São Tomé and Principe entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): Valid for the whole stay (until the day you leave)
Visa (FCDO): Read the official visa text below
Official source: GOV.UK – São Tomé and Principe travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter São Tomé and Principe, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Do I need a visa for São Tomé and Principe with a British passport?
We quote the FCDO text word for word and do not summarise it: its first sentence has conditions or a wording we do not turn into a one-line answer.
You can visit São Tomé and Príncipe for tourism for a period of up to 15 days without a visa.
To stay longer (to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons), you must meet the São Tomé and Príncipe government’s entry requirements.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Border control
You must pay a 20-euro entry fee when you arrive in the country. You can also pay in US dollars or local currency.
Official source: GOV.UK – São Tomé and Principe travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.
Official source: GOV.UK – São Tomé and Principe travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for São Tomé and Principe
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 3 May 2022: “Update to information on local laws and customs and applying for visas ('Money' and 'Entry requirements' pages)”
- 1 November 2021: “Update to information on local laws and customs and applying for visas ('Local laws and customs' and 'Entry requirements' pages)”
- 29 April 2021: “New information on visa requirements (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 9 April 2021: “Addition of information on emergency travel documents (‘Entry requirements’ page)”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for São Tomé and Principe (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (Valid for the whole stay)
and 19 more destinations with the same rule: see all
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status