São Tomé and Príncipe country code +239 — call São Tomé and Príncipe & get a number.
+239 is the country code for **São Tomé and Príncipe** — two volcanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Central Africa, where **Portuguese** is the official language. National numbers are exactly **7 digits** on a flat national plan with **no area codes** and **no trunk 0**. The country runs on **GMT (UTC+0) year-round with no daylight saving**, so it sits in the same time zone as London in winter. Mobiles begin with **9** (98X and 99X ranges); landlines with **2**.
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São Tomé and Príncipe at a glance
The numbers and facts you need before you dial.
What is the country code for São Tomé and Príncipe?
The country code for São Tomé and Príncipe is +239. Dial it after your exit code (or the + symbol on a mobile) to reach any phone number in the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe — the two volcanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Central Africa, whose capital is São Tomé.
The plus sign is shorthand for your phone's international exit code. On any mobile keypad, hold the 0 key to produce +, which works globally. On a landline you replace + with your country's exit code — 011 in the United States, 00 across the UK and most of Europe. Because STP is a small, single-plan territory, there are no regional area codes to memorise. The country code plus seven digits is all you ever need.
If you only remember one thing: +239 + seven digits is the complete number. No area codes, no trunk 0. Landlines start with 2; mobiles start with 9 (98X CST, 99X Unitel STP). Miscounting to six or eight digits is the single most common typo.
All four mean the same thing — they connect your call to São Tomé and Príncipe.
How to call São Tomé and Príncipe from anywhere
To place an international call to STP, dial three parts in order: your exit code → country code (+239) → 7-digit national number. From the US/Canada: 011 239 XXX XXXX. From the UK/EU: 00 239 XXX XXXX. From any mobile: +239 XXX XXXX. The + prefix on a mobile automatically substitutes the correct exit code for whatever network you're on, so it's the most reliable way to dial when travelling — save every São Tomé contact in full +239 format and they will dial correctly whether you are in Lisbon, London, or Los Angeles.
Full example: +239 no dialed area prefix — landlines simply begin with 2 XXX XXXX — drop the local leading 0 when calling from abroad.
São Tomé and Príncipe phone number format explained
A São Tomé phone number is exactly 7 digits after +239, with no area codes and no trunk prefix. Landlines typically begin with 2 (for example the 22 range around São Tomé); mobiles begin with 9, using the 98X (CST) and 99X (Unitel STP) prefixes. Full international form for a mobile: `+239 9XX XXXX`. There is no trunk prefix to add or drop for domestic dialling in the way larger countries use a leading 0 — São Tomé numbers are quoted simply as their seven digits locally. When a number is written with a leading 0 in an old directory, drop that 0 before adding +239.
Landline
Landlines are operated primarily by CST (Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicações) and typically begin with **2** — for example the 22 range around São Tomé. Same 7-digit flat plan as mobiles; no area code to insert between +239 and the local number.
Mobile
Mobiles sit in the 9 range and are the most common way to reach people on the islands. **CST** uses the **98X** prefix (full form +239 98X XXXX); **Unitel STP** uses the **99X** prefix (full form +239 99X XXXX). Both operators run GSM networks across the archipelago. Because mobile penetration is high relative to fixed lines, most personal and small-business contacts you call will be +239 9XX XXXX numbers.
São Tomé and Príncipe area codes — major cities
Drop the local leading 0 when calling from abroad.
| City | Region | Area code |
|---|---|---|
| São Tomé (capital) and São Tomé island | São Tomé province | no dialed area prefix — landlines simply begin with 2 |
| Santo António and Príncipe island | Príncipe autonomous region | no dialed area prefix — flat national plan |
São Tomé and Príncipe mobile network prefixes
The prefix after +239 tells you which network issued the SIM — though number portability means it no longer guarantees the operator.
CST (Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicações)
the historic state-linked incumbent, provides fixed-line, mobile, and internet service across both islands.
Unitel STP
the second mobile operator, part of the wider Unitel group active across Portuguese-speaking Africa. Because mobile penetration is high relative to fixed lines, most personal and small-business contacts you call will be +239 9XX XXXX numbers.
São Tomé and Príncipe time zone
São Tomé and Príncipe observes Greenwich Mean Time (GMT / UTC+0) year-round and does NOT apply daylight saving time. That makes call planning easy once you anchor to a reference city.
When it's noon in São Tomé (12:00 GMT), it's 12:00 in London (winter, GMT — the same time), 12:00 in Lisbon (winter, WET), and 07:00 in New York (winter, EST). When Europe or the US shifts into summer time, the gap moves by an hour on YOUR side — not on São Tomé's. For most of the year a late-morning call from Western Europe lands comfortably inside São Tomé business hours, while callers in the Americas should aim for their early morning.
From the US East Coast, dial 5:00 AM–12:00 PM ET to reach São Tomé's 09:00–16:00 GMT business day (winter). From the UK in winter you're in the SAME time zone as São Tomé — dial any time during standard business hours; in British Summer Time you're one hour ahead, so dial 10:00 AM–5:00 PM BST for 09:00–16:00 GMT. From Lisbon the same alignment applies — WET matches São Tomé in winter, WEST is one hour ahead in summer. Portuguese-speaking teams across the PALOP cluster (Angola, Mozambique) often already work compatible schedules with STP.
Emergency numbers in São Tomé and Príncipe
Free to call from any São Tomé and Príncipe phone, landline or mobile.
Common mistakes when calling São Tomé and Príncipe
Almost every failed international call is a formatting issue, not a network issue.
Keeping a leading 0
If a São Tomé number is written with a trunk 0 in an old directory, DROP it before adding +239. São Tomé numbers have no trunk prefix — dial +239 then the seven digits, not +239 0…
Forgetting the exit code from a landline
From a US landline you must dial 011 before 239; from most of Europe you dial 00. The + prefix only works from mobiles, where it substitutes the correct exit code automatically.
Adding a phantom area code
There are none. STP runs a flat national numbering plan — do not pad the number with a city or region prefix to make it 'look' longer. The country code plus seven digits is the complete number.
Miscounting digits
A valid national number is EXACTLY 7 digits after +239. Six or eight digits means a typo — count them before dialling.
Assuming a time offset shifts on the São Tomé side
STP is GMT year-round with no DST. When Europe or the US shifts to summer time, the gap changes on YOUR side, not on São Tomé's. Sanity-check the current offset when your country moves into or out of DST.
Confusing +239 (São Tomé) with regional neighbours
Central African codes cluster tightly: Cameroon +237, Chad +235, Central African Republic +236, Equatorial Guinea +240, Gabon +241, Republic of the Congo +242. A single wrong digit routes to the wrong country — double-check the code when dialling from memory.
Tips to reduce the cost of calling São Tomé and Príncipe
Dial with +239 from mobiles
The + prefix inserts the correct exit code automatically — the most reliable way to dial STP whether you're in Lisbon, London, or Los Angeles.
Save every São Tomé contact in full international format
Store numbers as `+239 9XX XXXX` (no leading 0) so your phone can dial the same contact from any country you travel to.
Use the + format over Wi-Fi
Dialling in E.164 (+239…) over a data connection avoids roaming surcharges — small islands can carry premium legacy per-minute rates.
Prefer VoIP over legacy long-distance
Per-minute rates to small island destinations on legacy carrier plans can be steep. VoIP or a cloud-routed virtual number typically cuts costs materially.
Batch calls into São Tomé business hours
Late morning in Western Europe (WET/GMT) lands comfortably inside STP business hours; from the Americas, aim for your early morning. GMT year-round makes this planning easy.
Get a local virtual number for regular contact
If you call the region regularly, a +239 (or a nearby Portuguese-speaking African) virtual number lets callers reach you at local rates instead of paying international fees.
Why businesses get a São Tomé and Príncipe virtual number
A virtual +239 number lets you present a professional presence for the São Tomé and Príncipe market without opening an office there. For teams working with West and Central Africa — or across the wider PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African) cluster — a single cloud number can ring on your existing phones, softphone, or laptop anywhere in the world, route calls to the right person or team automatically, and keep a stable business identity even as staff change.
Availability note: STP is a small Pacific-style island market and local number inventory is limited — availability is not guaranteed. If you need coverage tied to the islands or the surrounding region, please check availability or request a number and our team will confirm current options for +239 and nearby Central African / Portuguese-speaking African codes.
Serve the Portuguese-speaking African (PALOP) cluster
STP is part of the PALOP group with Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau. A Portuguese-friendly local presence and support flow work across the whole cluster — one Portuguese IVR script, multiple markets.
Support NGO, tourism, and Gulf-of-Guinea trade
STP hosts eco-tourism, cocoa export, and small-scale maritime and NGO activity. A local +239 line helps coordinate ground contacts, partner reach, and support without a physical office.
Portuguese-language operations without translation overhead
As a Portuguese-speaking country, STP is easy to serve alongside Lisbon-based teams or wider PALOP operations — IVR menus, support scripts, and marketing translate straight from Portuguese without extra localisation cost.
Cloud routing over variable local infrastructure
Route inbound São Tomé calls to teams anywhere in the world — support desks in Lisbon or Luanda can answer +239 calls without any physical presence on the islands.
Central African cluster pairing
Pair STP (+239) with Cameroon (+237), Equatorial Guinea (+240), Gabon (+241), and Angola (+244) numbers for a coherent Gulf-of-Guinea coverage plan under one billing relationship.
Honest availability disclosure
Rather than promise inventory we can't guarantee in a small-market island destination, we check case by case — provisioning here is honest work, not marketing.
São Tomé and Príncipe virtual numbers with My Country Mobile
São Tomé and Príncipe is a small market and +239 virtual-number inventory is limited — availability is not guaranteed. Availability should be checked or requested rather than assumed. Contact our team with your use case (PALOP-cluster serving line, NGO or tourism support, Gulf-of-Guinea trade contact, general business) and we'll confirm what routing and number type can be provisioned — including alternative Central African or Portuguese-speaking African routing (Angola +244, Cape Verde +238, or a global number) where a local +239 isn't available.
Local DIDs in major area codes — provisioned in minutes
Call forwarding to any mobile, landline, SIP endpoint, or softphone worldwide
HD voice with G.711, G.729, Opus & AMR-WB — auto-negotiated per call
Sub-150ms latency on major voice corridors via distributed PoPs
99.99% uptime SLA backed by geo-redundant infrastructure & sub-2s failover
WebRTC support for browser-based calling without softphone installs
REST APIs for provisioning, routing & call detail records (CDRs)
Built-in fraud protection with AI anomaly detection & STIR/SHAKEN
24/7 network monitoring and dedicated support
How to get your São Tomé and Príncipe virtual number
Most businesses are live within hours, not days.
Contact our team with your use case — STP availability is checked case by case given the small-market inventory.
We'll confirm what +239 number types and routing options can be provisioned for your specific need (PALOP serving line, NGO field coordination, tourism / trade contact, general business).
Configure routing — point the number at a mobile, SIP trunk, softphone, PBX, or IVR anywhere in the world.
Go live — where a +239 isn't directly available, we'll propose the closest regional alternative (Angola +244, Cape Verde +238, Cameroon +237, or a global number) matched to your use case.
Other country dialing guides
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Get a São Tomé and Príncipe virtual number with MCM
Talk to MCM about São Tomé and Príncipe and wider Gulf-of-Guinea coverage — we'll check current +239 availability against your specific use case and propose the closest working option.
São Tomé and Príncipe +239 — FAQ
What is the country code for São Tomé and Príncipe?expand_more
The country code is +239. Dial your exit code (011 from the US, 00 from the UK/EU) or press + on a mobile, then 239, then the 7-digit local number.
How many digits is a São Tomé and Príncipe phone number?expand_more
National numbers are 7 digits. In full international form they appear as +239 followed by those seven digits.
Does São Tomé and Príncipe use area codes?expand_more
No. The numbering plan is flat with no area or city codes — the country code plus seven digits is all you need, whether the line is on São Tomé island or on Príncipe.
How do I call a São Tomé mobile from abroad?expand_more
Dial +239 then the mobile number, which starts with 9 (prefixes 98X for CST or 99X for Unitel STP). Full form: +239 9XX XXXX.
How do I call São Tomé from the United States?expand_more
Dial 011 + 239 + the 7-digit number — for example 011 239 222 1234. From any mobile you can simply use +239 followed by the seven digits.
How do I call São Tomé from the UK?expand_more
Dial 00 + 239 + the 7-digit number — for example 00 239 222 1234. Mobiles can use +239.
What time zone is São Tomé and Príncipe in?expand_more
GMT (UTC+0) all year with no daylight saving time. Noon in São Tomé is 07:00 in New York and 12:00 in London (winter — they match). London shifts to BST in summer; São Tomé does not.
What language and currency are used?expand_more
The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the dobra (STN). Portuguese fluency makes STP part of the wider PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African) cluster alongside Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau.
Who are the main telecom operators?expand_more
The two main operators are CST (Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicações), using 98X mobile prefixes, and Unitel STP, using 99X mobile prefixes. Both run GSM networks across the archipelago.
Why does my +239 call fail with a leading 0?expand_more
São Tomé numbers have no trunk prefix in international dialling. If a number shows a leading 0, drop it and dial +239 plus the seven digits.
Can I get a São Tomé (+239) virtual number from My Country Mobile?expand_more
STP is a small market with limited inventory, so availability is not guaranteed. Contact our team to check or request current options for +239 and the surrounding Central African / Portuguese-speaking African region.
What are the emergency numbers in São Tomé and Príncipe?expand_more
Emergency numbering for police, ambulance, and fire can vary and is not consistently reported for STP. Confirm the current local numbers with your hotel, tour operator, or embassy on arrival, and save them before you need them.