São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment Programme
Established 2025. Regulated by Citizenship Investment Unit (CIU), São Tomé and Príncipe — Director Disney Leite Ramos.
- Min investment
- $90K
- Processing time
- 2-6 months
- Physical presence
- No
- Interview
- —
- Language test
- No
- Dual citizenship
- Yes
- Visa-free destinations
- ~61
- Henley rank (2025)
- #81
Investment options
Donation
$90KNon-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund. USD 90,000 for a single applicant; USD 95,000 for a family of up to four; USD 5,000 per additional dependent beyond four. Funds earmarked for renewable energy, housing, education, and infrastructure. CIU has enforced this as a floor — in February 2026 it revoked an agent license for marketing the program at USD 89,000.
Additional fees
- Application fee: $5K
- Passport fee: $350
Application/submission fee USD 5,000. Document fees USD 750 total (citizenship certificate USD 250, passport USD 350, national ID USD 150). Agents typically retain a flat commission (~USD 20,000 per approved application per CIU disclosures). Separate published due-diligence fee schedule not located.
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Adult children up to age: 30
- Parents (min age): 55+
- Siblings: No
Spouse (including de facto partners with cohabitation proof), unmarried financially-dependent children up to 30, and parents/grandparents aged 55+. As of April 2026, passport issuance for dependents over 18 is temporarily suspended pending a revised dependency framework.
Tax implications
- Worldwide income taxed: —
- Tax residency required: No
Citizenship alone does not create tax residency in São Tomé and Príncipe. Published guidance on worldwide-income treatment for non-resident citizens is limited.
Eligibility requirements
- Minimum age 18
- Clean criminal record
- Documented legal source of funds
- Pass due diligence and background checks
- Biometric enrollment (as of April 2026 may be done remotely via video verification with the Civil Registry and Notary Office)
Disqualifiers
- Nationals of North Korea
- Applicants currently holding three or more foreign nationalities (on hold pending parliamentary amendment to Nationality Law, as of April 2026)
- Criminal record / pending criminal proceedings
- Misrepresentation on application
Recent changes
- 2025-08
Decreto-Lei n.º 07/2025 published in the official gazette establishing the CBI program.
- 2025-09
Program operationally launched at USD 90,000 donation; CIU established with Dubai-based administrative back office.
- 2026-01
First passports issued (≈27 approvals reported).
- 2026-02-12
CIU revoked an agent license for underselling the program at USD 89,000, signaling enforcement of the price floor.
- 2026-04-10
CIU memorandum: (1) applications from individuals holding 3+ nationalities placed on hold pending legislative amendment; (2) remote biometric enrollment via video verification authorized; (3) passport issuance for adult dependents (18+) suspended pending revised framework.
Notes
One of the cheapest legitimate CBI programs as of 2026, but very new. The decree-law was issued by executive action without full parliamentary process, drawing domestic criticism (opposition leader Américo Barros) about transparency. Weak passport (≈61 visa-free destinations) means São Tomé is primarily used as a 'utility' second passport — KYC for crypto exchanges, banking diversification — rather than for visa-free mobility. No Schengen, UK, or US access. Three-nationality cap and adult-dependent freeze (April 2026) are live constraints to flag to applicants. Administered out of Dubai rather than from São Tomé directly.
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