Travel safety comparison · Oceania

Vanuatu vs Samoa: safety comparison

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Vanuatu vs Samoa: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.

· How Warnely scores risk →
Vanuatu and Samoa have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 20 and 16. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Samoa scores 1/5 against Vanuatu's 2/5.
🇻🇺Vanuatu 🇼🇸Samoa
Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) 20 / 100 16 / 100
Risk tier Very Safe Very Safe
UK FCDO advisory No active advisory No active advisory
US State Department advisory Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions)
Global Peace Index rank n/a n/a
Drug law Severe (long sentences) Severe (long sentences)
Women's safety rating Generally Safe Generally Safe
LGBTQ+ legal status legal illegal
Tap water n/a n/a
Currency VUV WST
Full guide

Is Vanuatu safe to visit in 2026?
Full guide

Is Samoa safe to visit in 2026?

Vanuatu vs Samoa: common questions

Is Vanuatu or Samoa safer to visit?

Samoa has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 16/100 vs 20/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.

Is Vanuatu or Samoa safer for solo female travellers?

Vanuatu is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Samoa is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.

What do FCDO and US State Department say about Vanuatu and Samoa?

Vanuatu: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Samoa: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).

More comparisons

Australia vs Vanuatu · New Zealand vs Vanuatu · New Zealand vs Samoa · Fiji vs Samoa · Fiji vs Vanuatu · Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu · Tonga vs Samoa · Tonga vs Vanuatu

Planning the trip? Check Vanuatu visa requirements and Samoa visa requirements.

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