Frequently Asked Questions About Car Rental in São Tomé

We accept several payment methods to make booking easy:
 – Online: Credit card or PayPal during the booking process.
 – Cash: Euros or Dobras (local currency — 25 STN = €1).
 – Bank transfer: European account available (free and efficient).
 – Credit card: A payment link can be sent on request if the online system is temporarily unavailable.
 – PayPal (+5%) and Western Union are also accepted.

Yes, but please note that bank transfers to São Tomé must go through Caixa de Depósitos in Portugal. This means the transfer cannot be completed through a mobile banking app alone. You will need to request a specific form from your bank containing the beneficiary account and intermediary bank details. We are happy to provide these details upon request.

The 25% reservation deposit is non-refundable, but it can be converted into a voucher valid for 12 months. The voucher is fully transferable — so if you cannot travel yourself, you are welcome to give it to a friend or family member.

Yes. São Tomé and Príncipe is a touristic country, and all valid international and foreign driving licenses are commonly accepted. You do not need to obtain a local permit.

Our standard minimum rental period is 3 days. For a 2-day rental, a penalty fee of €10–€20 applies, depending on the vehicle model. Please contact us directly if you need a short rental, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

We are a team of tourism professionals with many years of experience in São Tomé. We pool our resources to provide the best car rental experience on the island. At Dolphin Rentacar, we centralize all requests, payments, and communication to ensure a smooth and reliable service between all parties.

Absolutely. We provide technical support across the entire island. If you experience any issue with your vehicle, please send us a description of the problem, a photo, and your GPS location so we can quickly assess the situation and help resolve it as fast as possible. For this reason we strongly recommend that you get a local SIM card.

Yes. We offer flexible delivery and pickup — your car can be delivered directly to your hotel or to the airport at a time that suits your arrival.
Airport delivery is €15, and airport return is €5. Hotel delivery and pickup in the capital are free of charge — please let us know your details when booking so we can confirm the arrangements.

Standard delivery and pickup times are between 7:30 AM and 9:30 PM (07h30 – 21h30). Deliveries or returns outside these hours are considered out of working hours and incur an extra fee of €15.

If the online booking system is temporarily unavailable, we can send you a secure payment link by email or WhatsApp. You can also complete your booking via bank transfer, PayPal, or Western Union — simply contact us and we will guide you through the process.

Yes — we strongly recommend getting a local SIM card. It allows you to contact us directly in case of a technical issue, which is especially important if you are driving on your own and may not have access to Wi-Fi.
Local SIM cards are easy to obtain: you can buy one at the airport on arrival (if the booth is open), or at official telecom stores downtown (CST and Unitel are the main providers). You may also add a pack during checkout — a local SIM card with 4 GB of data.