Samoa student permit

Complete form MPMC100 and its student section, which asks which school, university or college you are enrolled at, the length of the course in months or years, and whether you hold a scholarship. Attach a letter from the institution confirming enrolment; for medical students the letter must come from the Samoa Ministry of Health. Students doing an internship or practical experience name the employer or sponsor and attach its letter.

Provide evidence of funds for the whole stay, such as a bank statement. A scholarship holder attaches the award letter; a private student states where they will live and who will fund them, with evidence of the accommodation arrangements. Add two recent passport photos of each applicant.

The current fee is SAT$450 for the main applicant and SAT$200 per dependent spouse or child; processing takes about 10 working days, and urgent handling costs SAT$100 more. Students over 16 staying a year or more need a medical report on forms MPMC102 and MPMC103, and those over 18 a police report from every country lived in for more than a year in the last five years.

Academic or scientific researchers apply for a separate temporary resident permit for research (SAT$1,200, plus SAT$450 per dependant), with letters from the sponsoring institution and from an academic institution in Samoa, evidence of funds and onward travel, and medical and police reports. This permit must be granted before travelling, and researchers may not work.

Lodge the application at least 30 days before the intended travel date. Applications are decided by the Immigration Division in Apia and can be lodged there or at the Samoan missions listed on the form in Wellington, Auckland, Canberra, New York and Brussels. Students already in Samoa who need more time use the extension form MPMC108.

Students may work part time if authorised. Working without that authority is an offence under Samoan immigration rules, because a non-citizen may work only when the entry permit specifically allows it. Dependants of a student can apply on MPMC100 for permission to work during the validity of the student's permit.