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Independent State of Samoa · residence general · Leads to settlement

Permanent Residence Permit

By · Last reviewed:

Source check: all 9 official citations reconfirmed 13 September 2026

Samoa permanent residence permit route, using Samoa Immigration permanent-residence form and fee-table authority.

No sponsorship requiredLeads to permanent residencyPermanent residence status, subject to approval and any endorsement or reissue conditions.
Processing time
The Samoa Immigration fee table lists 10 working days for Permanent Residence permits; confirm current timing before filing.
Government fees
Permanent Residence fees listed by Samoa Immigration: SAT$3,200 adult, SAT$1,100 child 17 years and younger, SAT$550 connection by blood, plus listed review, endorsement, overstayer and urgent-request fees.
Typical duration
Permanent residence status, subject to approval and any endorsement or reissue conditions.
Sponsorship required
No
Leads to permanent residency
Yes
Reviewed Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗

In short

As of 18 August 2026, the Permanent Residence Permit for Independent State of Samoa is an unsponsored Samoa immigration route. Sources: official Independent State of Samoa government pages, reviewed 18 August 2026.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/samoa/permanent-residence-permit#answer

What is the Permanent Residence Permit in Independent State of Samoa?

Permanent Residence Permit is an unsponsored Samoa route. Indicative government fees are Permanent Residence fees listed by Samoa Immigration: SAT$3,200 adult, SAT$1,100 child 17 years and younger, SAT$550 connection by blood, plus listed review, endorsement, overstayer and urgent-request fees; indicative processing time is The Samoa Immigration fee table lists 10 working days for Permanent Residence permits; confirm current timing before filing; typical duration is Permanent residence status, subject to approval and any endorsement or reissue conditions. This route can lead to permanent residence.

Verified against Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet on 30 June 2026.

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 entry permits include Permanent Resident permits, publishes the Permanent Residence application form MPMC105, and lists permanent-residence application fees and 10 working days processing in the immigration fee table. The citizenship page also says an alien who has held a valid Samoan permanent residence permit for 5 years may apply for Samoan citizenship by permanent residence. Visa Atlas treats this as a permanent-residence authority-check route because the reviewed public page confirms the route and form but does not expose every eligibility pathway in the page text.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Check Samoa Immigration permanent-residence fee and form sources.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Confirm the current permanent-residence eligibility basis directly with Samoa Immigration.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Complete MPMC105 and gather supporting evidence.

  4. After approval

    File with Samoa Immigration and keep approval, endorsement or review records.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Permanent Residence Permit, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Permanent Residence Permit instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Samoa

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

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.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Samoa Immigration fee and permit context ↗

    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

  2. ChecklistApplicant
    Download permanent residence form MPMC105 ↗

    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

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Samoa citizenship by permanent residence context ↗

    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

Does Samoa publish a permanent residence form?+

Yes. Samoa Immigration publishes Permanent Residence application form MPMC105.

Can permanent residence lead to citizenship?+

The citizenship 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.

Find a regulated advisor in Samoa

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Last checked: 30 June 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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