Document checklist
Liberia → São Tomé and Príncipe: Short-stay tourist
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
8 itemsIdentity
Apply for an Entry Authorization through eVisaST
RequiredApply online through the eVisaST portal before you travel: choose the visa type, fill in the form, and submit. There's no visa on arrival, so this has to be done in advance, especially if there's no São Toméan consulate where you live. Keep the process/reference number you're given, it's how you check the decision. SMF states a response time of 7 business days.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Extra documents if the applicant is a minor
RequiredIf you're applying for a minor, also attach a scanned birth certificate and a signed declaration from their legal guardians.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Valid passport
RequiredA scanned passport (PDF) valid for at least 3 months beyond the last day your Entry Authorization would let you stay.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Financial
Entry Authorization fee
RequiredPaid at the border on arrival, not online. SMF's FAQ page quotes a Temporary Tourist Visa fee of 490,000 STD, set by a 2011 Council of Ministers decision, that figure predates São Tomé and Príncipe's 2018 currency redenomination (1,000 old dobras/STD = 1 new dobra/STN) and the page carries no update date of its own, so confirm the current fee with SMF or your carrier before you travel rather than relying on this number.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Proof of sufficient funds
RequiredBe ready to show proof of means of subsistence at the border. The source states a figure of 100 EUR per day of your stay.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Accommodation
Accommodation and booking details
RequiredGive your reservation details (booking number, who made it, and who it's for) and say where you'll be staying. If you don't have a personal contact in São Tomé and Príncipe, your hotel or other accommodation counts as your contact there.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Travel
Proof you can enter your next destination
RequiredIf you're only transiting through São Tomé and Príncipe, attach a scanned document proving you're allowed to enter your next destination country.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Round-trip ticket
RequiredAttach your round-trip (outbound and return) ticket, it's stated as a mandatory attachment.
Source: Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe
Why applications on this route get refused
Arrived without an approved Entry Authorization
São Tomé and Príncipe doesn't issue visas on arrival. SMF's own FAQ confirms this applies even to travellers with no São Toméan consulate in their country of residence, they still need an Entry Authorization (AE) obtained in advance and presented on arrival.
How to avoid it: Apply through eVisaST well before you travel, and keep the process/reference number it gives you.
No round-trip ticket or proof of funds
The application requires a round-trip ticket, and the source states border officials can ask for proof of means of subsistence (100 EUR per day).
How to avoid it: Attach your return ticket when you apply, and carry proof of funds covering your whole stay.
Passport not valid for long enough
Your passport needs at least 3 months of validity beyond the last day your Entry Authorization would let you stay.
How to avoid it: Check your passport's expiry date against your planned departure date, with that 3-month margin, before you apply.
Sources
- Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe · checked 29 Sept 2026
- Serviço de Migração e Fronteiras (SMF), São Tomé and Príncipe · checked 29 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the São Tomé and Príncipe application fee.
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