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São Tomé and Príncipe Visa Policy

Browse the visa policy of São Tomé and Príncipe to discover if you require a travel authorization for your nationality.

Visa policy for São Tomé and Príncipe

The São Tomé and Príncipe visa policy determines who may enter the island country off the coast of West Africa without a visa and which countries need a visa to visit the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

At present, citizens of roughly 45 countries do not need a visa to visit the archipelagos for stays of up to 15 days. To gain visa-free entry to São Tomé and Príncipe, it is simply necessary to present a valid passport from an eligible country at border control checkpoints.

All other foreign citizens are required to have one of the different types of visa for São Tomé and Príncipe to enter the Republic, whether this is an e-Visa obtained online, a visa from an embassy or consulate, or a visa on arrival.

A visa on arrival for São Tomé and Príncipe is currently only available for Chinese passport holders. It allows a total stay of 15 days in the island country.

Travelers from up to 160 countries are now able to obtain a visa for São Tomé and Príncipe through a simple electronic application which only takes a few minutes to complete and removes the need to wait in long queues to apply for a visa on arrival.

An approved São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa allows a single entry stay of up to 30 days for tourism or business purposes.

To visit São Tomé and Príncipe for longer periods of stay or to obtain a work visa, resident visa, or student visa, it is necessary to have an approved embassy visa. Furthermore, citizens of up to 40 countries are required to obtain a travel visa from a diplomatic government office of São Tomé and Príncipe regardless of the duration or purpose of the visit.

There are not currently any visa bans for São Tomé and Príncipe in place for any foreign nationalities.

Discover a more detailed breakdown of the São Tomé and Príncipe visa policy below.

Tourist Visa Policy for São Tomé and Príncipe

The immigration policy of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe dictates that up to 200 foreign nationalities are required to have an approved tourist visa to visit the island country, whether this is obtained online, from an embassy, or on arrival.

A tourist visa on arrival for São Tomé and Príncipe is currently only available for People’s Republic of China passport holders. However, up to 160 nationalities are able to apply for a São Tomé and Príncipe tourist e-Visa through a simple online application which greatly expedites the process of passing through immigration control in the country.

An approved online tourist visa for São Tomé and Príncipe permits a single entry stay of up to 30 days for tourism in the archipelagos. To apply for an e-Visa for tourism, it is only necessary to complete a simple electronic form, which can be filled in within a matter of minutes. Once approved, the visa online is sent by email to the traveler, removing the need to obtain a document from an embassy.

All other foreign citizens who need a tourist visa for São Tomé and Príncipe are required to obtain an approved visa from an embassy or consulate of the Republic in advance.

More detailed information about these different visa types for São Tomé and Príncipe can be found below.

e-Visa

São Tomé and Príncipe visa rules and regulations state that over 155 nationalities are able to obtain an electronic visa through the simple e-VisaST program for the island country.

The e-Visa for São Tomé and Príncipe was introduced by the government of the Republic in order to expedite the process of applying for a visa for short tourism, business, or transit stays in the archipelagos.

To submit a São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa application, eligible citizens are able to complete a simple online form with basic personal and passport information, to receive an approved online visa sent via email. A copy of the e-visa can then be printed to present upon arrival at São Tomé and Príncipe International Airport.

São Tomé and Príncipe e-Visa requirements state that the applicant should have an eligible passport valid for at least 1 year, containing at least one blank page to receive a visa stamp upon arrival .in the country, a valid credit or debit card to pay the visa processing fee, and a current mail address to which the approved visa will be sent.

An electronic visa for São Tomé and Príncipe is a single entry e-Visa that allows a total stay of 30 days in the Republic from the date of arrival. Once an application has been submitted, an e-Visa is usually quickly processed, within 7 working days.

Discover a complete list of nationalities eligible for the e-Visa for São Tomé and Príncipe below.

e-Visa: Country list

  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cape Verde
  • Christmas Island
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Curacao
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Fiji
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guernsey
  • Guinea
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Isle of Man
  • Israel
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Macau
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Marshall Islands
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mayotte
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Montserrat
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • North Korea
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Pitcairn Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Reunion
  • Russian Federation
  • Saint Barthelemy
  • Saint Helena
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Martin
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Sint Maarten
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • South Korea
  • South Sudan
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Swaziland
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Timor Leste
  • Togo
  • Tokelau
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • United States Virgin Islands
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Visa on Arrival

A visa on arrival for São Tomé and Príncipe is a type of visitor’s visa that can be obtained at a border entry checkpoint of the island nation and permits a short-term stay of up to 15 days in the Democratic Republic for tourism, business, or transit purposes.

São Tomé and Príncipe visa laws state that only holders of a passport issued by the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions) are currently eligible to obtain a visa on arrival for the country.

To obtain a São Tomé and Príncipe visa on arrival, Chinese passport holders are required to go directly to border control in the country to wait in an immigration queue to be handed an application form by visa authorities.

The individual is then required to complete this form with a range of personal data, passport information, and travel details, and to supply the immigration officer with a variety of supporting documents in paper form. It is also necessary to pay a mandatory processing fee before the visa on arrival application can be submitted and considered for approval.

Discover if you are eligible to submit a visa on arrival application for São Tomé and Príncipe by checking the list below.

Visa on Arrival: Country list

  • China

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

São Tomé and Príncipe immigration requirements identify up to 40 nationalities who need a visa for the country from an embassy or consulate regardless of the intended duration of stay or the purpose of the visit.

A São Tomé and Príncipe embassy visa may be issued for a variety of purposes, as a business visa, transit visa, work visa, student visa, or other visa option. They permit differing periods of stay and number of entries depending on the motive of the visit.

For example, an approved tourist visa from an embassy usually permits a single entry stay of 30 days and has a total validity of 90 days to enter the country from the date of issue., while a resident visa permits a total stay of 60 days across 2 entries.

To apply for a visa for São Tomé and Príncipe from an embassy, it is first necessary for the individual to make an appointment at the nearest diplomatic government office of the country and complete a consular visa application to bring along to an in-person interview.

It is also necessary to supply consular officials with a range of varying supporting documents depending on the visa type required and to pay a mandatory fee before the application can be processed.

As the processing time for an embassy visa for São Tomé and Príncipe may be several weeks, travelers are advised to begin the application protocol well in advance of their intended date of arrival in the country.

Find a complete list of nationalities that need a São Tomé and Príncipe embassy visa below.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required: Country list

  • Afghanistan
  • Aland Islands
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Anguilla
  • Antarctica
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bonaire
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • Cocos Islands
  • Cook Islands
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo

Visa Not Required

Current laws and restrictions dictate that a visa or travel authorization for São Tomé and Príncipe is not required for visitors from over 45 countries for short-term stays for purposes of either tourism, business, or transit.

The majority of these individuals are granted a visa-exempt stay of 15 days in São Tomé and Príncipe, although holders of diplomatic or service passports and passports for public affairs of China may visit the country without a visa for up to 30 days.

Additionally, all holders of a visa or resident permit issued by the United States or a member state of the European Schengen Area are also granted visa exemption for São Tomé and Príncipe for stays of up to 15 days.

A transit visa for São Tomé and Príncipe is not required for anyone transiting through the country on the same calendar day. Nevertheless, the passenger is required to present confirmed flight tickets for their onward destination and to remain within the international transit area of São Tomé and Príncipe International airport.

To gain visa-free entry to São Tomé and Príncipe, it is necessary to present a valid eligible passport at a border entry checkpoint. Depending on the traveler’s nationality they may also be asked to present a certificate of proof of yellow fever vaccination to enter São Tomé & Príncipe.

Find a complete list of visa-exempt nationalities for São Tomé and Príncipe below.

Visa Not Required: Country list

  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Monaco
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Rwanda
  • San Marino
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Vatican City

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