In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in Samoa, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Samoa.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Samoa does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Samoa, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Samoa

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Samoan capital, Apia hosts 6 embassies.

There are also 7 consulates in Samoa.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Apia.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Samoa. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometime other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in Apia

Australia

Embassy of Australia in Samoa

Address: Beach Rd, PO Box 704, Apia
Tel: (+685) 23411
E-Mail: apia.media@dfat.gov.au
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AusHCSamoa/
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 09:00-16:30   The Australian High Commission, Samoa provides consular assistance to Australian, Canadian, Papua New Guinean and Nauran citizens.

For information on what consular services, please read the Consular Services Charter.

China

Embassy of China in Samoa

Address:Vailima, Apia
Tel: (+685) 22474
E-Mail: tce@samoa.net

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalization. Contact them directly to book and appointment and confirm opening hours.

Japan

Japan Embassy in Samoa

Address: Level 2, B-Building, SNPF Plaza, Apia
Tel: (+685) 21187
E-Mail: japanese.embassy@ap.mofa.go.jp
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/eojsamoa/
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 08:30am to 12:00pm and 01pm t o 05:15pm

The Japanese consulate shares the same details as the embassy. They provide a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalization.

New Zealand

New Zealand High Commission in Samoa

Address: Beach Rd, 1876 Apia
Tel: (+685) 21711
E-Mail: nzhcapia@samoa.ws
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/nzhcsamoa/ and https://www.instagram.com/nzinsamoa/
Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 08:30h to 16:30h

The New Zealand High Commission in Samoa provides reception of the public (consular affairs), register of nationals established outside New Zealand, identity cards and passports, civil status: marriages, births ..., other steps (legalization of signature, driver's license...), elections, national service and assembly of nationals abroad.

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

British High Commission in Samoa

Address: Cross Island Road (100 metres off Beach Road), Apia
Tel: 24/7 support is available by telephone for all routine enquiries and emergencies. Please call +64 (0) 4 924 2888.
Public access to the High Commission is by appointment only.
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/BHCSamoa/ and https://twitter.com/UKinSamoa

The British High Commission in Samoa provides limited services to British nationals living in and visiting the country. Some of the services are: emergency travel document replacement, notarial and documentary services, marriage, consular fees, visa services, etc.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Samoa

Address: 5th Floor ACC Building, Matafele Apia
Tel: (+685) 21436 and (+685) 21436
E-Mail: AmEmbApia@state.gov
Social Media: https://twitter.com/usembassysamoa and https://www.facebook.com/samoa.usembassy
Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 08:30-18:00

The American Citizens Services Unit provides a range of services to U.S. citizens in Samoa, including but not limited to passport services, Consular Reports of Births and Deaths Abroad, and Notarial services.
Americans living or traveling to Samoa should register with the U.S. Embassy in Apia. This service is now available online: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Honorary Consulates in Samoa

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Samoa, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Rome, in Italy or Paris, in France for Samoa

Honorary Consulates in Apia

• Chile
• France
• Germany (apia@hk-diplo.de)
• South Korea
• Mexico
• Spain
• Sweden