Driving Permit for Samoa
Driving in Samoa? Traffic keeps left, and visitors pair their home licence (plus a 1949-format IDP) with a cheap local temporary permit. Speed limits, rental rules and road tips inside.
- Drive on
- Left
- Convention
- Not a party
- IDP validity
- Up to 90 days
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Samoa?
Samoa has not ratified either UN road-traffic convention, but the paperwork story here is unusual: an IDP or foreign licence alone is not enough. Every visiting driver must have their full home-country licence endorsed with a temporary local driving permit before driving. The permit costs about WST$21 for one month, covers a maximum of 90 days of driving per year, and is sold through rental vehicle companies, the Samoa Tourism Information Centre, Samoa Post, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) office in Apia. An IDP is still well worth carrying — it backs up your licence with a recognised translation, which matters most if your licence isn't in English.
At the rental desk the process is painless: agencies routinely issue the temporary permit on the spot when you collect the car, sometimes with a small service fee on top of the WST$21. Note that the LTA only endorses full licences — learner and provisional licences don't qualify. Traffic drives on the left. Samoa switched sides in 2009, one of the only countries in modern history to do so, which is why you'll still see a mix of left- and right-hand-drive vehicles on its roads.
Speed limits are low and the pace is relaxed: roughly 40 km/h through towns and villages and about 56 km/h (35 mph) on the open road. Watch constantly for pedestrians, dogs and pigs wandering onto village roads, avoid driving after dark — roads are poorly lit outside Apia — and report any accident to police within 24 hours. Fuel stations can be scarce or closed on Sundays, so fill the tank before a round-island day.
Samoa has not ratified either UN road-traffic convention.
Samoa is not a contracting party to the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so no treaty obliges it to recognise an International Driving Permit. That does not automatically make an IDP useless: rental companies and police often ask for a readable translation of a foreign license, and many drivers carry one for exactly that reason. Read the country detail below and confirm the current rules with your rental company before you travel.
What you need to drive in Samoa
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Full, valid home-country driver's licence (original document; learner and provisional licences are not accepted)
Temporary local driving permit — about WST$21 per month, sold by rental companies, Samoa Post, the Tourism Information Centre, or the LTA in Apia
IDP (1949 format) recommended alongside your licence, especially if it isn't in English
Samoa switched from right-hand to left-hand traffic in 2009 — one of the only countries in modern history to change sides — so both left- and right-hand-drive vehicles share the roads.
The temporary driving permit costs about WST$21 per month and covers a maximum of 90 days of driving per year; staying longer means converting to a Samoan licence.
Samoa's Land Transport Authority lists a full private licence for overseas citizens at about WST$315 — only relevant if you stay beyond the 90-day permit cap.
General speed limits are about 40 km/h in towns and villages and 56 km/h (35 mph) elsewhere.
Roads outside Apia are poorly lit and animals roam freely, so official advice is to avoid driving at night.
Any road accident must be reported to the police within 24 hours.
What to know before you turn the key
Samoa drives on the left — the driver sits on the right, and roundabouts flow clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
Rental companies arrange the temporary permit at the counter when you collect the car, often adding a small service fee on top of the WST$21.
Samoa switched to left-hand traffic in 2009, so left- and right-hand-drive vehicles still share the road — take extra care overtaking.
Speed limits are low (about 40 km/h in towns and villages, roughly 56 km/h on open roads) and pigs, dogs and pedestrians commonly wander onto village roads.
Samoa does not publish a widely known schedule of traffic fines for visitors. The practical risks are police penalties and voided rental insurance if you drive without the required temporary permit, and any accident must be reported to police within 24 hours.
Local rules to watch in Samoa
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Apia: home to the LTA main office and most rental desks — pick up your temporary permit here (also sold at Samoa Post and the Tourism Information Centre) before exploring Upolu.
Salelologa (Savai'i): the inter-island ferry port; the LTA also runs a branch office here for licensing matters.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Samoa keeps.
Common questions about driving in Samoa
Drive Samoa, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.