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Doing business
Doing business in Sao Tome and Principe
The official bodies a foreign company, investor or professional deals with in Sao Tome and Principe – linked to their own websites – plus the treaties that matter for contracts and disputes, and law firms there that list business work.
Key facts
Key facts for business in Sao Tome and Principe
The short answer
We could not confirm the company registry’s website for Sao Tome and Principe. Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Sao Tome and Principe before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law (Portuguese-based) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Portuguese |
| Currency | São Tomé and Príncipe dobra (STN) |
| Regional blocs | ECCAS |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 2013 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 2013 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 13 Sep 2008 |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Sao Tome and Principe
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Banco Central de S.Tomé e Príncipe (BCSTP) – Central Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe | bcstp.st |
We could not confirm an official website for: registering a company, investment promotion, tax, work and residence permits, courts and justice. We only link to sites we could open and confirm as the body’s own in October 2026.
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: the national company registry.
- Register for tax. Tax registration: the national tax administration.
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: the national investment agency.
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: the national immigration authority.
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Banco Central de S.Tomé e Príncipe (BCSTP)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Sao Tome and Principe is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Sao Tome and Principe for business matters
VNA Advogados
São Tomé
1 firm in Sao Tome and Principe list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Sao Tome and Principe.
Checking a lawyer in Sao Tome and Principe
We could not find an official online source for who admits lawyers in Sao Tome and Principe. Ask any lawyer you consider for their bar or law-society membership and admission details, and confirm them with that body or with the courts.
Questions
Doing business in Sao Tome and Principe: questions
Is Sao Tome and Principe a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 2013 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Sao Tome and Principe accept apostilles?
Yes – Sao Tome and Principe is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 13 Sep 2008 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in Sao Tome and Principe?
São Tomé and Príncipe dobra (STN).