All country guides
- Capital
- Apia (APW)
- Dialing Code
- + 685
- Time Zone
- UTC / GMT +13 hours
- Daylight Savings Time
- Last Sunday of September – first Sunday of April: UTC + 1
- Language
- Samoan
- Best Time to Go
- May - October (dry season)
- Currency
- Tala (WST)
Travel Tips
- Tipping is not practiced or expected in Samoa
- Bottled water is preferable. Although the water in hotels is generally safe, it is recommended that you boil the water first
- Religious and traditional values dominate daily life in Samoa – if visiting rural areas, there may be local customs to which you should adhere
- If attending church on Sunday, women are asked to wear a dress or blouse and skirt and men trousers and shirt
- Samoans observe a compulsory evening prayer curfew called sa, or sacred, normally between 6-7pm. Visitors should avoid moving through villages during the curfew
Last updated 7 October 2026
Visa Guide
Public Holidays
2026
January: 1 - 2
April: 3 - 4, 6
May: 11
June: 1
August: 10
October: 12
December: 25 - 26
Visa Requirements
No visa is required by South African passport holders for a stay of up to 60 days
- Visa information can be found online at: www.mfat.gov.ws/visas
Entry Requirements
- Passport must be valid for 6 months from date of entry
- Return or onward ticket
- Copy of a bank statement
- No record of deportation from other countries
- No health problems that would pose a risk to Samoa
Health / Vaccinations
Compulsory:
Yellow Fever (Dependant on Country of Origin/Stopover)
Recommended Travel Vaccines:
Hepatitis A & B, Tetanus, Polio
South African Representative Abroad
Representation accredited from Canberra, Australia