Applicants from the Samoan Government, on official travel to the United States are exempt from an interview and payment of the visa processing fee. These applicants may get their application processed by mail and should contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for information.

The U.S. Embassy Consular Section accepts applications for diplomatic and official visas without appointment on Monday and Wednesday from 15:00 to 16:00. For urgent applications outside of these hours, please send a FAX to the Consular Section at 263-4-796488 or an email to consularapia@state.gov, and our staff will contact you to schedule a time to submit the visa application. For diplomats accredited to Samoa seeking a visa for non-official travel, please see “How to Apply.”

In order to ensure timely issuance of diplomatic and official visas, applications should be submitted only by the Ministry or an organization’s office of protocol in charge of visas.  In order for an applicant to be eligible for a diplomatic or official visa, the applicant must be traveling on official government business and be either a government official or an official staff member of an international organization.

• A full answer should be provided to each question on the application.
• All visa applicants must complete a web-based, DS-160 Electronic Visa Application.  The Embassy regrets that we cannot accept handwritten applications.  Please print the Confirmation Page, which displays an application barcode.
• IMPORTANT:  Be sure to select “Other” when answering the “Purpose of Travel to U.S.” on the Travel Information page of the application.  Then select the most appropriate option in the second box.
• A frontal photograph of the applicant that is size 5cm by 5cm, taken with a white background, must be attached to the Confirmation Page.
• The Confirmation Page and attached photo must be submitted with a passport valid until at least the end of the projected stay in the United States.
• Applications for official diplomatic travel must be submitted with a diplomatic note(s) referencing the names of all persons traveling.
• A passport valid for at least six months beyond the planned date of entry into the United States;
• An invitation letter from the United States or United Nations;
• A transportation letter for UN officials applying for G-4 visas, and;
• Any other relevant documents that will help explain the applicant’s purpose of travel.

Although it will not be necessary for anyone to appear personally, we request that all visa application forms and passports be submitted to the consular section at least two weeks before their planned departure, to ensure that visas are issued in a timely manner.