São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship.

A new programme set in law.

São Tomé and Príncipe grants citizenship by investment under Article 10(2) of Nationality Law No. 7/2022, regulated by Decree-Law No. 07/2025, which was published in the Diário da República on 1 August 2025 and took effect on publication.

Applications are handled by the Citizenship by Investment Unit, under the minister responsible for justice, and contributions are paid into the National Transformation Fund, which is subject to an annual audit and to oversight by the Court of Auditors. The unit’s first annual report, dated 1 September 2026, recorded 548 applications, 350 approvals, 12 refusals and 29 passports issued. As a young programme, its track record is short and some rules are still being refined, so we recommend careful consideration before applying.

How to qualify.

There is a single route: a non-refundable donation to the National Transformation Fund, paid only after approval in principle. The amounts below are set in Annex I of Decree-Law 07/2025 and published by the programme; the Government may revise them by ministerial order, without affecting applications already admitted. We confirm current figures in writing before you commit.

Agent, legal, translation and courier costs are additional and vary by case.

Who can apply.

The main applicant must be at least 18 years old and of good character. Applications are filed electronically, in Portuguese or English, through a marketing agent licensed by the programme; we coordinate the file with a licensed agent on your behalf.

• A criminal record certificate issued within the last three months, and police certificates from each country of nationality and of residence in the last five years.
• A medical certificate and a declaration of the lawful source of the funds.
• Civil documents apostilled or legalised, with certified translations where required.
• Successful due diligence checks; the Government may exclude nationalities subject to international sanctions.
• Applicants who already hold three or more foreign nationalities are on hold under guidance issued in April 2026, pending clarification of Law 7/2022.

Including your family.

One application may include your spouse or de facto partner, unmarried dependent children up to the age of 30, and dependent parents and grandparents aged 55 or over.

• Adult dependants, meaning children aged 18 to 30 and parents or grandparents aged 55 or over, can be included and approved, but their naturalisation and passports are currently suspended until an amendment to Law 7/2022 takes effect.
• The main applicant, spouse and children under 18 are not affected by this suspension.
• The decree sets fees for adding family members after approval in principle, shown above. Under current guidance, however, family members cannot be added to a pending application except a child born while it is being processed, so we confirm the position for your case.

Ongoing obligations.

• No residence or visit is required before or after approval; identity documents can now be issued remotely, with video verification.
• The oath of allegiance is taken in São Tomé and Príncipe or before a consular official.
• Within six months of the grant, the Public Prosecutor may challenge an acquisition in court.
• Keep your passport valid and renew it in line with government rules.

A residence permit or a second citizenship does not, by itself, change where you are resident for tax purposes. Tax residence follows separate rules in each country, and we recommend independent tax advice.

Frequently asked questions.

Official sources.

1. Citizenship by Investment Unit of São Tomé and Príncipe, cip.gov.st, including investment structure and fees, post-approval inclusion fees and frequently asked questions.
2. Decree-Law No. 07/2025, Regulation of Nationality by Investment or Donation, Diário da República, I Série, No. 33, 1 August 2025 (PDF).
3. Law No. 7/2022 on Nationality, 10 March 2022, Article 10(2).
4. STP-Press, the national news agency, launch of the citizenship by investment programme, 12 August 2025.
5. São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment Unit, official programme FAQ and updates.