Sao Tome and Principe · Relocation guide
Moving to Sao Tome and Principe: permission, arrival and practical setup
Sao Tome and Principe distinguishes eVisa entry from residence fixation for family, company or business, salaried professional activity and study or volunteering. The entry visa alone is not work authority.
Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.
Separate entry, residence and work permission
Sao Tome and Principe distinguishes eVisa entry from residence fixation for family, company or business, salaried professional activity and study or volunteering. The entry visa alone is not work authority.
A visa waiver, visitor visa or business-visitor permission is not an open right to take employment or provide local services. Remote work also needs an immigration, labour and tax analysis unless the authority publishes a route that expressly covers it.
| Plan | VisaAtlas route | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Company or business residence | Residence-Fixation Authorization - Company or Business | Business permission and personal residence must align. |
| Employment residence | Residence-Fixation Authorization - Subordinate Professional Activity | Use for the approved salaried activity. |
| Family residence | Residence-Fixation Authorization - Family | Family status does not imply employment. |
Complete the arrival record
Use the Migration and Borders Service e-citizen channel for the matching residence category and preserve Portuguese-language sponsor and address evidence. Check whether originals and biometrics are required locally.
Inspect names, passport number, sponsor or purpose, permitted activity and expiry on every issued record. Keep the approval, receipt and a copy of the entry stamp outside the passport.
Make housing support the move
Choose between Sao Tome and Principe islands only after checking job access, flights, ferries, power, water, internet, schools and medical referral. Verify the lease and freight plan before shipment.
Verify landlord authority, lease language, deposit, inventory, utilities, internet and early-exit terms. Keep the real address and payment trail for immigration, banking and employer files.
Set up banking, payroll and tax evidence
Confirm how salary, tax and banking will work on the island and retain foreign-transfer evidence. A company residence filing does not replace incorporation or operating licences.
Ask the bank and tax authority for their live identity, permit, address, tax-number and source-of-funds requirements. Immigration status alone does not determine tax residence: retain travel days, payslips, foreign income and business invoices.
Plan each family member and essential service
Family and study or volunteering categories are separate; an adult dependant needs a work basis before employment. Plan evacuation-capable insurance and school access.
A dependant, student or family residence document should not be treated as an adult work permit without confirmation. Carry legalised civil records, prescriptions, vaccination records and prior-school reports.
Control renewal, changes and current risk
Renew the residence fixation against the continuing family, business or employment basis and clear activity changes. Weather and transport disruption should be built into filing and departure timing.
Read current official travel advice for Sao Tome and Principe, the exact region and any overland route before travel. Confirm that insurance covers the location and planned work.
Your moving checklist
Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.
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Sources and checks
The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.
- Sao Tome and Principe Migration and Borders Service: e-citizen residence servicesSource checked 12 September 2026
- UK government: Sao Tome and Principe travel adviceSource checked 12 September 2026