Citizenship of São Tomé
and Príncipe by investment
government fund contribution of $90,000 + fees of $5,750
The most affordable active citizenship-by-investment program in the world. The procedure is entirely remote: no visit to the country, no residence, language or interview requirements. A realistic timeframe is 2–3 months.
WhiteIndex supports the preparation of applications under the program
We accompany the client from the preliminary assessment of the profile to receipt of the documents: we check whether the case is admissible, assemble and legalize the file, and monitor deadlines. The application is submitted through an agent authorized by the Citizenship Investment Unit of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Support through to the documents
Certificates, certified translations, legalization and support at every stage — up to the issuance of the passport and the identity card.
A check before payment
We assess the profile before submission and before any payments. If the case falls under the current restrictions, we say so straight away.
We keep track of changes
The program has been running for less than a year and the rules change. We track the status as at the date of your application and warn you of changes.
The decision to grant citizenship is taken by the competent authorities of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Who this program suits and who it does not
The program addresses a narrow range of needs. Below are the most common grounds for obtaining a second citizenship.
- You need a second document as a fallback Insurance against problems with your main passport, not a tool for travel.
- Speed and remote handling matter No visit to the country, no interview, no language or residence requirements.
- The budget is limited As of today this is the most affordable active citizenship-by-investment program in the world.
- You need the status for the family A spouse, children under 18 and parents aged 55 and over are included in a single application.
- You are unable to meet residence requirements The program requires neither relocation nor a minimum period of stay.
- You need visa-free entry to the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada The São Tomé and Príncipe passport does not provide such access and does not improve the chances of obtaining a visa.
- You need a route to residence in Portugal via CPLP Following the 2026 reform, the CPLP regime ceased to be a standalone ground for a residence permit.
- You already hold three or more foreign citizenships Acceptance of such applications has been suspended by a CIU memorandum of 10 April 2026.
- You need the status for adult children The issuance of passports to children over 18 has been suspended pending approval of new regulations. At present, an additional application is required for children over 18.
- The goal is to reduce taxes Citizenship in itself does not create tax residence and does not change your obligations.
Not sure which column your case falls into? We will work it out in a preliminary check — before submission and before any payments.
Check my caseWhat you receive
Full citizenship of São Tomé and Príncipe — not a residence permit and not residency. You are handed a set of three documents.
Passport
Valid for 7 years for adults and 3 years for children under 16.
National identity card
Issued remotely, via a video session with the civil registry office.
Registration certificate
The document confirming the acquisition of citizenship.
Status
- Citizenship is for life It requires no renewal, confirmation or any action to retain it.
- Passed to children by birth Children born after citizenship is obtained acquire it automatically.
- There is no need to renounce your current citizenship Provided that the country of your current citizenship permits multiple citizenship.
- Family members can be added later Spouse — $10,000, another dependent — $5,000, a newborn child — $500.
What will be required later
- Passport renewal fee Once every 7 years for adults, once every 3 years for children under 16.
- Payment for delivery of the documents Courier shipment on renewal.
- Nothing else There are no mandatory visits, reporting, annual fees or residence requirements.
In what cases citizenship can be lost
Article 16 of Nationality Law No. 07/2022 provides for the loss of acquired citizenship in four cases: voluntary renunciation, acts against the security of the state, repeated acts against public health, and the use of fraudulent means during naturalization.
There is one practical conclusion: the accuracy of the information in the application is not a formality. An applicant who conceals a criminal record or the source of funds risks not a refusal at the moment of submission, but the loss of a status already obtained.
What citizenship does not provide: visa-free entry to the EU, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada — in detail in the section on visa-free access; tax residence in São Tomé and Príncipe — in detail in the section on taxes; the right of residence in other countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
Where the São Tomé and Príncipe passport gives entry
Different sources cite between 60 and 93 destinations. The spread is explained by the counting method: some count only visa-free entry, others add visa on arrival and electronic authorizations to it. We show the three categories separately — count for yourself.
A valid passport is sufficient.
Issued at the airport, usually for a fee.
Issued online before departure.
Visa required
A São Tomé and Príncipe passport does not give access to these destinations and does not improve your chances of obtaining a visa. If your goal is travel to Europe or the United States, this programme does not solve your problem: we say so plainly so that you do not spend your money for nothing.
Data current as of 10 August 2026. Visa regimes change without prior notice — before planning a trip, check the requirements on the website of the destination country's diplomatic mission. We update the list with every change reported by the Citizenship Investment Unit.
How the process works
Six stages, and none of them requires your presence in the country. Below are the real timelines, not the advertised ones.
- 1
Preliminary check
We assess your profile before filing and before any payments: citizenships, family composition, source of funds, the programme's current restrictions.
1–3 daysfree of charge - 2
Collecting and legalising documents
Police clearance certificates, proof of address and of the source of funds, marital status documents. Translations are performed by a certified translator.
2–4 weeksdepends on you - 3
Filing the application
The dossier is submitted to the Citizenship Investment Unit through an authorised agent. The filing fee is payable — $5,000.
1–2 days - 4
Due diligence
The CIU checks the applicant against international databases and sanctions lists, and verifies the source of funds and the authenticity of the documents.
4–8 weeks - 5
Decision and payment of the contribution
Following a positive decision, the contribution is paid into the National Transformation Fund — the state development fund.
1–2 weeks - 6
Issuance and delivery of the documents
Video identification with the civil registry office, issuance of the passport, the identity card and the registration certificate. Delivery by courier or post.
2–4 weeks
Why we do not promise a “passport in 30 days”
The fastest approval in the programme's history is 4 weeks, and such cases do exist. But the timeline depends on how complete the dossier is, how quickly certificates are issued in your country and on the CIU's workload. Promising a month to everyone means building in a conflict from the outset. We give a benchmark that holds, and we warn you if your particular case falls outside it.
Who can apply
There are not many requirements, but those that exist are checked in earnest: the programme is building a reputation and refuses applications without giving reasons.
- Age 18 or over The main applicant. Children and parents are included as dependants.
- No criminal record Certificates from every country where you have lived — not only from your country of citizenship.
- Not on any sanctions list Screening is carried out against international databases at the due diligence stage.
- Confirmed source of funds Documents showing that the money is lawful and traceable: income, sale of assets, inheritance, dividends.
- Passing due diligence The decision is taken by the Citizenship Investment Unit. A refusal cannot be appealed.
- Language skills Neither Portuguese nor English — there is no exam.
- Interview The programme does not provide for personal interviews.
- A visit to the country Neither when filing, nor when receiving the documents, nor afterwards.
- Residence and a minimum period of stay No obligation to be in the country — neither once nor annually.
- Education, experience and a business plan The applicant's qualifications are not assessed.
The applicant's citizenship
The programme contains no restrictions for most countries. Applications from Russian citizens are accepted. Citizens of Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela, as well as stateless persons, are also eligible.
Citizens of North Korea are not eligible.
Three or more citizenships
The acceptance of applications from persons holding three or more foreign citizenships has been suspended since 10 April 2026 — pending the adoption of the corresponding parliamentary amendment.
The restriction does not affect applicants with one or two citizenships.
Approval of an application does not equal access to banking services
Banks and payment providers carry out their own checks and are entitled to refuse regardless of the CIU's decision. A passport from a new investment programme has traditionally been a marker for enhanced compliance.
The full cost of the programme
The cost is set by the Citizenship Investment Unit and is the same at every licensed agent.
What the fees consist of
- Application filing fee$5 000
- Passport$350 / person
- Registration certificate$250 / person
- National identity card$150 / person
What the table does not include
- Fee for our support
- Document preparationCertificates, apostilles, notarial services, certified translations — at actual cost in your country.
- Bank chargesFor international transfers.
Adding family members after approval
The composition of the application does not have to be decided straight away. A relative can be included later, as a separate procedure. The filing fee is added to the amounts below — $5,000 per application, which is why it is more advantageous to include everyone at once.
- $10 000spouse or partner
- $5 000child
- $5 000parent or other dependant
- $500newborn child
Amounts are given in US dollars and are current as of 1 August 2026. The programme's terms are set by the Citizenship Investment Unit and may change — we confirm the final calculation for your family composition before the application is filed.
Who can be included in the application
A single application covers several people — that is the main economic point of the programme. Below is the current status for each category, including those where the rules are currently being revised.
Included in the main application together with the applicant.
IncludedIncluded without additional conditions. The restriction on adult children does not affect them.
IncludedThe issuance of passports to children over 18 is suspended until the updated regulations are approved. The upper age limit will be set out in the new rules.
SuspendedIncluded as dependants of the main applicant.
IncludedWe confirm the possibility of inclusion and the age conditions individually with the Citizenship Investment Unit before the application is submitted.
Being clarifiedAdding a relative later
The composition of the application does not have to be settled straight away. A family member can also be included after citizenship has been granted — through a separate procedure and at a separate fee.
- Spouse or partner $10 000
- Other dependant $5 000
- Newborn child $500
Why some rows are marked “suspended” and “being clarified”
The programme has been running for less than a year, and the rules on family composition are being revised right now. We do not put convenient figures into such rows: if a category is in question, you see it before payment, and after submission. The current status for your family composition is confirmed with the CIU before the start.
A passport does not make you a tax resident
This is the most common misconception around citizenship-by-investment programmes. Acquiring citizenship of São Tomé and Príncipe does not in itself change your tax obligations and does not transfer your tax residence. It is determined not by a passport, but by where you actually live and conduct your affairs.
Citizenship ≠ residence
Obtaining the passport does not in itself create tax residence in São Tomé and Príncipe, nor does it end your current one.
The country's rates
Income tax for tax residents follows a progressive scale of up to 25%. Non-residents pay only on income from local sources.
Information exchange
The country participates in the automatic exchange of tax information under the OECD CRS standard. A passport does not create opacity.
When tax residence does arise after all
Any one of the three conditions is enough — and none of them arises automatically upon acquiring citizenship:
- More than 180 daysof actual presence in the country during a calendar year
- Permanent homehaving a permanent place of residence on the territory of the country
- Main activitycarrying on your main professional or business activity in the country
The information in this section is for reference only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Your obligations are determined by the law of your country of tax residence and may change. WhiteIndex does not provide tax planning services.
What can go wrong
The limitations of the passport itself are covered above. Here are the risks of the structure: a programme that has existed for less than a year. We list them not as insurance against claims, but because a decision involving such an amount is made with open eyes.
- 01
The programme is less than a year old
Applications opened in September 2025, and the first passport was issued in January 2026. About a hundred applications were filed in the first year of operation. This is not St Kitts with a forty-year history — the practice of applying it and the response of banks and border services to this document are only beginning to take shape.
What this means: you receive a status in a programme that so far has no accumulated reputation — neither bad nor good.
- 02
The rules are changing as we go
At least two restrictions were introduced in the first months of operation: the suspension of applications from persons with three or more citizenships, and the suspension of passport issuance to adult children. Both came not by law, but through memoranda of the regulator, pending the adoption of parliamentary amendments.
What this means: an application filed under one set of rules may be reviewed under another. We record the terms as at the date of filing and accompany you through changes, but no agent can influence them.
- 03
Administration through a private operator
The programme is implemented as a public-private partnership: the unit that receives applications operates from Dubai, and operational management is carried out by a private company from the UAE under a long-term agreement with the government.
What this means: the model is standard for the industry, but part of the processes sits outside the direct government perimeter — and therefore depends on the stability of the commercial agreement between the parties.
- 04
Country and political risk
São Tomé and Príncipe is one of the world's smallest states by the size of its economy. The programme may be revised, become more expensive or be suspended by a decision of a new government.
Industry precedent: Vanuatu lost its visa-free regime with the EU because of concerns over its citizenship-by-investment programme. São Tomé and Príncipe has no visa-free regime with the EU, so there is nothing to lose in that respect — but external pressure on programmes of this type is increasing worldwide, and that is worth taking into account.
- 05
The contribution is non-refundable
Funds paid into the National Transformation Fund are not returned — including if your circumstances have changed, your plans have shifted or the status has turned out to be less useful than you expected.
This is not an investment with a return, nor the purchase of an asset that can be sold. It is a payment for a document.
Why we write this
An agent's landing page is usually built the other way round: risks are hidden in small print or not mentioned at all.
Our main line of business is real estate investment management. And ensuring transparency of the steps is the top priority. A passport is only a tool for addressing personal and investment objectives. And the decision to acquire it should be made with an understanding of all the advantages and disadvantages.
What you will need to gather
The applicant's main work falls at this stage. The more complete the file at the outset, the fewer follow-up requests and the closer the timeline to the lower bound. The exact list depends on your situation and countries of residence — we agree it at the preliminary check.
Personal
- Valid passport Copies of all pages, including blank ones.
- Police clearance certificates From all countries where you have lived — not only from your country of citizenship.
- Proof of residential address A utility bill, bank statement or similar document.
- Photographs to the prescribed standard We will send the format requirements together with the checklist.
Financial
- Proof of source of funds Documents showing that the money is lawful and traceable.
- Basis of income Employment income, sale of assets, dividends, inheritance, sale of a business.
- Bank statements For a period sufficient to confirm the movement of funds.
For family members
- Marriage certificate Or a document confirming the partnership.
- Birth certificates For every child included in the application.
- Proof of family relationship For parents and other dependants included in the application.
- A personal set of documents for each adult Passport, police clearance certificate, proof of address.
Translations
Documents in languages other than English and Portuguese must be translated by a certified translator. A translation you make yourself is not accepted.
Validity periods of certificates
Police clearance certificates have a limited period of validity. It is worth obtaining them once the rest of the file is ready — otherwise you risk ordering the same document twice.
The accuracy of the information is not a formality. The use of fraudulent means in naturalisation is one of the grounds for loss of citizenship. A concealed criminal record or an opaque source of funds threatens not a refusal at the entrance, but the loss of a status already granted. If there are difficult points in your history, tell us about them rather than the CIU: some of them can be resolved by preparing the documents correctly.
What people ask most often
Here is what usually comes up in correspondence after the first conversation. Answers about cost, timelines, family and visa-free access are in the sections above.
What happens to the money if the application is refused?
Payments in the programme are spread across stages, and the refund arrangements for each of them are set out in the contract before you pay anything. We state these terms in writing at the outset — along with which amounts are non-refundable in any event.
If an agent avoids this question or answers «that never happens», that is a reason to end the conversation. Every programme has refusals.
I was refused under another citizenship programme. Will that be an obstacle?
Not necessarily, but there is no point in hiding it: due diligence in investment migration is set up so that refusals come to light. A concealment that is discovered closes an application more reliably than the refusal itself.
Tell us about it during the preliminary check — we will assess what exactly caused it and how it will bear on matters here.
Can the review be expedited for an additional fee?
The programme provides no official expedited procedure. In practice, only the completeness of the file affects the timeline: an application with no follow-up requests goes through faster.
Offers to «speed things up for a surcharge» outside the procedure are either selling thin air or a breach of the programme rules, for which the agent loses their licence and you lose time and money.
What will happen to my citizenship if the programme is closed?
Closing or suspending the programme concerns new applications. Citizenship already granted is not annulled by the ending of the programme — it is governed by the Nationality Law, not by the rules for accepting applications.
The status can be lost on the grounds expressly listed in the law — they are examined in the section on what you receive.
Who will have access to my documents?
The file is passed to the Citizenship Investment Unit and to the vetting contractors that carry out due diligence. This is a standard part of the procedure: without disclosure of the source of funds an application is not considered.
The country participates in the automatic exchange of tax information under the OECD CRS standard. If you are counting on opacity, this programme is not suited to that purpose.
What should I do if my passport has expired or been lost?
The passport is renewed once it expires — through diplomatic missions or the unit that issued the document. A fee and delivery are payable.
Note: the expiry of a passport does not mean the loss of citizenship. These are two different statuses — the document and the citizenship.
Your question is not here? Ask it at the preliminary consultation — it is free and commits you to nothing.
Ask a questionPreliminary check — before you pay for anything
Fill in the form and we will get in touch and quote the full cost for your family composition.
- No documents at this step. Your name and family composition are enough — we will discuss the details in correspondence.
- We will quote the full cost for your composition with all fees, without «we will clarify later».
- We will say plainly if it does not suit you. Blocking factors are visible straight away, and we do not drag things out.
- We reply in Russian within one business day.
Support with applications under the São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment programme. Consultations in Russian.
Message us on TelegramThe information on this page is for reference only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. It does not constitute a public offer.
The terms of the programme are set by the Citizenship Investment Unit of São Tomé and Príncipe and may change without prior notice. The data on this page is current as at 1 August 2026. Cost, timelines and requirements are confirmed individually before an application is submitted.
The decision to grant citizenship is taken solely by the competent authorities of São Tomé and Príncipe. WhiteIndex does not influence the outcome of the review of an application and does not guarantee its approval. The contribution to the National Transformation Fund is non-refundable.