Samoa Pet Import Requirements

If coming from a country considered to have rabies then a rabies vaccination is required. At age of 3 months, shall have that dog vaccinated against rabies. The rabies vaccine must be administered by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Upon receiving an initial vaccination, a dog is considered protected for one year and an owner or keeper of that dog shall get a booster vaccination for that dog one year after the initial vaccination and subsequent booster vaccinations at intervals that do not exceed the intervals recommended.
If coming from a country considered rabies free then a rabies vaccination is not required. EG New Zealand, Australia, Fiji.

A rabies titer test may be deemed necessary if entering Samoa from an unapproved country.

• No quarantine just subjected to inspection upon arrival.
• Non-compliance will result in treatment, re-export, or destruction at importers’ expense.

No listed for Samoa.

BY AIR: Protocol can be found here - On arrival at Faleolo International Airport, you will need to clear immigration and customs. More information can be found here at the Samoa Trade Portal - https://samoa.tradeportal.org/procedure/62?l=en.

Duty to prevent animal from being landed – (1) The owner, charterer, agent, master or captain of any conveyance arriving in Samoa shall:

(a) prevent any animal from being landed from such conveyance unless permitted by an authorized officer; and

(b) take reasonable measures to prevent the deliberate or accidental landing or release of any such animal; and

(c) comply with such conditions as the authorized officer determines; and

(d) if so required by an authorized officer, enter into a bond as specified in the regulations.
(2) A person who contravenes any of the provisions of subsection (1) commits an offence.
(3) If the Chief Executive Officer believes there is a biosecurity risk associated with an animal landed in contravention of subsection (1), the Chief Executive Officer may order the destruction of the animal concerned.

BY SEA: Before your arrival into Apia, make sure you contact the Samoa Port Authority with at least two days’ notice to arrange your immigration, customs, health, and quarantine clearance when you enter Apia Harbor. All visitors on board your vessel must have a passport which is valid for at least 6 months beyond their intended stay. 

Visiting yachts must also complete a Master’s Declaration Form at least 24 hours before arrival where you’ll be asked to declare any restricted or prohibited biosecurity risk items including food, plants and animal products. 

You can arrange clearances by emailing portmaster@spasamoa.ws or spa@spasamoa.ws. One or two hours before entering the harbour, you should also contact the Apia Harbour Master on VHF Ch 16.   

On weekends, clearance hours are normally only between 3pm and 5pm, and no clearance takes place in the evenings. There are also no fees for clearing into Samoa. You should keep in mind that if you’re approaching Samoa from American Samoa, you’ll be crossing the international date line meaning you’ll lose one day and could inadvertently arrive in Samoa on a weekend or public holiday.

 

You may be required to visit the Immigration office in Apia with your passport. Government offices are normally open on weekdays, 9am to 5pm. International visitors’ permits are 60 days (30 days for citizens of American Samoa).

Upon leaving Samoa, you’ll need to sail back to Apia to obtain outward clearance from the customs office in central Apia.