Quick answer: +685 is Samoa, the independent country, not American Samoa. Landlines have 5 digits after +685 and mobiles have 7 digits, most starting with 7. There are no area codes and no leading 0 to drop. Example:
+685 75 12345.
How to dial Samoa
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +685 + 5 or 7 digits |
| New Zealand landline | 00 685 + 5 or 7 digits |
| Australia landline | 0011 685 + 5 or 7 digits |
| US, Canada or American Samoa landline | 011 685 + 5 or 7 digits |
Samoa has no trunk prefix, so you dial the number exactly as Samoans write it, straight after +685: 75 12345 becomes +685 75 12345.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles have 7 digits, usually written 7x xxxxx. Most start with 7; some start with 8.
Landlines have 5 digits, written 2x xxx, and start with a digit from 2 to 6. Numbers starting with 5 are on Savai'i.
Count the digits before you dial: five means a landline, seven a mobile.
Codes that get mixed up with +685
+1 684 is American Samoa, a US territory with 10-digit numbers like a US phone. +686 is Kiribati, one digit away.
Time difference
Samoa is on UTC+13 all year. It dropped daylight saving time in 2021, so older guides that show UTC+14 in the southern summer are out of date.
| Where you are | Your clocks on summer time | Your clocks on standard time |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Same time | Samoa is 1 hour ahead |
| Sydney | Samoa is 2 hours ahead | Samoa is 3 hours ahead |
| US West Coast | Samoa is 20 hours ahead (next day, 4 hours earlier on the clock) | Samoa is 21 hours ahead (next day, 3 hours earlier on the clock) |
| American Samoa | Samoa is 24 hours ahead all year: same clock time, next day | |
A 6 PM call from Los Angeles reaches Apia at 2 PM the next day in the US summer and 3 PM the next day in the US winter.
Prefer calling over WiFi? See our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.
FAQ
Can I call a Samoan 800 toll-free number from abroad?
Usually not. Samoan 800 numbers are generally set up for callers inside Samoa, so from another country the call often won't connect. Ask for a regular 5- or 7-digit number instead.
Why won't my call to +685 go through?
Check two things: you dialed 685, not 1 684 (American Samoa), and you have 5 digits for a landline or 7 for a mobile after +685.