São Tomé and Príncipe

Getting Electricity in

São Tomé and Príncipe

Listed below are the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Name of Utility: Empresa de Agua e Electricidade (EMAE)
  • City: São Tomé

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 The client submits application for electricity connection to EMAE and awaits the external inspection

The owner of the warehouse (client) goes to the office of EMAE to ask to be connected to the electrical network. It is not possible to do it by internet or by mail.
He has to bring a map, identification proof and a confirmation that the company hired to carry out the external connection works is registered as an authorized electrical contractor. (the document does not need to be notorized).


Agency: Empresa de Agua e Electricidade (EMAE) 		18 calendar days no charge
2 Obtain external inspection from EMAE and sign the contract

EMAE carries an external inspection to identify the technical condition of the site: identify the transformer post that provides electricity to the zone. The client has to be present during the inspection. EMAE will explain to the private contractor how the connection is to be made.
There is no internal inspection. It is the responsibility of the private electrician to follow the norms for internal wiring.
Once the contract is finalized, the client signs it and pays the connection fee that includes workforce, transport, site visit, administrative charge for EMAE


Agency: Empresa de Agua e Electricidade (EMAE) 		12 calendar days USD 227.3
3 The client hires a private contractor to carry out the external works

In Sao Tomé, a client hires a private company to carry out the external connection works. The company has to be registered as an authorized electrical contractor. No transformer is installed in Sao Tomé for medium size company.
The material is not tested by EMAE before it is installed by the private contractor.
There is no need of an excavation permit, the electrical contractors hired by the client has to be a certified contractor and has the authorization to place the cables according to the instructions from the utility.


Agency: Empresa de Agua e Electricidade (EMAE) 		52 calendar days STD 275,433,642.0
4 EMAE inspects the external works, installs the meter and does the final connection to the network

At the end of the external work, EMAE inspects the external works and installs the meter. The electricity starts flowing immediately.

Agency: Empresa de Agua e Electricidade (EMAE) 		7 calendar days no charge
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