Sao Tome and Principe Visa Requirements – Application and Types

The Sao Tome and Principe Visa Requirements are not farfetched. Accessing it can be very easy and readily available. To those who do not know about Sao Tome and Principe, here is a brief description of the country.

Located in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa, the island nation of Sao Tomé and Principe is officially known as the Democratic Republic of Sao Tomé and Principe (Portuguese: Repblica Democrática de Sao Tomé e Principe). It comprises two archipelagos centered on the two main islands of Sao Tomé and Principe, which are situated 250 and 225 kilometers (155 and 140 miles) off the coast of Gabon, respectively. Sao Tomé and Principe is the second-smallest and second-least populated African sovereign state after Seychelles, with a population of 201,800 (2018 government estimate).

Before being discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, the islands were uninhabited. They were gradually colonized and populated throughout the 16th century, acting as a central hub for trade and commerce in the Atlantic slave trade.

Sao Tome and Principe Visa Types

There are two major visa types when it comes to applying, one for Sao Tome and Principe. These visa types are as follows;

• Business Visa
• Tourist Visa

Business Visa

You can apply for a business visa if you enter the nation to do business. If you file your paperwork on time, you may get a business visa covering many items.

Tourist Visa

You can only stay as a tourist for 15 days unless you seek an extension, regardless of whether you get a visa in advance or upon arrival. If you’re visiting the nation to visit family or on vacation, you should apply for a tourist visa.

Business Visa Application Requirements for a Sao Tome & Principe Visa

Visas for business visa applicants to Sao Tome and Principe may not be necessary.

There is no visa needed for stays up to 15 days. Please remember that even if your visit is less than 15 days, you still need to:

• Own a passport with at least one blank visa page, and a minimum six-month expiration date
• save a copy of your next and return tickets.
• Keep all the paperwork you need for your next stop.
• Keep proof of enough money for the duration of your anticipated stay.
• Check with your airline ahead of time to see if boarding without a visa is allowed.

Tourist Application Requirements for a Sao Tome & Principe Visa

Sao Tome and Principe tourist visa requirements Visas may not be necessary.

There is no visa needed for stays up to 15 days. Please remember that even if your visit is less than 15 days, you still need to:

• Possess a biometric passport with a minimum six-month expiration date, and at least one blank visa page
• save a copy of your next and return tickets.
• Keep all the paperwork you need for your next stop.
• Keep proof of enough money for the duration of your anticipated stay.
• Check with your airline ahead of time to see if boarding without a visa is allowed.

Visa policy for São Tomé and Príncipe

The Democratic Republic of Sao Tomé and Principe’s visa regulations specify which nations are exempt from requiring visas to access the island nation off the coast of West Africa.

Currently, visitors to the archipelagos can enter without a visa for stays up to 15 days if they are residents of one of 45 countries. Display a valid passport from a qualified nation at border control checkpoints to enter Sao Tomé and Principe without a visa.

For entry into the Republic, all foreign nationals must have one of the many types of visas for Sao Tomé and Principe, including an e-Visa obtained online, a visa through an embassy or consulate, or a visa on arrival.

A quick and easy computerized application that takes a few minutes to complete allows travelers from up to 160 countries to get a visa for Sao Tomé and Principe, eliminating the need to stand in line for a visa upon arrival.

Tourist Visa Policy for São Tomé and Príncipe

According to the Democratic Republic of S. Tomé and Principe’s immigration regulations, 200 foreign countries must possess an authorized tourist visa to travel to the island republic, regardless of how it is obtained—online, through an embassy, or on arrival.

Only bearers of passports from the People’s Republic of China are eligible for a tourist visa on arrival for So Tomé and Principe. However, a quick online application allows up to 160 nations to apply for a So Tomé and Principe tourist e-Visa, substantially accelerating the procedure for getting through border control in the nation.

For tourism in the archipelagos, a single entry stay of up to 30 days is allowed with a Sao Tomé and Principe tourist visa authorized online. A brief electronic form that may be filled out in just a few minutes is all that is required to apply for an e-Visa for tourism. Once granted, the tourist receives the online visa via email, eliminating the requirement to pick up a paper at an embassy.

Visa On Arrival

Obtainable at the island nation’s border entry checkpoints, a visa on arrival for Sao Tomé and Principe allows travelers to enter the Democratic Republic for a brief stay of up to 15 days for transit, business, or tourism.

Only people with passports issued by the People’s Republic of China (including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau) are now eligible to receive a visa on arrival for Sao Tomé and Principe.

Chinese passport holders must travel immediately to border control within the nation to wait in an immigration line and receive an application form from the visa authorities to secure a So Tomé and Principe visa on arrival.

Before the submission of visa on arrival application and review for approval, one must pay processing fee.

e-Visa

Over 155 nations are eligible to apply for an electronic visa using the straightforward e-Visa program for the island nation of Sao Tomé and Principe, according to the visa laws and regulations for the country.

The government of the Republic of Sao Tomé and Principe created the e-Visa to speed up the application procedure for a visa for brief visits for transit, business, or tourism.

Eligible citizens may fill out a brief online form with essential personal and passport information to apply for a Sao Tomé and Principe e-Visa. Upon approval, they will get an email with instructions. The e-visa may then be printed and brought to the Sao Tomé and Principe International Airport.

The process of verifying your application begins whenever you submit an E-visa application. A Visa Approval letter gets emailed to applicants after this process. Because you must present it at the airport, you should print it out. When you arrive in Sao Tome and Principe, you must pay the visa stamping fee at the airport before immigration officials may stamp the visa onto your passport.

Required Documents for Sao Tome and Principe E-visa

Passport

• Minimum of one year after the date of your entry to Sao Tome and Principe
• a signed passport that is not older than ten years (issued in the last 10 years)
• Free “visa pages,” at least one or two.
• Properly attached, undamaged photos to the passport.

On Arrival

You must additionally present the following when you arrive in Sao Tome and Principe:

• Flight reservation with a printed E-visa for Sao Tome and Principe
• Valid (current) hotel or lodging reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)
• Supporting papers that attest to your vacation objectives (if any).

Processing Time for e-Visa

Sao Tome and Principe E-visa processing typically takes 1 to 7 business days.

To begin your e-Visa application, you may visit the Get your Sao Tome & Principe e-Visa on Arrival online website.

Frequently Asked Question

Is a visa required to travel to Sao Tome and Principe?

You don’t require a visa to visit So Tomé and Principe for tourism purposes for up to 15 days. However, there is presently a €20.00 entrance fee everyone must pay when arriving.

Is Nigeria visa free to Sao Tome?

If you plan to visit Sao Tome and Principe, you must get a visa because the “evisa on arrival” program is ineffective for Nigerian nationals traveling there.

How can I get a visa from Nigeria to Sao Tome and Principe?

First, Nigerian nationals must apply online for a visa to Sao Tome & Principe. Secondly, Complete the online Sao Tome and Principe application form. Following approval of the visa application for Sao Tome and Principe, the applicant receives an email with the eVisa.

Which Europe country is visa-free to Nigeria?

Passport holders from Nigeria do not require a visa to visit Svalbard. Svalbard is a region in Northern Europe, with Longyearbyen as its capital. It is a developed nation with 3,000 inhabitants.

How many hours are there between Sao Tome & Principe and Nigeria?

The travel time from Nigeria to So Tomé and Principe is around 5 hours and a half. How much time does it take to go from Nigeria to So Tomé and Principe? No direct flight is available between Lagos and Sao Tome airports. The flight with the shortest layover takes 10 hours and 40 minutes.

Conclusion

I guess this is a pleasant and educative read, after all. Now that you know the Sao Tome and Principe Visa Requirements and Types, what is your following line of action?

We have also uncovered the details of immigrating to Canada from Sao Tome & Principe. If this interests you, why don’t you hop on to Immigrate to Canada from Sao Tome and Principe – How to Apply?