Company Registration in Samoa

Yes. You do not need to travel to Samoa to register or run the company. A licensed trustee company files with the registry, and all we need from you is a passport, proof of address dated within the last 3 months, and a short description of the business and source of funds. Sometimes the trustee asks for a bank or professional reference letter.

Accounts are opened remotely too: payment institutions take applications online, and we check whether a bank needs a video call or a visit while choosing the provider.

There are three packages: Start at US$950, Corporate at US$1,500 and Full service at US$2,450. The US$300 SIFA government fee is included in all of them. A Samoa company needs a registered agent and office at all times, but Start covers them only for the incorporation period, so most clients choose Corporate for the first year.

Full service adds account support through to activation and a free resubmission. See the package comparison for details.

The whole project takes from 6 days, with registration itself taking 1-2 working days after KYC. After that it depends on the account: from 3 working days with a payment institution and from 10 with a bank.

If the first provider declines, it takes longer. In one of our cases, payment details came through 3 weeks after a decline.

Most often a multi-currency account with a payment institution (EMI): it opens faster and works well for invoices and payments to counterparties. A bank takes longer and makes sense for larger volumes. Samoa spent eight years on the EU blacklist and was removed only in February 2026, so some providers still do not work with Samoan companies.

So we first check who will accept your profile and only then submit the documents. We choose the provider based on your business and payment countries. More in the account section.

Until the end of 2027, an IC is exempt from tax by status. From 1 January 2028, the exemption ends for every IC, including existing ones, and tax will depend on the source of income: income from business in Samoa is taxed, while foreign income may not be. A standard IC has no economic substance requirements today, and Samoa is still preparing the rules for after 2028.

If the company will operate beyond that date, it is worth reviewing your structure in advance. More in the tax section.

Probably, but that depends on your tax residence, not on Samoa. Many countries have controlled foreign company (CFC) rules: you may need to declare your stake, and the company’s profits can be taxed in your hands even if no dividends are paid.

We recommend discussing the structure with a tax adviser in your country before incorporation.

Samoa does not publish registers of directors, shareholders or beneficial owners. The trustee company holds the data and discloses it only on a lawful request from a regulator or tax authority. Third parties cannot look up the owner in a registry.

Samoa does take part in CRS automatic exchange, so details of the company’s accounts may be reported to the owner’s country of tax residence. The structure does not hide you from tax authorities.

Usually an apostilled corporate set: the Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, share register and director appointment resolutions. You will also need a recent Certificate of Good Standing from SIFA, a business description and contracts with counterparties.

A Certificate of Good Standing is issued only when fees are paid up, and banks ask for it again at annual reviews. We prepare the list for the specific provider before applying.

Each year you pay the SIFA licence fee (US$300) and renew the registered agent and office. You can prepay the licence for 5, 10 or 20 years at US$1,000, 1,500 or 2,000. Nothing is filed with SIFA, and the audit can be waived in the articles. A company redomiciled to Samoa pays US$100 a year instead.

We quote second-year costs individually before you pay for incorporation, so you can see two years of costs upfront. The compliance calendar is in the section above.

The fee is due every year by 30 November, starting from the year after incorporation. A late penalty applies, and if the fee remains unpaid, the company is struck off the register. Until the debt is cleared, SIFA will not issue a Certificate of Good Standing, and a bank may restrict the account at its next review.

For clients on our ongoing service, we send reminders in advance, and the trustee company pays the fee together with the agent and office renewal.