Samoa visa photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for the Samoa visa, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Samoa visa photo?
Most visitors to Samoa need no visa photo, because the free 90-day Visitor Permit is issued on arrival. A Temporary Resident Permit, or a longer stay as a visitor, uses form MPMC100, which asks for 2 recent passport-sized photographs of the main applicant and of each dependant. Samoa publishes no size, background or head rule for permit photos.
Samoa's Immigration Act 2020 says that, apart from citizens, nobody can enter or remain in Samoa without a visa, and that an applicant who is not exempt must apply before entering. It also lets the Chief Executive Officer require some categories of visa to be obtained before arrival. In practice, Samoa Immigration, a division of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, describes four kinds of entry permit: Visitor, Temporary Resident, Permanent Resident and Ministerial.
Foreign passport holders, except US nationals of American Samoa, are issued a free 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival if they meet the entry requirements. That list covers an onward ticket, a passport valid for six months beyond departure, accommodation, funds and similar points, and it contains no photograph. On the pages read, a photograph comes into it only for the permits you apply for with a form: a Temporary Resident Permit for business, employment, study, research, cultural or religious purposes or family reunion, and an extension of a visitor stay. Those all use form MPMC100, whose instruction sheet says to "Attach 2 recent passport-sized photographs of the main applicant and each dependent".
The form gives no size, no background colour and no head rule, and the Ministry's permits page does not mention photographs at all. The only Samoan photo size on record is 45mm X 35mm, which is 35 x 45 mm in portrait, and it appears on the passport application form instead. The MPMC100 form on the Ministry's forms page is an older template, so ask Immigration or your mission what size it wants.
Samoa visa photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet:[1]
| Print size | Passport-sized; permit forms give no dimensions (the passport form uses 35 x 45 mm) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital photo rule: the permit form asks you to attach photographs |
| Background | No background colour is published for permit photos |
| Photo age | Recent ("2 recent passport-sized photographs" on form MPMC100) |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
Immigration & Consular Services
2 recent passport-sized photographs
Key requirements
- The 90-day Visitor Permit needs no photo
The Ministry and the Samoa High Commission list the entry requirements for the permit issued on arrival with the arrival card: onward ticket, passport validity, funds, accommodation and so on. Neither list includes a photograph.
- Two recent passport-sized photos for MPMC100
The form's "How to lodge your application" steps say "Attach 2 recent passport-sized photographs of the main applicant and each dependent". The form is used for Temporary Resident Permits and for visitor permit extensions.
- Each person included needs their own two
A box on the form's applicant page reads "Attach 2 passport-sized photos of each person included in the application", so a spouse or child on the application has a separate pair.
- No size, background or head rule
Neither the permit form nor the Ministry's permits page gives dimensions or a background colour. The only Samoan size on record, 45mm X 35mm, is on the passport form.
- Some permits must be decided before you travel
For academic or scientific research the Ministry says "Your entry permit MUST be approved and granted before travel to Samoa". The Sydney consulate says all visa applications should be submitted at least 4 weeks before departure.
- Visitor extensions are lodged in Apia
To stay beyond the 90 days, apply before the permit expires at the Immigration Office in Apia, using MPMC100. The Ministry's extension checklist lists the form, an onward ticket, proof of funds and accommodation details, and the form itself carries the photo line.
- Missions repeat the two-photo rule
For study, medical electives and exchange attachments, the Sydney consulate lists "2 recent passport photographs of each applicant" with form MPMC100.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Prepare two recent passport-sized photos for every person on an MPMC100 application, dependants included.
- Ask Immigration or your mission which size it wants; the only published Samoan size is 35 x 45 mm on the passport form.
- Use a recent photo that looks like you now.
- Apply well ahead for permits that must be granted before travel.
- Carry the documents the Visitor Permit does list: onward ticket, funds and accommodation details.
Don't
- Do not expect to hand over a photo for the Visitor Permit on arrival; the entry requirements do not list one.
- Do not share one pair of photos between family members on the same application.
- Do not rely on the old 60-day figure in the MPMC100 information sheet; the Ministry's current pages say 90 days.
- Do not assume a background colour or head size, because none is published.
Sample photos
How a Samoa visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Babies and children
A child included on a permit application is one of "each person included in the application", so the child needs their own 2 passport-sized photos. The MPMC100 instruction sheet says the same for "each dependent". No age-specific photo rule is published, and no page read sets a different size or background for babies or children.
Printed and digital photos
The form and the Ministry pages describe attaching photographs to a paper application, and none of them describes uploading a digital file. If you take the photo on a phone, it can be cropped and resized to passport proportions, then printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut into the photos the form asks for. The size to cut to is not published for permits, so confirm it first.
Where to submit the photo
Samoa Immigration says all Temporary Resident Permit forms are processed at the Immigration Division in Apia. The MPMC100 form lists Apia and several Samoan missions as places to lodge it, but the list is from an older template, so confirm that your mission still takes permit applications. For visitor extensions, the Samoa High Commission says all applications must be lodged at the Immigration Office in Apia before the Visitor Permit expires.
For study, medical electives and exchange attachments, the Sydney consulate says the Samoa High Commissioner's Office in Canberra facilitates the Temporary Resident Permit, with the form, the photos, a copy of the passport biodata page and the other listed papers. Medical and police reports are separate requirements for stays of a year or more.
How to get your Samoa visa photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Samoa visa: 35 × 45 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the 90-day Visitor Permit needs no photo; two recent passport-sized photos for MPMC100; each person included needs their own two; no size, background or head rule.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The form and the Ministry pages describe attaching photographs to a paper application, and none of them describes uploading a digital file.
- Submit the photo with your application. Samoa Immigration says all Temporary Resident Permit forms are processed at the Immigration Division in Apia.
Samoa visa photo FAQ
No photo is listed. The Ministry and the Samoa High Commission say foreign passport holders are issued a free 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival, and their entry requirements cover tickets, passport validity, funds and accommodation, not photographs.
Two recent passport-sized photographs for the main applicant, and two for each dependant. The MPMC100 instruction sheet says "Attach 2 recent passport-sized photographs of the main applicant and each dependent".
The permit form says only "passport-sized" and gives no dimensions. The Samoan passport form gives 45mm X 35mm, which is 35 x 45 mm, but that is a passport rule. Ask Immigration or your mission before you print.
Foreign passport holders, except US nationals of American Samoa, are issued a free 90-day Visitor Permit on arrival if they meet the entry requirements. Longer stays and some purposes need a Temporary Resident Permit applied for with form MPMC100.
The Immigration and High Commission pages read describe no online application. The Visitor Permit is issued on arrival, and other permits are applied for on form MPMC100 and lodged with Immigration or a Samoan mission.
Yes. The form says to attach 2 passport-sized photos of each person included in the application, and the instruction sheet asks for 2 recent photographs for the main applicant and each dependent.
Complete form MPMC100 and lodge it at the Immigration Office in Apia before the 90-day Visitor Permit expires. The Ministry asks for a copy of your onward ticket, proof of funds and accommodation details, and the form asks for two photos.
Related photo specifications
Other Samoa documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Visas and travel authorisations nearby
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Samoa photo specifications
- Visas and travel authorisations: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Oceania
Official sources
- Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Permits mpmc.gov.ws. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. At the border mpmc.gov.ws. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Application for a Temporary Resident Permit (MPMC100) mpmc.gov.ws. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Government of Samoa. Immigration Act 2020 mpmc.gov.ws. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Samoa High Commission, Wellington. Immigration & Consular Services samoa.org.nz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Samoa Consulate General, Sydney. Consular services (permits and visas) samoacgs.com.au. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Samoa High Commission, Wellington. Samoa Passport Application Form samoa.org.nz. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Samoa Immigration, Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Samoa visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/samoa/visa-photo