What you need to enter United Kingdom with a Samoan passport
Samoan citizens do not need a visa for United Kingdom, but they do need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), applied for online before departure.
- Authorisation fee
- 20 GBP
- Minimum passport validity
- Whole stay
Last verified: 10 August 2026
Verified practical details
The procedure to complete before you travel is ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation). Here's what we've verified about the process:
Authorisation system
ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation)
It is not a visa or a tax: it authorises travel, it doesn't guarantee entry. Phased rollout completed; mandatory for every visa-exempt national since 25 February 2026 (British and Irish citizens exempt). Apply via the official "UK ETA" app or GOV.UK. It allows as many entries as you like while it remains valid.
Apply on the official site →Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Fee
20 GBP
Lasts 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner, with stays of up to 6 months and multiple entries. It is not refunded, even if the application is refused.
Processing time
Most applications get an automated decision within minutes, but the official guidance says the decision usually arrives by email within a day and can take up to 3 working days.
Required documents
- A passport or travel document valid for the whole of your intended stay. Unlike other destinations, the UK does not require extra months of validity beyond the trip
- Evidence that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit
- Evidence that you can support yourself and any dependants for the duration of the trip without recourse to public funds
- Evidence that you can pay for your return or onward journey
- Where someone else is paying for the trip, documentation showing who is covering the costs
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
The UK draws a line between two kinds of transit. If you are only changing planes and will not pass through border control, the relevant permission is the Direct Airside Transit visa (DATV), and you stay in the transit area without entering the country. If you do pass through border control but leave the UK within 48 hours, the relevant permission is the Visitor in Transit visa. Staying longer than 48 hours rules both of them out: you then need a Standard Visitor visa. Whether you need a transit visa at all depends on your nationality.
More United Kingdom rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the United Kingdom page:
Official portal: https://www.gov.uk/eta. Destination data verified on 10 August 2026. Sources: gov.uk/eta (20 GBP fee, validity, multiple entries and decision time); gov.uk/government/news/uk-enforces-digital-permission-to-travel (ETA mandatory since 25 February 2026 and automated decisions within minutes); homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk (April 2026 factsheet); gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use (alcohol and tobacco allowances); gov.uk/bringing-cash-into-uk (cash declaration) (checked 29 September 2026).
Travel insurance for United Kingdom
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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Things to see and do in United Kingdom
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of the United Kingdom can get a visa on arrival in Samoa. See the United Kingdom → Samoa page.
All 3 passports from Polynesia that VisaRadar tracks need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival to enter the United Kingdom. Same result as Samoa: Tonga and Tuvalu.
With a passport from Samoa, in the rest of Northern Europe you can enter Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden visa-free.
A passport from Samoa ranks 78 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 114 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Samoan citizens need a visa for United Kingdom?
No, but they do need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), applied for online before departure.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Most applications get an automated decision within minutes, but the official guidance says the decision usually arrives by email within a day and can take up to 3 working days.
What minimum passport validity is required?
A passport or travel document valid for the whole of your intended stay. Unlike other destinations, the UK does not require extra months of validity beyond the trip
What currency is used in United Kingdom?
British Pound (GBP).
What do Samoan passport holders need for the countries near United Kingdom?
With a passport from Samoa, in the rest of Northern Europe you can enter Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden visa-free.
Related pages
See United Kingdom requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.