São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment

What Is São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment?

São Tomé and Príncipe's Citizenship by Investment Program is established under Nationality Law No. 07/2022 and Decree-Law No. 07/2025. It is administered through the program's Citizenship Unit, with applications initiated by a licensed Marketing Agent.

Eligible Principal Applicants and their dependants obtain São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship — and a passport — by making a non-refundable donation to the National Transformation Fund once their application receives approval-in-principle. The program states that the Fund finances national projects, including renewable energy, eco-tourism, education and infrastructure, and a deep sea port.

One Donation Route

Figures are the program's published minimum donations. They do not include the USD 5,000 per-application submission fee or the USD 750 per-applicant citizenship documents fee — see Fees below.

Who Can Apply?

To qualify as a Principal Applicant, you generally need to:

• Be at least 18 years old, have no criminal record and be in good financial standing.
• Demonstrate a clean, legitimate source of the funds you will donate to the National Transformation Fund.
• Pass the program's due diligence and compliance checks, which verify your identity and screen your background.
• Apply through a licensed Marketing Agent — the program states that applicants must partner with one.

Who Can Be Included as a Dependant?

A Principal Applicant may include the following family members in the same application:

• A spouse or de facto partner, in a monogamous marriage or de facto partnership.
• Children up to 30 years old.
• Parents and grandparents aged 55 and over.
• Dependants can also be added after approval-in-principle, subject to due diligence and post-approval inclusion fees: USD 10,000 for a spouse, USD 5,000 for each other qualifying dependant, or USD 500 for a newborn child of a citizen (up to one year old), plus a USD 5,000 submission fee (not charged for newborns).

Submission, Sponsor and Document Fees

Beyond the National Transformation Fund donation, the following fees apply:

• Submission fee: USD 5,000 per application, payable as part of the application process regardless of family size.
• Sponsor (benefactor) due diligence fee: USD 5,000, if the application is sponsored.
• Citizenship documents fee: USD 750 per applicant, covering the Certificate of Registration, passport and National ID, payable regardless of the investment option chosen.

Application Process

1. Initial Consultation — your Marketing Agent explains the requirements and handles the paperwork and coordination throughout.
2. Documentation Preparation — your Agent advises which documents you need to prepare a complete application.
3. Application Submission — your finalised application is submitted to the Citizenship Unit for processing.
4. Comprehensive due diligence checks are carried out to confirm you meet the program's requirements.
5. Approval in Principle is granted, and the Citizenship Unit notifies your Marketing Agent of the outcome.
6. Citizenship is granted once you complete the National Transformation Fund donation; you are issued your National ID, Certificate of Registration and passport.

The program's homepage gives a total processing time of five to six months: applications are typically approved within about two months, followed by passport issuance in approximately three to four months. Source: cip.gov.st, homepage and Eligibility & Criteria FAQ, fetched 24 September 2026.

Why Choose São Tomé and Príncipe?

Official source: Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP), São Tomé and Príncipe

This page follows the government's own cip.gov.st site (Donation to the National Transformation Fund, Eligibility & Criteria and About the Program pages). Amounts, fees and requirements are set by the São Tomé and Príncipe authorities and can change; always confirm current terms with a licensed Marketing Agent before applying.