São Tomé and Príncipe is a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Gabon, with the equator passing just off the southern tip of its main island. Nearly every visitor arrives in the capital, São Tomé, on the larger island, and some continue to Príncipe, whose main town is Santo António. Three things shape a trip here: cash, malaria and rain. The country is not covered by Roam Like at Home, so a European SIM roams on its networks at whatever its own operator charges.
Key facts for São Tomé and Príncipe
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: varies by plan
- Emergency numbers: police 113; ambulance 222 22 22, which also reaches the police; fire 112
- Embassies: Portugal has an embassy in São Tomé; the UK and the US cover the country from Luanda, Angola, and France from Libreville, Gabon
Entry rules and the arrival fee
British visitors can stay for up to 15 days for tourism without a visa; anyone staying longer, or travelling on another passport, should check the official visa rules before booking. British visitors also pay an entry fee on arrival, which can be settled in euros, US dollars or the local currency. Your passport must be valid for the whole stay, so travel with plenty of time remaining on it. A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from, or change planes in, a country with a risk of transmission. Customs rules are strict, so declare anything that may be prohibited or taxable.
Malaria and medical care
TravelHealthPro, the UK's official travel health website, rates the malaria risk as high and recommends antimalarial tablets, so see a travel clinic well before departure and cover up against mosquitoes. Medical facilities are limited: the country's only hospital, the Hospital Central Ayres de Menezes, is on São Tomé, and many conditions need evacuation to Europe, South Africa, Ghana or Gabon for treatment. Insurance that pays for medical evacuation and repatriation is essential.
Dobras, cards and cash machines
The dobra is the official currency, and the economy runs largely on cash. Credit cards are not widely accepted, so ask whether your hotel or restaurant takes them, and there are only a handful of cash machines; the main bank in the capital is where you can withdraw money, so bring enough euros or US dollars before heading out of town.
Roads, rain and the hop to Príncipe
Outside the capital many roads are in poor condition and unlit, animals walk on them at night, and landslides after heavy rain can block them. UK drivers need the correct international driving permit as well as their licence. Taxis and motorbike taxis, known as motoqueiros, are the only public transport, both often in poor and unsafe condition, and sharing a taxi is normal. Flights between São Tomé and Príncipe are limited, so book the hop early, and look up the UK Air Safety List when choosing a carrier, as it bans airlines from the country that fall short of international safety standards.
Crime, unrest and the law
Crime is generally low, but burglaries and armed robberies do happen. Leave expensive jewellery at home, take nothing valuable to the beach and lock documents in a hotel safe. Economic hardship and political rows over investment projects occasionally spill over into civil unrest. Drug offences carry severe penalties, so pack your bags yourself and never carry anything through customs for someone else. Same-sex relations are legal, but attitudes are less tolerant than in the UK and public affection can draw unwanted attention.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM installed at home is working by the time you land in São Tomé. The country is not part of any regional plan, so you need a São Tomé and Príncipe plan, which runs on 4G where available; any other country on your itinerary needs a plan of its own. Your home SIM can stay in the phone for bank messages, with its data roaming switched off.
Consular protection: who to call in São Tomé and Príncipe
- For the police dial 113; for an ambulance dial 222 22 22, which also connects to the police; for the fire service dial 112. Here 112 is listed for fires, so do not rely on it for an ambulance.
- There is no British embassy in the country, so British nationals are helped by the British Embassy in Luanda, Angola. France covers São Tomé and Príncipe from its embassy and consulate general in Libreville.
- Check in the Telcomia app which embassy or consulate your country assigns to São Tomé and Príncipe, and write down its phone number before you fly.
- Portugal has an embassy with a consular section in the capital. EU citizens whose own country has no mission here can ask it for help, and it must treat them as it would treat Portuguese citizens (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- Portuguese is the official language.
Questions travellers ask about São Tomé and Príncipe
Does my EU plan work in São Tomé and Príncipe?
Only on roaming, at whatever your operator charges, because the country is outside Roam Like at Home.
Is 112 the number for every emergency?
No. Here 112 is listed for the fire service; call 222 22 22 for an ambulance and 113 for the police.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in São Tomé and Príncipe?
It depends on the plan; the São Tomé and Príncipe plans run on 4G.
Can I pay by card?
Rarely. Cards are not widely accepted and cash machines are few, so carry euros or US dollars to change at a bank.
The short version
Check whether your passport gets 15 days without a visa, pack your yellow fever certificate and enough euros or dollars, start antimalarials and use repellent, install the eSIM at home, take care on unlit roads after dark and on lonely beaches, and save 113 and 222 22 22.
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