Guidance

Samoa: Knowledge Base profile

Published 25 March 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/samoa-knowledge-base-profile/samoa-knowledge-base-profile

About: Samoa

This document contains useful information about Samoa which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

  • version 2.0
  • published for Home Office staff on 21 March 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Samoa: legitimacy

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about legitimacy in Samoa.

Legitimacy

Samoa recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

  • legitimate:
    • if their parents were married at the time of the birth
    • from the time of the marriage if previously unmarried parents marry after the birth
  • illegitimate if the parents never marry

These rules apply to births before and after the implementation of the Infants Ordinance in 1961.

Samoa: civil partnerships and marriage

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about civil partnerships and marriage in Samoa.

Same sex civil partnerships and marriages are not recognised in Samoa.

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