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Independent State of Samoa · short term business

Visitor Permit on Arrival

By · Last reviewed:

Source check: all 5 official citations reconfirmed 13 September 2026

Samoa 90-day visitor permit on arrival for eligible short-stay visitors who meet border-entry conditions.

No sponsorship requiredDoes not lead to permanent residency90 days on arrival for visitor purposes, subject to Samoa entry requirements.
Processing time
Handled at the border using the arrival card and immigration screening.
Government fees
The border-services page describes the 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival as free; the fee table separately lists SAT$200 for applications for Visitor entry permits and 10 working days for processing. Confirm which treatment applies before payment.
Typical duration
90 days on arrival for visitor purposes, subject to Samoa entry requirements.
Sponsorship required
No
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ↗

In short

As of 18 August 2026, the Visitor Permit on Arrival 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/visitor-permit-on-arrival#answer

What is the Visitor Permit on Arrival in Independent State of Samoa?

Visitor Permit on Arrival is an unsponsored Samoa route. Indicative government fees are The border-services page describes the 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival as free; the fee table separately lists SAT$200 for applications for Visitor entry permits and 10 working days for processing. Confirm which treatment applies before payment; indicative processing time is Handled at the border using the arrival card and immigration screening; typical duration is 90 days on arrival for visitor purposes, subject to Samoa entry requirements. This route does not 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 foreign nationals who do not hold a valid Temporary Resident Permit or Samoan citizenship will be issued a free 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival, subject to entry requirements. The permit-services page also says visitors can apply for a 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival using the arrival card and that work is not permitted on a Visitor Permit.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Check the Samoa Immigration border and permit pages before travel.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Prepare passport, onward travel, next-country permission, accommodation/contact and funds evidence.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Complete the arrival card and answer border questions truthfully.

  4. After approval

    Keep all activity within visitor status and do not work on the Visitor Permit.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Visitor Permit on Arrival, 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 Visitor Permit on Arrival instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Samoa

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Samoa. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

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 border entry requirements ↗

    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. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Samoa permit 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

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Frequently asked questions

How long is Samoa visitor permission on arrival?+

Samoa Immigration says visitors can apply for a 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival using the arrival card.

Can I work on a Samoa Visitor Permit?+

No. Samoa Immigration says work is not permitted on a Visitor Permit.

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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