Samoa
Phone Code
+685
Capital
Apia
Population
220,000
Native Name
Samoa
Region
Oceania
Polynesia
Timezone
West Samoa Time
UTC+14:00
On This Page
Samoa — not to be confused with nearby American Samoa, a US territory — is an independent Polynesian island nation in the South Pacific, roughly 2,600 kilometres northeast of New Zealand. The country is built around two main islands, Upolu (home to the capital, Apia) and the larger, less populated Savai'i, plus eight smaller islets, with a population of around 200,000 and a diaspora in New Zealand, Australia and the US that outnumbers it. Formerly Western Samoa, the country gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 — the first Pacific island nation to do so in the 20th century — and dropped “Western” from its name in 1997. Entry is unusually simple: citizens of every nationality receive visa-free entry on arrival for up to 60 days with a return ticket.
Visa Requirements for Samoa
Samoa offers visa-free entry on arrival to citizens of every country for tourism, for up to 60 days — one of the most accessible entry policies in the world. A passport valid at least 6 months beyond the intended stay is required, along with a confirmed return or onward ticket, which airlines strictly enforce (a one-way ticket can mean denied boarding, though a changeable ticket is fine); proof of sufficient funds may also be requested. Entry stamps are issued on arrival at Faleolo International Airport near Apia or at the Apia cruise port. Extensions of up to an additional 60 days are available through the Immigration Office in Apia, for a total maximum stay of 4 months in any 12-month period — check current extension fees. Sunday observance is strong: most businesses close, swimming at beaches is not permitted, and villages enforce a traditional day of rest, so Saturday is the day to plan around for shopping and Sunday meals. See the visa categories below for work, business and long-term residence requirements.
Common Visa Types
Visa-Free Entry on Arrival (Tourism)
For tourism for citizens of ALL countries - Samoa has universal visa-free policy for visitors with return tickets.
Work Permits and Business Visas
For employment, business operations, or long-term business activities in Samoa.
Long-term Residence and Retirement
For foreigners seeking long-term residence in Samoa, including retirees, family members of Samoan citizens, and those with special circumstances.
Important Travel Information
Samoa is the independent Polynesian island nation at the western end of the Samoan archipelago — not American Samoa, the US territory to the east. Two main islands, Upolu (capital Apia, most visitors) and Sava'i (larger, less developed, more traditional), plus eight smaller islets, 200,000 people, and a diaspora in New Zealand, Australia and the US that outnumbers the home population. What Samoa offers is not the resort-and-beach circuit of Fiji or Hawaii but something rarer: intact Polynesian village culture. The fa'a Samoa — the Samoan way — is still lived: matai chiefs governing customary land, communal fale (open-sided houses), Sunday as a genuinely observed day of rest when beaches close, villages quiet, and no business opens. The landmark is To Sua Ocean Trench — a former lava tube that collapsed into a 30-metre circular swimming pool, filled with crystal-clear saltwater connected to the ocean underground, ringed by tropical gardens, accessed by a single wooden ladder down the rock face. Robert Louis Stevenson chose Samoa for the last four years of his life, was buried on Mount Vaea above Apia, and is still remembered as Tusitala, teller of tales. Universal visa-free entry: all nationalities receive 60 days on arrival with a return ticket.
Discover Samoa
To Sua formed when the roof of a lava tube collapsed, leaving a deep circular pit that stayed connected to the ocean through the tube's remaining underground channels — that connection is why the pool fills with saltwater and rises and falls slightly with the tide, rather than behaving like an ordinary freshwater sinkhole. The single wooden ladder down the rock face exists because the pit's walls are too steep and unstable for any gentler route; it's also part of why the site limits how many people can be in the water at once, since the ladder itself is the only way in or out. The smaller adjacent pool offers the same lava-tube water without the climb, for visitors who want the setting without the descent.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Samoa's most famous natural attraction: a collapsed lava tube on Upolu's south coast that formed a 30-metre circular saltwater pool, clear as glass, connected to the ocean by underground channels, descended by a single wooden ladder from the jungle above. A single swimming experience with no real equivalent in the Pacific. Check current entry pricing; morning visits for light; 1 hour from Apia.
The fa'a Samoa is not a tourist performance but a living system: matai chiefs, communal land tenure, village governance, the sa (curfew prayer) that quiets all activity twice daily, and Sunday as total rest. Beach fale (open-sided traditional houses on the sand, meals often included — check current rates) immerse visitors in this rhythm — Lalomanu on Upolu's south-east coast is the classic setting.
Stevenson spent his last four years (1890–1894) at Vailima above Apia, dying at 44 and buried on Mount Vaea at his own request. His estate is now a museum preserved in late Victorian style. The summit hike (45 minutes, steep) passes his tomb with the famous epitaph. A complete literary pilgrimage in a morning.
Lalomanu on Upolu's south-east coast is one of the Pacific's finest white-sand beaches. Sava'i, the larger island reached by ferry (90 minutes from Upolu), holds a different landscape: Sale'aula Lava Fields (a village buried under 1905–1911 eruptions, ruins visible in hardened black rock), the Alofaaga Blowholes driving plumes 20–30 m through lava coast, and Afu Aau waterfall with a natural swimming pool.
Samoa's reefs are in good condition: Palolo Deep Marine Reserve off Apia offers protected snorkeling, and dive operators run trips to walls, coral gardens and occasional wrecks around both islands. Humpback whales pass through July–October. Visibility 20–30 m year-round. Water temperature a consistent 26–29°C.
Money & Currency
Samoan Tala (WST)
Currency code: WST
Practical Money Tips
Samoan Tālā — Exchange on Arrival in Apia
Samoa uses the Samoan tālā (WST). US dollars and New Zealand dollars are the most useful currencies to bring — exchange rates at Apia's Westpac, ANZ, and National Bank of Samoa are competitive. Euros are exchangeable but at less favourable rates.
ATMs in Apia — Very Limited Outside the Capital
Westpac, ANZ, and National Bank of Samoa branches have ATMs in Apia. On the island of Savai'i and in remote areas, cash machines are scarce or absent. Withdraw sufficient WST before travelling outside Apia.
Cards at Hotels — Cash Everywhere Else
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at larger hotels, resorts, and some restaurants in Apia. Most faleoloa (local stores), markets, local transport, and rural fales are cash-only. American Express is rarely accepted. Apple Pay and Google Pay have very limited support.
Keep WST for Day-to-Day Spending
Cash is the norm for local buses, markets, village entry fees, and church donations (expected as a guest). Keep small WST bills — vendors rarely have change. Budget around WST 50–100 for a local market meal.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
Cities
Explore our city travel guides
Embassies in Samoa
These foreign embassies and consulates are based here. Choose a mission to open its in-depth guide and contact details.
Key origin countries
Accredited missions for Samoa
No — Samoa offers visa-free entry on arrival to citizens of every nationality for up to 60 days, as long as you have a return or onward ticket, making it one of the most accessible countries in the world to visit.
No — Sunday is a strictly observed day of rest, and villages actively enforce a no-swimming rule at beaches and in the ocean; plan water activities for Monday-Saturday and treat Sunday as a day for scenic drives, museums or relaxing instead.
Yes, for reasonably confident swimmers — there are no lifeguards, so swimming ability is required, and the wooden ladder down can be slippery when wet, but otherwise it's a well-maintained, regularly visited attraction rather than a genuinely risky one.
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.