent residence permit for 5 years.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- ✓For marriage, the applicant has been married to and residing with a Samoan citizen spouse in Samoa or elsewhere for 5 years.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
Common blockers
- !The applicant cannot prove parent citizenship, permanent residence history, marriage/residence history or other civil-status evidence.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- !Name-change, parent-residence, passport, school, employment or civil-status evidence requested by Samoa Immigration is missing.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- !The applicant uses a citizenship route that does not match the factual basis.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
Typical evidence
- ·For descent, evidence that at least one parent was a Samoan citizen at the applicant birth and the applicant full birth certificate.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- ·For permanent residence, employment, business/social activity, health and character evidence over the past 5 years where requested.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- ·For marriage, evidence of time living together with the spouse over the past 5 years and evidence of the continuing nature of the marriage.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
- ·Name-change, parent-residence, passport-page, school, employment or other supporting evidence where relevant.Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗
Application pathway
Check the route fit
Choose the correct citizenship basis: descent, permanent residence or marriage.
Build the evidence pack
Download or obtain the relevant citizenship form from Samoa Immigration.
Submit through the official channel
Prepare civil-status, parent, residence, marriage, health, character and supporting evidence.
After approval
Lodge the application with fees at a Samoan Government Mission or the Immigration Division in Apia.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- Official guidanceApplicantRead Samoa citizenship services ↗
Use this official Samoa source to confirm the current requirements, fee, filing channel and supporting evidence before filing. Samoa coverage is based on the official Samoa Immigration pages under the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The reviewed pages publish visitor-entry conditions, permit categories, temporary-residence purposes, employment restrictions, medical and police-report triggers, citizenship routes, official forms and fee tables. Applicants should still confirm the current form, fee, filing place and supporting evidence with Samoa Immigration before travelling, working, studying, investing or relying on long-stay status.
Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet · verified
- ChecklistApplicantOpen Samoa Immigration forms ↗
Use this official Samoa source to confirm the current requirements, fee, filing channel and supporting evidence before filing. Samoa coverage is based on the official Samoa Immigration pages under the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The reviewed pages publish visitor-entry conditions, permit categories, temporary-residence purposes, employment restrictions, medical and police-report triggers, citizenship routes, official forms and fee tables. Applicants should still confirm the current form, fee, filing place and supporting evidence with Samoa Immigration before travelling, working, studying, investing or relying on long-stay status.
Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet · verified
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Frequently asked questions
What citizenship routes does Samoa list?+
Samoa Immigration says citizenship can be acquired by birth, descent, permanent residence and marriage.
How long must a permanent resident hold PR before citizenship?+
The official page says an alien who has held a valid Samoan permanent residence permit for 5 years may apply to be registered as a Samoan citizen.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
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