Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into São Tomé and Príncipe: 5 legal requirements + 9 other things worth knowing.
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Tick before you go
5 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 IDP required alongside UK/EU licence
Carry a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit with your home licence and passport; locally a temporary São Toméan licence can be issued by the traffic department on presentation of these documents.
Third-party motor insurance is compulsory
Local third-party insurance must be arranged on arrival or via the rental agency: UK/EU green cards are not recognised in São Tomé and Príncipe.
Drive on the right, overtake on the left
Traffic drives on the right-hand side; most rental vehicles are left-hand drive.
Speed limits 100 / 80 / 50 km/h
Typical limits are 100 km/h on open inter-urban roads, 80 km/h on rural roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas, though there are no motorways and many roads are unpaved or potholed.
BAC limit 0.5 g/L
Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/L (0.05%), in line with Portuguese-influenced law; police roadside checks do occur in São Tomé city.
São Tomé and Príncipe is a two-island state of ~210,000 people with no motorways and very limited rental car availability: most visitors hire a car with driver or use taxis rather than self-drive.
Carry a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit with your home licence and passport; locally a temporary São Toméan licence can be issued by the traffic department on presentation of these documents.
Local third-party insurance must be arranged on arrival or via the rental agency: UK/EU green cards are not recognised in São Tomé and Príncipe.
The smaller island of Príncipe is reached by a 35-minute STP Airways flight or an infrequent cargo ferry; rental cars cannot be transferred between islands so hire separately on arrival.
Traffic drives on the right-hand side; most rental vehicles are left-hand drive.
Typical limits are 100 km/h on open inter-urban roads, 80 km/h on rural roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas, though there are no motorways and many roads are unpaved or potholed.
Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/L (0.05%), in line with Portuguese-influenced law; police roadside checks do occur in São Tomé city.
Street lighting is virtually absent outside São Tomé city, roads have unmarked livestock, pedestrians and potholes: the FCDO and local rentals strongly advise against driving at night.
Dial 112 for police, ambulance or fire; response times outside the capital are very slow and medical evacuation to Lisbon or Libreville may be required for serious incidents.
Heavy tropical rains October to May cause landslides and washed-out sections on the south and west coast roads; a 4x4 is essential for routes beyond the main São Tomé–Neves–Santana loop.
A warning triangle, hi-vis vest and a working spare tyre with jack are expected in any vehicle; rentals should provide them but check before leaving the lot.
1 EUR ≈ 24.5 STN under the fixed peg; euros are widely accepted by hotels and fuel stations, but small dobra notes are needed for street vendors and rural areas.
Petrol is roughly 1.10–1.30 EUR per litre and almost always paid in cash (dobra or euro); ATMs exist in São Tomé city but are unreliable, so bring euros to exchange on arrival.
There is no motorway network, no toll system, no vignette requirement and no urban emissions scheme anywhere in the country.
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Traffic drives on the right-hand side; most rental vehicles are left-hand drive.
Typical limits are 100 km/h on open inter-urban roads, 80 km/h on rural roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas, though there are no motorways and many roads are unpaved or potholed.
Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/L (0.05%), in line with Portuguese-influenced law; police roadside checks do occur in São Tomé city.