Samoa
Area: 2,842 km²
Residents: 196,440 (as of 2017)
Population density: 69 E / km² Type of
Government: parliamentary republic
System of Government: parliamentary democracy
State capital: Apia
Official languages: Samoan and English
Religions: 98.4% of the population are Christians, but often with many traditional beliefs;
33.6% Congregationalists
19.4% Catholics
14.3% Methodists
13.3% Mormons
6.9% Assembly of God
3.5% Seventh-day Adventists
0.4% Baha’i
0.4% New Apostles
0.2% Jehovah’s Witnesses
Currency: Tala (WST)
1 Tala = 100 Sene
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 2.91 WST
1 WST = 0.32 EUR
1 CHF = 2.63 WST
1 WST = 0.36 CHF
( exchange rate from March 6, 2021)
Telephone area code: +685
Time zone: UTC −11 hours
In the last 3 years no German officially emigrated to Samoa or came back to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 12 Germans officially emigrated to Samoa and 23 moved back to Germany. For centuries, the South Pacific has been something of a paradise for many people to emigrate. Samoa is one of them – and yet very few have stayed there permanently.
Samoa is an island state that has been independent since 1962 and encompasses the western part of the Samoan Islands and is therefore also called Western Samoa. Only about 50 Germans live permanently in Samoa. There are around 1,000 “Europeans”, mainly from New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Around 3,000 to 4,000 foreigners come mostly from other Pacific countries, mostly Fiji.
The climate is tropical-oceanic with a dry and a rainy season (November to April). The temperature varies from 20 ° C to 30 ° C and averages 27 ° C. The islands are occasionally hit by severe storms.
Travel and Immigration
Changed travel regulations during and after the corona pandemic
Entry is only possible for Samoan citizens and also for them only after individual permits. Travelers must prove a negative COVID-19 test before entry and go into a 14-day quarantine after arrival. The only exception is for those arriving from American Samoa who have been there in the last 14 days and who have carried out a PCR test before departure.
Source: Federal Foreign Office on July 27, 2021
General provisions for travel and residence (until the corona pandemic)
Tourist stay up to 3 months
Anyone wishing to travel to Samoa from Europe as a tourist can apply for an arrival card with a maximum residence permit of 90 days at the airport. Travelers from Europe have to do this
- be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least 6 months
- present a return or onward travel ticket
- provide evidence of a visa or residence permit for the country to which you may continue your journey
- be in possession of sufficient financial means for the duration of the stay
- Submit a confirmed residential contact address (e.g. hotel reservation).
Taking up work with a visitor visa is not permitted. The importation of plants and animals requires prior approval from the responsible authorities in Apia.
Stay over 3 months
´Temporary Resident permit´ – temporary residence permit
If you would like to stay in Samoa as a tourist for more than 3 months, you can apply for an extension of your 90-day residence permit. The application form for a temporary stay, a copy of the onward flight ticket from Samoa, evidence of sufficient financial means for the length of your stay and more detailed information on accommodation must be enclosed.
Investors wishing to apply for a temporary residence permit in Samoa for business purposes require an investment certificate from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labor, a business license from the Ministry of Finance, and confirmation of company registration from the Ministry of Justice. The residence permit can be applied for together with these documents, the completed application form and police and health certificates.
If you would like to take up employment in Samoa, in addition to the completed application form, police and health safety certificates, you must also enclose the employer sponsorship form, as well as originals or certified copies of your qualifications.
You can apply for a temporary residence permit as part of a study in Samoa by submitting the completed application form, a confirmation letter from the educational institution (in the case of medical studies, the confirmation letter from the Ministry of Health of Samoa), evidence of how you will be able to provide for yourself financially during the time and where and how they would be housed. Students have the option to apply for permission to work part-time.
You can read the information under mpmc.gov.ws. There you will also find the necessary application forms and visa fees.
The tough immigration laws allow very few to immigrate. Most foreigners only live and work here for a limited period of time. After their residence permit has expired, they have to leave the country again.
Anyone who wants to settle here must either create jobs as an entrepreneur (only possible with Samoan partners), the stability of which is monitored, or they must offer the country something that is clearly enriching.
Special knowledge alone is not enough, as locals are primarily sought for the narrowly limited job market and there are enough highly qualified Samoans abroad who would like to return. There is no legal right to permanent residence in the country. Marriage to a Samoan does not entitle you to permanent residence on one of the islands.
