São Tomé and Príncipe: visa and entry rules
What you need to get in, how long you may stay, and what an overstay costs
Sao Tome and Principe's borders: every crossing point
Airports 1
The country has no land borders — these are islands in the Gulf of Guinea.
All entry is by air and by sea. Sao Tome International Airport takes flights from Lisbon, Luanda and Libreville.
Principe is the country's second island, and the link to it is domestic: light aircraft and boats.
By sea there is the port of Sao Tome, with no scheduled passenger service to the mainland.
The equator runs through the islet of Rolas in the south — people are taken there as a sight in its own right.
Bringing a car into Sao Tome and Principe
Traffic drives on the right.
Find out the rules on temporary import into Sao Tome and Principe from customs, not from experience in a neighbouring country: the time limits and the carnet requirement do not match.
Insurance has to be local, and it is bought at the border.
An International Driving Permit is required.
You cannot reach the islands under your own steam — there are no land borders.
Travelling to Sao Tome and Principe with a pet
An international veterinary certificate is required, certified by the state veterinary service of the country you are leaving.
A rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.
An import permit is obtained in advance from the veterinary service.
Check the requirements for an animal entering Sao Tome and Principe before you buy tickets, not afterwards. Vaccination timings and quarantine rules change, and they cannot be redone in a day.
Overstaying your visa in Sao Tome and Principe
A fine is charged for exceeding your permitted stay and is paid on departure.
You will learn the figure at the border and no sooner. Rates in Sao Tome and Principe are revised and reference guides do not keep up with them: take cash and allow extra time for the exit.
Extensions are arranged in advance, before the permitted period expires.
For a serious overstay — deportation and an entry ban.
Fifteen days run out fast, and that is the main reason for overstays here.
What else to check before you go
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Entry rules change faster than anything else on this site, and they change without notice. We cross-check every page against several sources and state the date it was verified, but that does not replace the main step: before you travel, check an official source — the country’s consulate, its immigration service or its e-visa portal. Especially if more than a couple of months have passed since our check.