Well, let me tell you, these days, folks are talking ’bout getting a passport from that place, Sao Tome and Principe. Sounds fancy, huh? But what’s the big deal? I heard it’s some kinda island. If you wanna get that Sao Tome and Principe passport, you gotta jump through some hoops. This old lady ain’t never needed no passport, but these young’uns, they’re always chasin’ somethin’.
First off, they say you gotta live there for like, five years! Five years! Can you believe it? That’s a long time to be away from your own place. You gotta be a grown-up, too. No kids gettin’ these passports, I reckon. And you gotta learn their lingo. Imagine that, talkin’ some other way! Gotta be good, too. No troublemakers allowed, they say. High morals and stuff. Gotta show them you are good people.
And get this, you gotta give up your old passport, whatever country you’re from. That’s like throwin’ away a piece of yourself, ain’t it? They call it “renounced,” I think. Big word for an old lady like me. You gotta have money, too. Enough to live on, so you ain’t beggin’ in the streets. And then, some big shots at the Ministry of Justice, they gotta say you’re okay. It ain’t easy, I tell ya.

Now, I heard there’s this thing called an “e-Visa.” Sounds like somethin’ from a space movie, don’t it? They say you can get it online, on the internet. That’s where all the young folks spend their time these days. This e-Visa thing lets you into Sao Tome and Principe, just like a regular old stamp in your passport. Seems easier, maybe. But still, all that internet stuff is beyond me.
They got some big companies there, too. For phones and stuff. One is called CST, and the other is Unitel STP. If you’re gonna live there, I guess you need a phone to call your folks back home. My grandson, he’s always on his phone. Says it keeps him connected. Connected to what, I don’t know. We used to just yell across the fields to talk to each other.
Some folks say this Sao Tome and Principe passport ain’t that strong. They got some kinda list, a ranking, they call it. And this passport is way down there, 144th, or something like that. Means you can only go to 23 countries without some special paper, a visa, they call it. Other passports, from bigger places, they let you go to more countries. But hey, maybe 23 is enough, if you like those places.
But, in 2024, the rank is 81st. That is better than 144th, right? And you can go to 61 countries! 61 is a big number! I can’t even count to 61.
Now, how do you even get one of these Sao Tome and Principe passports? Well, they say you can do it online. On the internet again. You fill out some forms, print ’em out, and send ’em in with your important papers. Original documents, they want. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, who knows what else. Sounds like a lot of work to me.
I heard some folks, even from Britain, are tryin’ to get this passport. They say it’s ’cause their family, their ancestors, way back when, were from Sao Tome and Principe. They trace their family history, lookin’ for a connection. Seems like a lot of trouble just to get a different passport. But maybe it means somethin’ to them, havin’ that connection to the past.
I guess it is good for people from there. They can travel around a little bit. Not to many countries, just 61, I heard. But some are good, I think.
Here is a summary of what I said:
- You gotta live there for 5 years.
- You gotta be an adult.
- You gotta learn the language.
- You gotta be good and have money.
- You gotta give up your old passport.
- You can get an e-Visa online.
- The passport lets you go to 61 countries.
- You can apply for the passport online.
- Some British folks are trying to get it.
Well, there you have it. That’s all I know about this Sao Tome and Principe passport business. It’s a lot of fuss, if you ask me. But I guess if you really want it, and you’re willin’ to do all that work, then maybe it’s worth it. Me? I’m happy right where I am. Don’t need no fancy passport to be content. Just need my family, my garden, and a good cup of coffee in the mornin’. That’s all the travelin’ this old lady needs.