# eSIM for Samoa Viasimo's Samoa eSIM starts at $4.79 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on Digicel with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app. Canonical page: https://viasimo.com/destinations/samoa/ ## Samoa eSIM prices | Plan | Data | Days | Price | Price per GB | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 500 MB, 1 day | 500 MB | 1 | $4.79 | $9.81 | | 10 GB, 1 day | 10 GB | 1 | $36.99 | $3.70 | | Unlimited, 3 days | Unlimited | 3 | $28.99 | - | | Unlimited, 5 days | Unlimited | 5 | $45.99 | - | | 1 GB, 7 days | 1 GB | 7 | $5.99 | $5.99 | | Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited | 7 | $62.99 | - | | Unlimited, 10 days | Unlimited | 10 | $86.99 | - | | Unlimited, 15 days | Unlimited | 15 | $134.99 | - | | 3 GB, 30 days | 3 GB | 30 | $13.99 | $4.66 | | 5 GB, 30 days | 5 GB | 30 | $21.99 | $4.40 | | 10 GB, 30 days | 10 GB | 30 | $37.99 | $3.80 | | 20 GB, 30 days | 20 GB | 30 | $77.99 | $3.90 | | Unlimited, 30 days | Unlimited | 30 | $239.99 | - | | Unlimited, 60 days | Unlimited | 60 | $479.99 | - | | Unlimited, 90 days | Unlimited | 90 | $719.99 | - | | Unlimited, 180 days | Unlimited | 180 | $1,419.99 | - | ## Which networks does the Samoa eSIM use? - **Digicel**: 4G LTE Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them. The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026. ## eSIM Details - **Data**: 500 MB – 20 GB or unlimited - **Validity**: 1–180 days - **Speed**: 4G LTE - **Hotspot / tethering**: Supported on most devices - **Activation**: Starts when you first connect in your destination - **Speed management**: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced - **Top-ups**: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires - **Text messages (SMS)**: Data only: use an app for verification codes - **Connects via**: Singapore - **Unused validity**: 180 days before it must be installed ## Samoa: what to know before you land Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/samoa/#destination-guide · Researched October 2026 by Viasimo Samoa has two mobile operators, Digicel and Vodafone, and our eSIM connects through Digicel on 4G LTE. That matters because the UK Foreign Office warns many UK phones will not roam in Samoa at all, and local SIMs must be registered. Once connected, use your data for the things that catch visitors out: temporary driving permits, low village speed limits, lagoon currents and cyclone warnings. ### Samoa: quick facts | Fact | Samoa | | --- | --- | | Emergency number | 911 | | Main airports | Faleolo International Airport (Upolu) (APW) | | Plug types | Type I (230V) | | Currency | Samoan tālā (WST) | | Apps worth having | WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Maps (offline) | ### Why your home SIM may not roam in Samoa (Samoa · https://viasimo.com/destinations/samoa/#guide-why-your-home-sim-may-not-roam-in-samoa) Samoa is one of the places where a home SIM is least likely to just work. The UK Foreign Office notes that **many UK phones will not work** in Samoa because UK providers may not have a roaming agreement there. Check with your own operator before you go, but do not count on it. The local options are **Digicel** and **Vodafone**. Their SIM cards are sold at Faleolo airport, in convenience stores and in supermarkets, but **locally bought SIMs must be registered**, which takes your passport and some time at the counter. Our eSIM connects to Digicel on 4G LTE and is installed before you travel, so you skip that queue after a long flight. Whichever you use, the FCDO warns that coverage in **rural areas and outlying islands** can be limited or absent. If you are spending nights in beach fale on Savai'i or on the smaller islands, ask your accommodation how reliable the signal is and agree a check-in plan with people at home. If your home SIM does not roam, it also cannot receive bank verification texts. Switch important accounts to app-based authentication before you leave, or make sure you can log in without an SMS code. ### Driving Upolu and Savai'i: permits, speed limits and dogs (Samoa · https://viasimo.com/destinations/samoa/#guide-driving-upolu-and-savai-i-permits-speed-limits-and-dogs) Most visitors hire a car, and Samoa's rules are specific. You need a **temporary driving permit**, issued against your home licence; car rental companies can help you get one. It covers up to 90 days a year. Speed limits are low: **40 km/h in towns and villages** and **56 km/h** outside them. With villages strung along the coast roads on both islands, you will spend much of each drive at 40 km/h, so a map app's arrival time will usually be optimistic. Watch for children and animals near villages, and avoid driving at night, as roads are poorly lit. If you are involved in an accident, it must be **reported to the police within 24 hours**. Photograph the scene and the vehicles on your phone, and keep your hire company's number saved offline. Stray dogs are common in Apia and many villages. The FCDO notes they can become aggressive if approached and there have been attacks, so keep your distance when walking or cycling, especially early or late in the day. The emergency number is **911** for police, ambulance and fire. Our eSIM is data only, so you will need a local phone or your home SIM, if it roams, to make that call. Hotels and fale owners can call for you. ### Lagoon currents, reef breaks and cyclone season (Samoa · https://viasimo.com/destinations/samoa/#guide-lagoon-currents-reef-breaks-and-cyclone-season) Samoa's lagoons look calm, but the UK Foreign Office warns that tides can create **strong currents** inside them, and there have been fatal accidents at popular beaches. Surf usually breaks directly onto the reef. Ask your fale owner or a local operator about conditions before you swim, snorkel or surf, and look up the day's tide times while you still have signal. Cyclone season normally runs from **November to the end of April**, with most rain between December and March. Heavy rain inland can cause flooding on the coast roads. The FCDO suggests following the **Samoa Meteorology Division**, the Fiji Meteorological Service, which covers the region, or the World Meteorological Organization. Samoa also lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire; the last major earthquake was in 2009. If you are staying in beach fale, find out where the nearest higher ground is when you arrive. A few entry details to save on your phone before you fly: - Most visitors, including UK nationals, can stay **up to 60 days** without a visa; officials may ask for an onward ticket. - Your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival. - Flights to American Samoa carry a **40 tala departure tax**. - Cash of 20,000 tala or more must be declared. ### Sources for the Samoa guide - [Samoa travel advice: safety and security - GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/samoa/safety-and-security) - [Samoa travel advice: entry requirements - GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/samoa/entry-requirements) - [Samoa travel advice: getting help - GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/samoa/getting-help) - [Telecommunications in Samoa - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_in_Samoa) - [Voltage, frequency and plug type per country - Royal Brinkman](https://royalbrinkman.com/knowledge-center/mechanical-equipment/voltage-frequency-plug-type-per-country) ## Seven days in Samoa: Apia, Upolu's south coast and Savai'i 7-day itinerary · 7 days · Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/samoa/#itinerary A slow week across Samoa's two main islands by hire car and ferry: Apia and Robert Louis Stevenson's home, the trench, waterfalls and beaches of Upolu's south and east, then two days circling Savai'i for blowholes, lava fields and quiet beach fale. **When to go:** May to October is the drier, cooler season with lower humidity; November to April is cyclone season, with most rain from December to March, and on Sundays many attractions close for church and family time. ### Day 1 in Samoa: Apia and Vailima - **Base:** Apia - **Getting there:** Faleolo airport to Apia, roughly 45 minutes to an hour at village speed limits. - **Plan:** Collect your hire car and temporary driving permit at Faleolo airport and drive along the north coast to Apia. Visit Vailima, the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in the writer's restored home in the hills above town, and if you have the energy, climb the steep trail up Mount Vaea to his tomb. Finish with a walk along Apia's seafront past the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. - **Mobile signal:** Digicel 4G works well in Apia and along the north-coast road. There is no 5G on this eSIM, and coverage is weaker on the forest trail up Mount Vaea. ### Day 2 in Samoa: Apia: markets, Palolo Deep and the Cultural Village - **Base:** Apia - **Plan:** Start early at the Fugalei market for fruit and local food, then snorkel at Palolo Deep Marine Reserve on the edge of town, where a deep blue hole sits in the reef close to shore. In the afternoon visit the Samoa Cultural Village beside the Samoa Tourism Authority office, where demonstrations cover tattooing, carving and cooking in an umu; check its days and times first. - **Mobile signal:** Strong Digicel 4G across central Apia. Ask locally about tides and currents for Palolo Deep while you have signal, and leave your phone ashore. ### Day 3 in Samoa: Cross Island Road to To Sua and Lalomanu - **Base:** Lalomanu (beach fale) - **Getting there:** Apia to Lalomanu via the Cross Island Road and the south coast, about 1.5–2 hours with stops. - **Plan:** Drive south over the Cross Island Road, stopping at the Papapapai-tai Falls lookout. On the south coast, visit the To Sua Ocean Trench, a deep swimming hole in a collapsed lava tube reached by a long wooden ladder. Continue east to Lalomanu, a long white-sand beach facing the island of Nu'utele, and spend the night in a traditional open-sided beach fale. - **Mobile signal:** Signal is patchy over the Cross Island Road and along parts of the south coast. Expect weak or intermittent coverage in beach fale at Lalomanu; ask your hosts how reliable it is. ### Day 4 in Samoa: Upolu's south coast: waterfalls and lagoons - **Base:** South coast, Upolu (beach fale) - **Getting there:** Short drives along the south-coast road, 30–60 minutes between stops. - **Plan:** Head west along the south coast to the Sopoaga Falls lookout, then on to Togitogiga Falls, freshwater pools in the forest where you can swim. Spend the afternoon on the lagoon beaches along the coast near Matareva or Saleilua. Swim only after asking locally, as tides can cause strong currents in the lagoons. - **Mobile signal:** Coverage is intermittent along the south coast and weak at Togitogiga. Download an offline map of Upolu and the tide times before you leave a village with signal. ### Day 5 in Samoa: Ferry to Savai'i and the Alofaaga Blowholes - **Base:** Savai'i south coast (beach fale) - **Getting there:** Ferry from Mulifanua to Salelologa, about 60–90 minutes; confirm sailing times with Samoa Shipping Corporation, as timetables change. - **Plan:** Drive to Mulifanua wharf at Upolu's western tip and take the inter-island ferry across the Apolima Strait to Salelologa on Savai'i. Head west along the south coast to the Alofaaga Blowholes at Taga, where waves force water through lava tubes high into the air. Stop at Afu Aau waterfall, a cool forest pool, on the way to your fale for the night. - **Mobile signal:** Signal drops mid-strait on the ferry and is patchy on much of Savai'i. Ticketing at the wharves has had connectivity outages, so carry cash. ### Day 6 in Samoa: Savai'i: round the island to the Saleaula lava fields - **Base:** Savai'i north coast (beach fale) - **Getting there:** Driving round the island takes most of the day at village speed limits. - **Plan:** Continue round the western end of Savai'i past the Falealupo peninsula and along the north coast. At Saleaula, walk across the lava fields left by the Matavanu eruption of 1905 to 1911, where the walls of a church and other buildings still stand in the black rock. Spend the afternoon on a quiet north-coast beach near Manase. - **Mobile signal:** Expect long stretches with weak or no signal on the western and northern coasts. Coverage is better around Manase, but treat today as mostly offline. ### Day 7 in Samoa: Back across to Upolu - **Base:** Upolu, near Faleolo airport - **Getting there:** Ferry to Mulifanua about 60–90 minutes; Faleolo airport is close to the wharf. - **Plan:** Drive back to Salelologa for a ferry to Mulifanua. Once across, stop at the Piula Cave Pool on the north coast, a freshwater pool in a cave beneath a Methodist college, if you have time before the airport. Keep to the speed limits, avoid driving after dark and allow plenty of margin before your flight from Faleolo. - **Mobile signal:** No reliable signal for part of the ferry crossing. Digicel 4G is good again around Mulifanua and Faleolo, so check your flight there. ### Staying connected on this Samoa route - Download an offline map of Upolu and Savai'i before leaving Apia; many fale stays and coast roads have weak signal. - Confirm ferry times with Samoa Shipping Corporation the day before, and carry cash in case wharf ticketing is offline. - Agree a check-in time with family when you are staying in beach fale on Savai'i, where coverage can be absent. - Follow the Samoa Meteorology Division between November and April for cyclone warnings. ### Sources for the Samoa itinerary - [Samoa Tourism Authority](https://www.samoa.travel/) - [Travel and Tour World: Samoa ferry timetable checks, October 2026](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/pi5skfec946o/) - [GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Samoa](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/samoa) ## About this eSIM Two main islands, a ring road around each, and a mobile network that follows that ring: that is Samoa in a sentence, as far as your phone is concerned. Coverage tracks where the villages are, which means the coast is mostly fine and the interior mostly is not. An eSIM is the practical way to arrive connected, because Faleolo airport is a long drive from anywhere and you want your maps working for it. ### Getting online when you land Install before you fly. Samoa sits far enough from everywhere that you will arrive tired, possibly at an awkward hour, and the last thing you want is to be troubleshooting a phone in the arrivals hall. The profile downloads over your home connection and then waits quietly until it detects a Samoan network. Once you land, come out of airplane mode and give the handset a couple of minutes. If it attaches to a network but refuses to pass data, the roaming switch on the travel line is the first thing to check, followed by which line your phone has chosen as its data line. Beach accommodation on both islands often runs wifi that is slow or intermittent, so the eSIM is likely to be your primary connection rather than a backup. Worth remembering: Samoa is west of the date line, so the calendar date changes as well as the clock. Set your phone to update time automatically and let it sort that out for you. ### The networks you'll be on Roaming here connects you to Digicel, with 3G and 4G/LTE. One operator, two radio generations, and no faster tier to hope for. In and around the capital and the larger villages you will typically get 4G; further along the coast the phone often falls back to 3G, which still handles maps, messaging and email without complaint. Because there is no second network to switch to, the recovery move is simply to force the phone to search again. Airplane mode on, wait a few seconds, airplane mode off. Do that rather than repeatedly reloading a page that is not going to load. ### Where coverage holds, and where it thins Apia and the north coast of Upolu are the strongest part of the country for data, and the coastal road east toward Lalomanu and west toward the airport generally holds a usable signal. The south coast around the To Sua Ocean Trench and the beach fale strips is workable, though it wavers between villages. Savai'i is thinner throughout. Salelologa and the larger settlements around the coast road have service; the further you get from them, and the further round the northwest toward Falealupo, the less reliable it becomes. The lava fields at Saleaula, the interior rainforest, the walk out to the blowholes and the climbs inland are all places to expect gaps. Two more honest limitations. The ferry crossing between the islands passes through open water where signal comes and goes. And the mountainous spine running down the middle of both islands blocks reception decisively, so any cross island road or waterfall hike will drop you offline for a stretch. None of this is a defect in the network; it is what a volcanic island chain does to radio waves. ### What you'll actually use data for here Getting around, mostly. Samoa runs on rented cars and infrequent buses, and having live maps for the coastal roads and the turnoffs to swimming holes is the difference between a relaxed day and a frustrating one. Many of the best spots are marked by a hand painted sign and a track down to the sea, so map notes and saved pins matter. After that: messaging family across an enormous time difference, uploading photographs from beaches that deserve to be uploaded, arranging boat trips and snorkelling by WhatsApp or phone because that is how small operators here work, checking which villages have Sunday restrictions on swimming and activity, and looking up tide times before you plan a reef walk or a trip to the trench. Weather matters too; the wet season brings genuine tropical downpours and a live forecast changes what you do that day. ### Before you fly Make sure the phone is unlocked and eSIM capable, then install and label the profile at home. Leave your home number on for calls and verification texts, with its data off. Download offline maps for both Upolu and Savai'i, not just the island you land on. Add tide tables and any snorkelling or waterfall spots you have researched, saved as offline pins. Coverage gaps here are geographic rather than occasional, so preparation is worth more than optimism. Keep power in mind. Long drives, hot days and constant photography drain a phone quickly, and village accommodation may have limited charging. A power bank protects your connection more reliably than any network setting. If you are island hopping onward to American Samoa, Fiji or Tonga, check the coverage list on your plan before you leave, because a Samoa plan covers Samoa and nothing beyond it. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does an eSIM work in Samoa? Yes. Your Samoa eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Digicel. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Samoa yet. ### Do I get 5G in Samoa? No. Digicel do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Samoa, so your eSIM connects over 4G LTE or slower. Anyone claiming 5G for this destination is quoting a spec sheet, not the network you will actually get. ### Will my UK phone work in Samoa? Possibly not. The UK Foreign Office warns that many UK phones will not work in Samoa because providers may not have a roaming agreement there. Check with your operator before travelling. Local Vodafone and Digicel SIMs are sold at the airport and in shops but must be registered. Our eSIM connects to Digicel on 4G LTE and is set up before you fly. ### Do I need a permit to drive in Samoa? Yes. You need a temporary driving permit, issued against your home licence, and car rental companies can help arrange it. It covers up to 90 days a year. Speed limits are 40 km/h in towns and villages and 56 km/h elsewhere, and any accident must be reported to the police within 24 hours. ### When is cyclone season in Samoa? Cyclone season normally runs from November to the end of April, with the heaviest rain from December to March. The UK Foreign Office suggests following the Samoa Meteorology Division, the Fiji Meteorological Service and the World Meteorological Organization. Keep a power bank charged and your accommodation's details saved offline in case of storms. ### Is it safe to swim in Samoa's lagoons? Take local advice first. The UK Foreign Office warns that tides can create strong currents in lagoons and that there have been fatal accidents at popular beaches, while waves often break directly onto reefs. Ask your fale owner or a local operator about conditions, and check tide times before snorkelling or swimming. ### How much data do I need for 7 days in Samoa? For 7 days in Samoa, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $5.99 and unlimited data for $62.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone. ## Information and verification - **Prices and plans**: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in. Verified October 30, 2026. - **Host networks**: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.