Samoa is the independent Polynesian nation whose capital, Apia, lies on Upolu, the island where international flights land at Faleolo, 35 kilometres from town. Visitors come for the lagoons and reefs, the coastal blowholes and village life on Upolu and on Savai'i, the largest island. Samoa is not covered by Roam Like at Home, so a European SIM roams there at its operator's rates, and the UK Foreign Office warns that many British phones do not work at all because their provider may have no roaming agreement there.
Key facts for Samoa
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: varies by plan
- Emergency numbers: 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police
- Embassies: the UK, the US and Australia have missions in Apia, but British consular help comes from Wellington
Samoa or American Samoa?
Samoa has been independent since 1962 and has its own head of state; American Samoa, to the east, is an unincorporated US territory, and flying there from Samoa means paying a departure tax. Make sure tickets, insurance and entry checks name the right country.
British visitors get a permit on arrival, issued from the arrival card, for up to 60 days; other nationalities should check their own allowance. Passports need 6 months' validity after arrival, and officials may ask for an onward ticket, proof of funds and a confirmed place to stay. A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you come from a country with a risk of transmission. Declare any food you carry and any large sum of cash.
Sundays and the evening Sa
Sunday belongs to church, family and rest: most attractions, fuel stations and other businesses close, alcohol is sold only in hotels and restaurants, and travellers should pass through villages slowly and quietly. Every evening villages also stop for Sa, a short prayer curfew announced by a bell or a conch shell; do not walk or drive through a village while it lasts.
Dress modestly away from the beach, streams and waterfalls, and ask before photographing people. A village may hold customary rights over a lagoon or bay, so ask before going in and expect a small fee in cash. Drinking in public outside bars and restaurants is illegal, the drinking age is 21, drug possession can bring 14 years in prison, and same-sex sexual activity is illegal.
Crossing to Savai'i
Car and passenger ferries sail daily from Mulifanua, on Upolu's west coast, to Salelologa on Savai'i. Carry tala in cash: resorts usually take cards, but markets, taxis and village beaches want notes. Cash machines are scarcer on Savai'i, so withdraw before crossing.
Drivers need a temporary licence, arranged through the rental company with their own licence and valid for up to 90 days a year. Traffic keeps left, with a maximum of 40 km/h in towns and villages and 56 km/h elsewhere. Watch for children, animals and stray dogs near villages, avoid unlit roads after dark, report any accident to the police within 24 hours, and use only licensed taxis.
Lagoons, blowholes and cyclones
Tides push strong currents through the lagoons, there have been fatal accidents at popular beaches, and many waves break straight onto the reef, so ask locally before swimming or surfing. At the blowholes, lava tubes where the sea shoots up like a geyser, the rocks are slippery and the currents strong: stay well back. Dive operators do not always keep to safety standards, so ask about their procedures first.
The cyclone season normally runs from November to the end of April, with most rain between December and March and a risk of flooding inland; follow the Samoa Meteorology Division. Samoa sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are a constant risk and can set off tsunamis; the last major one struck in 2009. Mosquitoes carry dengue and Zika, and a serious emergency probably means evacuation to Australia, New Zealand or Hawaii, so check that your insurance covers it.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM added at home sidesteps the roaming gap and connects on arrival at Faleolo. The plans for Samoa run on 3G; an Oceania plan also works in Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, and a World plan suits a longer journey. Signal can be limited or absent in rural areas and on the outlying islands, so save maps and ferry details first. If your home operator does roam in Samoa, keep that SIM for bank messages with data roaming off. Prepaid SIMs are sold at the airport and in Apia and must be registered.
Consular protection: who to call in Samoa
- Dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police. Ambulances are scarce, so a taxi or private car may reach hospital sooner.
- The British High Commission in Apia offers no consular services; British nationals in trouble contact the British High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand. The US has an embassy in Apia, and Australia a high commission.
- Before you fly, open the Telcomia app to see which embassy or consulate serves your nationality in Samoa, with its address and phone number.
- Citizens of an EU country with no representation in Samoa may ask the embassy or consulate of any other EU member state for help, and that mission must treat them as it treats its own citizens (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- Samoan and English are the official languages, though fluent English is less common outside Apia and the main resorts.
Questions travellers ask about Samoa
Will my EU SIM work in Samoa?
Only on roaming at your operator's own rates, as Samoa is outside Roam Like at Home.
What happens during the evening Sa?
Villages pause for a short prayer in the evening after a bell or conch shell announces it. Do not walk or drive through the village until it ends.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in Samoa?
It depends on the plan: the plans for Samoa run on 3G, and an Oceania plan or a World plan also covers Samoa.
Can I take a hire car to Savai'i?
Only if the rental company allows it, so ask before you book, and reserve the car's place on the ferry in advance.
The short version
Install the eSIM before you fly, check that bookings say Samoa rather than American Samoa, carry tala for ferries and village beaches, slow down in villages and stop for the evening Sa, keep swimwear for the beach, ask locally before swimming, and save 911.
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