Embassies and Consulates in São Tomé and Príncipe

UN Members' flags - Credit: Wikimedia, Aotearoa

In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in São Tomé and Príncipe, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that São Tomé and Príncipe does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

  • Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
  • Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
  • Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in São Tomé and Príncipe, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in São Tomé and Príncipe

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The São Tomé and Príncipe capital, São Tomé hosts 11 embassies.

There are also 7 consulates.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in São Tomé.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in São Tomé and Príncipe. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometime other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in São Tomé

Brazil

Brazilian Embassy in São Tomé and Príncipe

Address: Avda. 12 de Julho no. 20, Caixa Postal 217, São Tomé
Tel: (+239) 222 60 60
E-Mail: brasemb.saotome@itamaraty.gov.br
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/brasembsaotome/
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08 am to 01 pm

The Embassy of Brazil in São Tomé and Príncipe is one of 288 brazilian diplomatic and consular representations abroad.
It provides a range of consular services such as trading regulations, passport and VISA requirements.

China

Embassy of China in São Tomé and Príncipe

Address: Av. Kwame N'Kruma 24B, Ponta Mina, São Tomé
Tel: (+239) 22216 43 / 986 28 66
E-Mail: consulate_stp@mfa.gov.cn
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/
Opening hours: From Monday to Friday between 08:30-12:30 and 14:30-16:30

The embassy of China in São Tomé provides consular services to visitors and residents living in São Tomé and Príncipe such as registration of child birth abroad, requirements and documents and processes for getting married abroad, notarial services, passport services, etc.

Portugal

Embassy of Portugal in São Tomé and Príncipe

Address:Av. Marginal 12 de Julho, C. P. 173 - S. Tomé
Tel: (+239) 222 41 51 (Consular Section)
E-Mail: sconsular.stome@mne.pt (Consular Section)
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/embaixadaportugal/
Opening hours: Embassy: Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 19:00
Consular Section: Monday to Friday: 07:30 - 12:30

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport applications, notarial services, legalization of documents, civil registration, etc.

Honorary Consulates in São Tomé and Príncipe

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in São Tomé and Príncipe, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Luanda, in Angola and Abuja, in Nigeria for São Tomé and Príncipe.

Honorary Consulates in São Tomé

  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Spain
  • Switzerland (saotome@honrep.ch)
  • United Kingdom