São Tomé and Príncipe: citizenship by investment
São Tomé and PríncipeAfrica- Applicants with 3 or more foreign nationalities
- New applications on hold since 2026-04-10
- As of 2026-10-25 · [2]
Overview
The programme opened on 1 August 2025, after the Council of Ministers approved the decree-law in May and the President promulgated it in July. Its standard minimum is among the lowest of any current citizenship by investment programme, and the passport opens fewer doors than Caribbean or European alternatives: Schengen and UK visits both need a visa.
Its main use is as a lawful backup nationality for people whose own passport or circumstances leave them exposed, rather than as a travel document. The decree-law also grants naturalised citizens a permanent exemption from compulsory military service in São Tomé and Príncipe.
The programme is young and still settling. A Citizenship by Investment Unit operates it with a private concession partner, opposition parties have challenged the decree-law, and in April 2026 the unit paused new applications from people with three or more foreign nationalities because the 2022 Nationality Law does not allow those grants. Rules for adult dependent children were also still being finalised.
Licensed agents submit applications through the unit's platform, and independent lawyers should give the legal and tax advice; Redomiciled helps you decide whether São Tomé fits your wider plan.
São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment
São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment is a discretionary grant of nationality under Decree-Law No. 07/2025 to applicants who pass due diligence and a Public Prosecutor review and then contribute to the National Transformation Fund. In 2026 the minimum is USD 90,000 for a single applicant and USD 95,000 for a family of two to four.
The decree-law sets the sequence. A licensed agent files the application electronically on the unit's platform with the official form, a medical certificate and a criminal record certificate issued in the last three months. The unit reviews the file within 15 days, independent firms run due diligence and the unit may hold an interview, in person or remotely.
The completed file then goes to the Public Prosecutor for a prior opinion. Once that opinion is given, or the legal deadline passes without one, the unit's director must approve or refuse the application within 15 days. The approval letter is handed over only after the applicant pays the National Transformation Fund contribution, which must happen within 90 days or the file lapses.
The minimum contribution is USD 90,000 for one person, USD 95,000 for a family of two to four, and USD 5,000 for each further qualifying dependant. Family members can also be added after citizenship: USD 10,000 for the spouse of a citizen, USD 5,000 for other qualifying dependants and USD 500 for a newborn child under one.
After payment comes the oath of allegiance, before an official in São Tomé or a consular officer abroad, and registration of the nationality. The Public Prosecutor can still oppose the acquisition in court within six months, although that does not suspend it. A 2026 amendment allows the national ID, and then the passport, to be issued after remote video verification instead of in-person enrolment.
Dependants under the decree-law are the spouse and children as the Nationality Law defines them; the unit said in April 2026 that a new framework for adult children over 18 was being finalised and that their passports were on hold. São Tomé and Príncipe lets new citizens keep one or two existing nationalities, but your current country may not allow a second one, so check that first. Licensed agents handle the filing, and qualified lawyers should advise on the legal and tax consequences.
Who it suits
People who need a lawful backup nationality
You want a second citizenship as insurance, and travel access is secondary.
Smaller families on a budget
A family of up to four is covered by one fund contribution at the lowest published level.
Applicants with one or two nationalities
You hold fewer than three foreign nationalities, so the current hold does not affect you.
Applicants comfortable with a new programme
You accept legal challenges and evolving rules that come with a programme launched in 2025.
Requirements
- Required
Age 18 or over
The principal applicant must be an adult.
- Required
Clean criminal record
A criminal record certificate issued within the last three months.
- Required
Good health
A medical certificate confirming no communicable disease and good general health.
- Required
Due diligence and prosecutor review
Independent background checks and a prior opinion from the Public Prosecutor.
- Required
Fewer than three foreign nationalities
Applicants with three or more are on hold under the 2022 Nationality Law.
- Depends on your case
Interview
The unit may call an interview, in person or by video.
Documents
- Official application formCompleted in Portuguese or English and signed by the principal applicant.
- Passports and civil recordsCertified copies, apostilled or consular-authenticated where issued abroad.
- Criminal record certificatesFrom the countries of nationality and of residence over the last five years.
- Medical certificateConfirming good health and no communicable diseases.
- Source-of-funds declarationA statement on the lawful origin of the funds, backed by bank documents.
- Support undertakingA sworn declaration of support for each dependant other than the spouse.
- Fund contribution, single applicant
- USD 90,000As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Fund contribution, family of 2 to 4
- USD 95,000As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Each additional qualifying dependant
- USD 5,000As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Adding family after citizenship
- USD 10,000 spouse; USD 5,000 other qualifying dependant; USD 500 newborn under 1As of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Preliminary review by the unit
- Within 15 days of a complete filingAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Decision after the Public Prosecutor's opinion
- Within 15 daysAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Deadline to pay the contribution after approval
- 90 days, or the file lapsesAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Criminal record certificate
- Issued within the last 3 monthsAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Prosecutor's court challenge window
- 6 months after acquisition; no suspensive effectAs of 2026-10-25 · [1]
- Adult dependent children (18+)
- Framework pending; passport issuance on holdAs of 2026-04-10 · [2]
- Schengen short stays
- Visa required (Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806)As of 2026-10-25 · [4]
- UK visits
- Visa required; on the visa national listAs of 2026-10-08 · [5]
Timeline
- 1Choose a licensed agentThe agent prepares the file and submits it on the unit's platform.
- 2Filing and preliminary reviewThe unit checks completeness within 15 days.
- 3Due diligenceIndependent firms run background and source-of-funds checks; an interview may follow.
- 4Prosecutor's opinion and decisionThe Public Prosecutor reviews the file, then the unit decides within 15 days.
- 5ContributionPay the fund contribution within 90 days of approval to receive the approval letter.
- 6Oath, registration and passportSwear the oath, register the nationality and obtain the ID and passport.
Tax notes
- A São Tomé passport does not change where you are tax resident; residence for tax purposes follows where you live and have your centre of interests.
- Your country of residence will keep taxing you under its own rules, and citizens of the United States remain taxable there on worldwide income.
- Exit charges, CFC rules and home-country reporting are not affected by a new nationality. Get tax advice before you rely on any change.
General information, not tax advice. Your position depends on your circumstances.
Banking fit
- Banks treat the São Tomé passport as an identity document; under CRS you still declare each country of tax residence.
- Keep copies of the due diligence and source-of-funds documents, because banks may ask for similar evidence when they meet an unfamiliar passport.
Questions
What does São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship cost in 2026?
The minimum fund contribution is USD 90,000 for a single applicant or USD 95,000 for a family of two to four, plus USD 5,000 per further dependant.
How long does a São Tomé application take?
The decree-law sets deadlines for each step rather than a total: 15 days for the preliminary review, 15 days for the decision after the Public Prosecutor's opinion, and 90 days for you to pay after approval. Due diligence time varies by file.
Can my adult children be included?
Not straightforwardly at the moment. The unit said in April 2026 that a new framework for dependent children over 18 was being finalised and that their passports were on hold. Spouses and minor children are covered by the decree-law.
Do I need to visit or live in São Tomé?
No residence is required. The oath can be taken before a consular officer abroad, and since April 2026 the national ID and passport can be issued after remote video verification rather than in-person enrolment.
Can São Tomé citizens travel to Europe or the UK without a visa?
No. São Tomé and Príncipe is on the EU's visa-required list for Schengen stays and on the UK's visa national list, so both need a visa in advance.
Banking in our network
We do not publish institution names: the right partner depends on your profile, and each institution keeps its own view on who it will serve.
0
No partner institution in our network is based here; companies and residents here are introduced to partners in other jurisdictions.
- We have no banking partners in São Tomé and Príncipe; the passport is mostly relevant to banking abroad.
- Some banks are unfamiliar with São Tomé passports issued under the new programme and may ask why you hold one. Present it alongside your main passport and proof of residence rather than instead of them.
- If the account is the goal, our banking assessment is a faster and more direct route than a new citizenship.
Questions
Is São Tomé and Príncipe the cheapest citizenship by investment?
Its standard minimum of USD 90,000 for a single applicant is among the lowest of current programmes. The passport also offers less travel access than more expensive options, so compare what you need it for, not only the entry price.
Is the São Tomé programme legal?
Yes. It rests on the 2022 Nationality Law and Decree-Law No. 07/2025, in force since 1 August 2025. The main opposition party asked the Constitutional Court to review the decree-law in 2025; we found no reported ruling by October 2026.
Can I apply if I already hold two other passports?
Holding one or two other nationalities is not the issue. The 2022 Nationality Law bars grants to people with three or more foreign nationalities, and since 10 April 2026 the unit has paused those applications pending a legal amendment.
Sources
- 1.Diário da República de São Tomé e Príncipe, I Série No. 33 (1 August 2025): Decree-Law No. 07/2025, regulation of nationality by investment or donation (third-party copy), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 2.Citizenship by Investment Unit, Government of São Tomé and Príncipe: memorandum to licensed agents of 10 April 2026 (copy published by IMI Daily), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 3.RTP / Lusa: São Tomé permite obtenção de nacionalidade com investimento ou doação (approval, promulgation and entry into force), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 4.EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, third countries whose nationals need a visa (Annex I), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 5.GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list (updated 8 October 2026), retrieved 2026-10-25
- 6.Forbes África Lusófona: opposition party asks the Constitutional Court to rule the decree-law unconstitutional, retrieved 2026-10-25
Reviewed by the Redomiciled team on .
Plan your next step in São Tomé and Príncipe.
Answer a few questions and we come back with a recommendation for your situation, without obligation.