Starting a business in Samoa: foreigner's guide (2026)

All companies with at least one non-Samoan shareholder must hold a valid FIC issued by the CEO of MCIL before a business licence can be granted. Application fee is approximately WST 130 (~USD 50); certificates remain valid until the business ceases, but lapse if the business does not commence within two years of issue.

100% foreign ownership is permitted across most sectors. However, the Foreign Investment Amendment Act 2011 maintains a Reserved Activities List of business activities restricted to Samoan citizens only; foreign investors may not engage in these sectors regardless of equity percentage.

A foreigner must: (1) create an account and register the company online at businessregistries.gov.ws (~WST 300/USD 115 for an overseas company); (2) apply for a FIC from MCIL (~USD 50); FIC is to be processed within five business days; (3) obtain a business licence from the Ministry for Revenue. Non-citizen directors/employees also require Employment and Residency Permits.

There is no statutory minimum paid-up capital requirement for private companies in Samoa, and private companies are not required to file annual financial reports with the Companies Registry.

In January 2025, MCIL temporarily suspended the issuance of new FICs and Foreign Employment Permits to strengthen the regulatory framework; 49 non-compliant FIC holders had previously been put on notice. MCIL published a National Investment Policy Statement in June 2025 and an updated foreign-business setup brochure in July 2025, indicating a regulatory reset is underway.

Samoa operates a fully online company registry at businessregistries.gov.ws; incorporation is completed online with payment made at the MCIL counter in Apia (ACC House). The statutory registration fee for an overseas company branch is approximately USD 115.