Document checklist
Martinique → American Samoa: Short-stay tourist
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
12 itemsIdentity
Passport or identity document valid at least 6 months after you leave
RequiredAll three permit pages ask for identification, such as a valid passport or document of identity, valid at least 6 months after your departure.
Police clearance from your home country (Non-US 30-Day permit)
For the sponsored Non-US 30-Day permit, the traveller's documents include a police clearance from the country of origin, along with the passport and round-trip ticket above.
Samoa 10-Day permit: Samoan-born and a Samoa-issued passport
To use the Samoa 10-Day permit you must be a Samoan-born citizen AND hold a Samoa-issued passport. It cannot be extended. If you don't meet both, use one of the other permits.
Purpose of travel
How long you can stay, and extending
The 30-day permits allow a visit of up to 30 days and the Samoa 10-Day permit up to 10 days. The Samoa 10-Day and US Visa / Waiver 30-Day permits cannot be extended. The sponsored Non-US 30-Day permit can be extended once for another 30 days, for a USD 50 fee.
Accommodation
Hotel booking, or proof of where you'll stay with family (online permits)
For the two online permits (Samoa 10-Day and US Visa / Waiver 30-Day) you need a confirmed hotel booking, or verification of the name and location of the home if you are staying with family (the Department gives a utility bill as an example).
Travel
A round-trip ticket showing travel within the permit period
RequiredYou need a round-trip ticket showing travel within 30 days (or within 10 days for the Samoa 10-Day permit).
An American Samoa visitor permit, before you travel (three ways to get one)
RequiredAmerican Samoa is a US territory but sets its own entry rules, and the Department of Legal Affairs (Immigration Office) issues visitor permits. Which permit you apply for depends on who you are. (1) Samoan-born citizens holding a Samoa passport can apply online for a Samoa 10-Day permit (USD 10). (2) If you hold a valid US visa or a green card, or are a citizen of a US visa waiver country, you can apply online for a US Visa / Waiver 30-Day permit (USD 40). The Department's list of those countries is: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Federated States of Micronesia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Portugal, Poland, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). (3) Everyone else needs a local sponsor to apply in person for a Non-US 30-Day permit (USD 40). The Department's pages are undated (site footer 2025), so confirm the current process with the Department.
Other
A local phone number and a credit card for the fee (online permits)
For the two online permits you give a local contact phone number and pay by credit card. The fee is USD 40 for the US Visa / Waiver 30-Day permit and USD 10 for the Samoa 10-Day permit, and both are non-refundable.
A local sponsor who applies in person (Non-US 30-Day permit)
If you don't have a US visa, visa waiver or green card, a qualified local sponsor must apply in person at the Immigration Office on your behalf. The sponsor must be at least 21 and a US citizen or national. The sponsor submits a completed and signed application, their own identification (a valid passport or document of identity), landowner consent to host (if they live on communal land, the application must be signed by the family matai and the pulenu'u; if on individually owned land or rented, proof of ownership such as a deed or lease), and pays the USD 40 non-refundable fee.
Apply before you travel, within the deadlines
RequiredThe Department says to apply at least 72 hours in advance, not including weekends and holidays. The online permit pages say to apply within 3 business days before travel, and the sponsored permit page says in person within 3-5 business days before travel. A later application may not be processed.
Carry your approved permit and show it on arrival
RequiredFor the online permits, an approved permit is emailed to you and you must present it to an immigration officer on arrival. For the sponsored permit, your sponsor sends you a copy, which you must hand-carry and present to the immigration officer.
If you are a minor travelling without a parent: notarised consent
For the sponsored Non-US 30-Day permit, a minor travelling without a parent must provide a notarised parent or guardian consent to travel, with the birth certificate included. The pages for the two online permits don't list a children's rule.
Why applications on this route get refused
Arriving without an approved visitor permit
The Department says that if you haven't applied before you arrive, you may be turned away at any port of entry in American Samoa and be required to return on the same vessel you embarked on.
How to avoid it: Apply for the right permit for your situation before you travel, and carry the approved permit with you.
Applying too close to your travel date
Each permit page says an application submitted after the deadline may not be processed.
How to avoid it: Apply well before the deadlines on the Department's pages (at least 72 hours, not counting weekends and holidays, and 3 to 5 business days for the sponsored permit).
A permit can be denied for any reason
American Samoa Immigration says it reserves the right to deny a permit for any reason, including an untimely application or an application for someone previously excluded or deported.
How to avoid it: Apply on time with complete documents, and if you have ever been excluded or deported from American Samoa, ask the Immigration Office before applying.
Sources
- American Samoa Government, Department of Legal Affairs: Visitor permits (Samoa 10-Day, US Visa / Waiver 30-Day, Other 30-Day; page undated, site footer 2025) · checked 11 Oct 2026
- American Samoa Government, Department of Legal Affairs: Plan and prepare for travel to American Samoa (laws governing entry vary from the U.S.; apply at least 72 hours in advance; page undated, site footer 2025) · checked 11 Oct 2026
- American Samoa Government, Department of Legal Affairs: US Visa / Waiver 30-Day Visitor Permit (page undated, site footer 2025) · checked 11 Oct 2026
- American Samoa Government, Department of Legal Affairs: list of visa waiver countries for the US Visa / Waiver 30-Day permit (page undated, site footer 2025) · checked 11 Oct 2026
- American Samoa Government, Department of Legal Affairs: Non-US 30-Day Visitor Permit (sponsored, in person; page undated, site footer 2025) · checked 11 Oct 2026
- American Samoa Government, Department of Legal Affairs: Samoa 10-Day Visitor Permit (page undated, site footer 2025) · checked 11 Oct 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the American Samoa application fee.
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