Sao Tome and Principe visa requirements · checked 26 September 2026

Visa & Entry Requirements for Sao Tome and Principe

Q: What documents do I need to enter Sao Tome and Principe?

Passport validity: eVisa applicants upload a scanned passport valid for three months beyond the last day of stay shown on the visa. Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for São Tomé and Príncipe. Return or onward ticket: eVisa applicants must attach a return ticket to the application. Proof of funds: The eVisa page lists, as additional information at the border, proof of means of subsistence of €100 per day.

Q: How long can I stay in Sao Tome and Principe without a visa?

Usually 15 days (20 passports); visa-free stays range from 15 to 90 days depending on your passport.

Most travellers can visit Sao Tome and Principe without going to an embassy: 56 passports enter visa-free, 142 apply online for an eVisa.

São Tomé and Príncipe exempts citizens of the EU, the US, Canada and the member countries of the Portuguese-speaking CPLP from visas under Law 5/2015, and the UK and US governments say their citizens can visit without a visa for up to 15 days, Canada's for stays of less than 15 days. The law also exempts nationals of countries covered by visa-abolition or free-movement agreements, and for up to fifteen days nationals of third countries set by Government decree; no official source we could read lists those countries. Otherwise, Law 5/2008 requires foreigners to hold a valid entry visa to enter. The Migration and Border Service says someone living abroad where there is no São Toméan consulate cannot get a visa on arrival at the border and needs an entry authorisation (AE), requested through its eVisaST portal and presented on arrival.

Check your passport

Your passport

Destination

Passports visa-free

142

eVisa or eTA online

Embassy visa required

Do I need a visa for Sao Tome and Principe? Quick answers

Another passport? Use the checker or find it in the table below.

Visa for Sao Tome and Principe — requirements summary

Visa-free: 56 (28%)
eVisa: 142 (72%)

All travellers must meet the entry rules set by Sao Tome and Principe, and they depend on your nationality. Find your passport below — you may be able to enter visa-free, or need an eVisa, a visa on arrival or a visa from an embassy.

Passport	Requirement	Max stay	Details
Afghanistan	eVisa	—	Details →
Albania	eVisa	—	Details →
Algeria	eVisa	—	Details →
Andorra	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Angola	Visa-free	—	Details →
Antigua and Barbuda	eVisa	—	Details →
Argentina	eVisa	—	Details →
Armenia	eVisa	—	Details →
Australia	eVisa	—	Details →
Austria	Visa-free	—	Details →
Azerbaijan	eVisa	—	Details →
Bahamas	eVisa	—	Details →
Bahrain	eVisa	—	Details →
Bangladesh	eVisa	—	Details →
Barbados	eVisa	—	Details →
Belarus	eVisa	—	Details →
Belgium	Visa-free	—	Details →
Belize	eVisa	—	Details →
Benin	eVisa	—	Details →
Bhutan	eVisa	—	Details →
Bolivia	eVisa	—	Details →
Bosnia and Herzegovina	eVisa	—	Details →
Botswana	eVisa	—	Details →
Brazil	Visa-free	—	Details →
Brunei	eVisa	—	Details →
Bulgaria	Visa-free	—	Details →
Burkina Faso	eVisa	—	Details →
Burundi	eVisa	—	Details →
Cambodia	eVisa	—	Details →
Cameroon	eVisa	—	Details →
Canada	Visa-free	—	Details →
Cape Verde	Visa-free	—	Details →
Central African Republic	eVisa	—	Details →
Chad	eVisa	—	Details →
Chile	eVisa	—	Details →
China	eVisa	—	Details →
Colombia	eVisa	—	Details →
Comoros	eVisa	—	Details →
Costa Rica	eVisa	—	Details →
Côte d'Ivoire	eVisa	—	Details →
Croatia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Cuba	eVisa	—	Details →
Cyprus	Visa-free	—	Details →
Czechia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Denmark	Visa-free	—	Details →
Djibouti	eVisa	—	Details →
Dominica	eVisa	—	Details →
Dominican Republic	eVisa	—	Details →
DR Congo	eVisa	—	Details →
Ecuador	eVisa	—	Details →
Egypt	eVisa	—	Details →
El Salvador	eVisa	—	Details →
Equatorial Guinea	Visa-free	—	Details →
Eritrea	eVisa	—	Details →
Estonia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Eswatini	eVisa	—	Details →
Ethiopia	eVisa	—	Details →
Fiji	eVisa	—	Details →
Finland	Visa-free	—	Details →
France	Visa-free	—	Details →
Gabon	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Gambia	eVisa	—	Details →
Georgia	eVisa	—	Details →
Germany	Visa-free	—	Details →
Ghana	eVisa	—	Details →
Greece	Visa-free	—	Details →
Grenada	eVisa	—	Details →
Guatemala	eVisa	—	Details →
Guinea	eVisa	—	Details →
Guinea-Bissau	Visa-free	—	Details →
Guyana	eVisa	—	Details →
Haiti	eVisa	—	Details →
Honduras	eVisa	—	Details →
Hong Kong	eVisa	—	Details →
Hungary	Visa-free	—	Details →
Iceland	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
India	eVisa	—	Details →
Indonesia	eVisa	—	Details →
Iran	eVisa	—	Details →
Iraq	eVisa	—	Details →
Ireland	Visa-free	—	Details →
Israel	eVisa	—	Details →
Italy	Visa-free	—	Details →
Jamaica	eVisa	—	Details →
Japan	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Jordan	eVisa	—	Details →
Kazakhstan	eVisa	—	Details →
Kenya	eVisa	—	Details →
Kiribati	eVisa	—	Details →
Kosovo	eVisa	—	Details →
Kuwait	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Kyrgyzstan	eVisa	—	Details →
Laos	eVisa	—	Details →
Latvia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Lebanon	eVisa	—	Details →
Lesotho	eVisa	—	Details →
Liberia	eVisa	—	Details →
Libya	eVisa	—	Details →
Liechtenstein	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Lithuania	Visa-free	—	Details →
Luxembourg	Visa-free	—	Details →
Macau	eVisa	—	Details →
Madagascar	eVisa	—	Details →
Malawi	eVisa	—	Details →
Malaysia	eVisa	—	Details →
Maldives	eVisa	—	Details →
Mali	eVisa	—	Details →
Malta	Visa-free	—	Details →
Marshall Islands	eVisa	—	Details →
Mauritania	eVisa	—	Details →
Mauritius	eVisa	—	Details →
Mexico	eVisa	—	Details →
Micronesia	eVisa	—	Details →
Moldova	eVisa	—	Details →
Monaco	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Mongolia	eVisa	—	Details →
Montenegro	eVisa	—	Details →
Morocco	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Mozambique	Visa-free	—	Details →
Myanmar	eVisa	—	Details →
Namibia	eVisa	—	Details →
Nauru	eVisa	—	Details →
Nepal	eVisa	—	Details →
Netherlands	Visa-free	—	Details →
New Zealand	eVisa	—	Details →
Nicaragua	eVisa	—	Details →
Niger	eVisa	—	Details →
Nigeria	eVisa	—	Details →
North Korea	eVisa	—	Details →
North Macedonia	eVisa	—	Details →
Norway	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Oman	eVisa	—	Details →
Pakistan	eVisa	—	Details →
Palau	eVisa	—	Details →
Palestine	eVisa	—	Details →
Panama	eVisa	—	Details →
Papua New Guinea	eVisa	—	Details →
Paraguay	eVisa	—	Details →
Peru	eVisa	—	Details →
Philippines	eVisa	—	Details →
Poland	Visa-free	—	Details →
Portugal	Visa-free	—	Details →
Qatar	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Republic of the Congo	eVisa	—	Details →
Romania	Visa-free	—	Details →
Russia	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Rwanda	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Saint Kitts and Nevis	eVisa	—	Details →
Saint Lucia	eVisa	—	Details →
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	eVisa	—	Details →
Samoa	eVisa	—	Details →
San Marino	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Saudi Arabia	eVisa	—	Details →
Senegal	eVisa	—	Details →
Serbia	eVisa	—	Details →
Seychelles	eVisa	—	Details →
Sierra Leone	eVisa	—	Details →
Singapore	eVisa	—	Details →
Slovakia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Slovenia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Solomon Islands	eVisa	—	Details →
Somalia	eVisa	—	Details →
South Africa	eVisa	—	Details →
South Korea	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
South Sudan	eVisa	—	Details →
Spain	Visa-free	—	Details →
Sri Lanka	eVisa	—	Details →
Sudan	eVisa	—	Details →
Suriname	eVisa	—	Details →
Sweden	Visa-free	—	Details →
Switzerland	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Syria	eVisa	—	Details →
Taiwan	eVisa	—	Details →
Tajikistan	eVisa	—	Details →
Tanzania	eVisa	—	Details →
Thailand	eVisa	—	Details →
Timor-Leste	Visa-free	—	Details →
Togo	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Tonga	eVisa	—	Details →
Trinidad and Tobago	eVisa	—	Details →
Tunisia	eVisa	—	Details →
Türkiye	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Turkmenistan	eVisa	—	Details →
Tuvalu	eVisa	—	Details →
Uganda	eVisa	—	Details →
Ukraine	eVisa	—	Details →
United Arab Emirates	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
United Kingdom	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
United States	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Uruguay	eVisa	—	Details →
Uzbekistan	eVisa	—	Details →
Vanuatu	eVisa	—	Details →
Vatican City	Visa-free	15 days	Details →
Venezuela	eVisa	—	Details →
Vietnam	eVisa	—	Details →
Yemen	eVisa	—	Details →
Zambia	eVisa	—	Details →
Zimbabwe	eVisa	—	Details →

Sao Tome and Principe visa types, fees and processing times

Entry authorisation (AE) via eVisaST

eVisa

Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.

Extension of stay

Extension

Max stay: 30 days
Extension: +30 days

Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.

Entry requirements for Sao Tome and Principe

Passport validity

eVisa applicants upload a scanned passport valid for three months beyond the last day of stay shown on the visa. The UK government tells British visitors only that the passport must be valid for the duration of the stay.

Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras — São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Vaccinations: Yellow fever

The UK government says a yellow fever certificate is required if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — São Tomé and Príncipe entry requirements✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Travel insurance

No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for São Tomé and Príncipe.

Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras — São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa✓ Checked 7 Oct 2026

Return or onward ticket

eVisa applicants must attach a return ticket to the application.

Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras — São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Proof of funds

The eVisa page lists, as additional information at the border, proof of means of subsistence of €100 per day.

Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras — São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026

Overstay penalties

30 days

A foreigner who exceeds the authorised period of stay is fined Dbs. 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 for up to 30 days; Dbs. 5,000,000 to 8,000,000 for more than 30 and up to 90 days; Dbs. 9,000,000 to 12,000,000 for more than 90 and up to 180 days; and Dbs. 13,000,000 to 19,000,000 for more than 180 days. For overstays of up to 180 days the foreigner must also pay the fees that would have been due had the stay been authorised. The same penalty applies when the overstay is detected on departure. The Migration and Borders Service applies the law's fees and administrative sanctions.

Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF) — Diário da República n.º 47 of 12 August 2008, Lei n.º 5/2008 on the legal regime of foreign citizens✓ Checked 12 Oct 2026

Sao Tome and Principe visa requirements statistics

198

Passports covered

142

Most common: eVisa

Least common: Visa-free

28%

Visa-free access

Visa-free stays by length

90 days · 1 passport
15 days · 20 passports

Understanding Sao Tome and Principe visa requirements

We track the entry rules of Sao Tome and Principe for 198 passports. The most common situation is eVisa, which applies to 142 passports (72%). 28% of passports can enter without a visa. The least common is visa-free (56 passports).

Entry categories for Sao Tome and Principe

Visa-free entry: 56 passports can enter without a visa, for stays from 15 to 90 days.
eVisa: 142 passports can apply for an electronic visa online.

What else you need to enter Sao Tome and Principe

Passport validity: eVisa applicants upload a scanned passport valid for three months beyond the last day of stay shown on the visa.
Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for São Tomé and Príncipe.
Return or onward ticket: eVisa applicants must attach a return ticket to the application.
Proof of funds: The eVisa page lists, as additional information at the border, proof of means of subsistence of €100 per day.

Open your passport in the table for the exact rules — maximum stay, fees, how to apply and the official source. Entry rules change at short notice: confirm with the embassy of Sao Tome and Principe or its official immigration website before you travel.

Frequently asked questions about Sao Tome and Principe visas

Do I need a visa for Sao Tome and Principe?

Most travellers can visit Sao Tome and Principe without going to an embassy: 56 passports enter visa-free, 142 apply online for an eVisa. It depends on your passport — check yours.

Do I need a visa for São Tomé and Príncipe?

Citizens of the EU, the US, Canada and the member countries of the Portuguese-speaking CPLP are exempt from visas under Law 5/2015. The UK government says British visitors can visit for tourism without a visa for up to 15 days, the US government says the same 15 days for its citizens and Canada's says Canadians need no tourist visa for stays of less than 15 days. The law also exempts nationals of countries covered by visa-abolition or free-movement agreements, and for up to fifteen days nationals of third countries set by Government decree; no official source we could read lists those countries. Otherwise, Law 5/2008 requires foreigners to hold a valid entry visa to enter. The Migration and Border Service (SMF) says someone living abroad where there is no São Toméan consulate cannot get a visa on arrival at the border and needs an entry authorisation (AE), requested through its eVisaST portal and presented on arrival.

How can I stay longer than 15 days?

Under Law 5/2008 (articles 42 to 44), a foreigner admitted with or without a visa who wants to stay longer than allowed on entry can have the stay extended; for those admitted without a visa the extension is up to thirty days, extendable for an equal period, and granting it is the exclusive competence of the director of the Migration and Border Service.

Is yellow fever vaccination required for São Tomé and Príncipe?

The UK government says you need a yellow fever certificate if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.

What money should I bring to São Tomé and Príncipe?

The US State Department says São Tomé and Príncipe has a cash-based economy, that international credit cards (Visa only) can be used at ATMs and some large stores and restaurants, and that main hotels accept other international cards; it advises carrying only large US dollar notes ($100 bills), as small bills are not accepted at banks or exchange offices. Canada says US dollars, euros and Central African CFA francs are widely accepted for exchange at banks.

Do US citizens need a visa for Sao Tome and Principe?

US citizens can visit Sao Tome and Principe visa-free for 15 days. Full rules for United States passport holders.

Do UK citizens need a visa for Sao Tome and Principe?

UK citizens can visit Sao Tome and Principe visa-free for 15 days. Full rules for United Kingdom passport holders.

Do German citizens need a visa for Sao Tome and Principe?

German citizens can visit Sao Tome and Principe visa-free. Full rules for Germany passport holders.

What documents do I need to enter Sao Tome and Principe?

Passport validity: eVisa applicants upload a scanned passport valid for three months beyond the last day of stay shown on the visa. Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel insurance requirement for São Tomé and Príncipe. Return or onward ticket: eVisa applicants must attach a return ticket to the application. Proof of funds: The eVisa page lists, as additional information at the border, proof of means of subsistence of €100 per day.

How long can I stay in Sao Tome and Principe without a visa?

Usually 15 days (20 passports); visa-free stays range from 15 to 90 days depending on your passport.

How many countries can visit Sao Tome and Principe without a visa?

56 of 198 passports can enter Sao Tome and Principe visa-free (28%). 142 can apply online (eVisa or eTA), and 0 need a visa from an embassy.

Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0) — official sources are linked on each passport page. Gaps filled from the Passport Index dataset (MIT).

Check other requirements

Travelling from Sao Tome and Principe?

Where can Sao Tome and Principe citizens travel visa-free?

Sao Tome and Principe passport holders can visit 26 countries without a visa. Open a country for the exact rules.

Map and full list →