São Tomé and Príncipe's Citizenship by Investment Programme, launched in September 2025 under Decree-Law No. 07/2025, is one of the most accessible CBI routes in the global market in 2026. The application process is fully remote, the cost is materially lower than any comparable programme, and the Programme's governance architecture is relatively transparent compared to many peers. This piece sets out the application process as it actually works, step by step, from initial enquiry through to passport issuance. Advance Citizenship operates as a Licensed Marketing Agent for the Programme under Decree-Law No. 07/2025 and processes applications within the CIU's framework.
Before you start: is the Programme right for you
The STP Programme suits applicants who want a credible second citizenship at low cost and on a short timeline, without residency obligations or interview requirements. It does not deliver Schengen visa-free travel. If your primary objective is European mobility, the honest answer is that STP is not the optimal route and a different conversation is needed. For every other common CBI objective, including asset diversification, family mobility across Asia-Pacific and the Gulf, CPLP residency pathway to Portugal, tax-residency planning, and basic Plan B protection, STP is competitive on cost and speed.
Eligibility: who can apply
The main applicant must be 18 or over with a clean criminal record over the past 10 years and able to document the lawful source of the qualifying contribution funds. Applicants of any nationality except North Korea are eligible, subject to the CIU's due-diligence framework. Stateless persons are eligible as a documented category, with substituted documentary basis where country-of-nationality documents cannot be produced.
Family members eligible for inclusion in a single application: spouse or de facto partner. Children under 30 who are financially dependent on the main applicant. Parents aged 55 and over. Grandparents aged 55 and over, where financially dependent. Note on adult dependant document issuance: this is currently on hold pending finalisation of applicable legislation, though applications continue to be accepted and approved for adult dependants in the standard way.
The eight-stage application process
Applications under the Programme cannot be submitted directly. They must be filed through a Licensed Marketing Agent designated by the CIU. The initial consultation is the honest-conversation stage.
- Review of the applicant's profile, objectives, family composition, and intended timeline
- Preliminary conflict-check against major international sanctions and adverse-media indicators
- Honest assessment of whether the application is likely to succeed under current CIU policy
- Structured discussion of source-of-funds narrative and documentary basis
- Written engagement letter and fee quote before any commitment
The applicant assembles the required documentary package. This is almost always the longest phase of the process, driven by the applicant's own document availability rather than Programme processing.
- Certified passport copies for all applicants
- Criminal record certificates from every country of residence over the past 10 years (often slow to issue in some jurisdictions)
- Source-of-funds documentation covering the origin of the contribution funds
- Bank and professional reference letters
- Medical certification for all applicants
- Marriage and birth certificates for family applications
- Translation and apostille of non-English or non-Portuguese documents
Advance Citizenship conducts internal pre-screening of the complete file, structures the source-of-funds narrative, verifies internal consistency across documents, and prepares the submission package for the CIU. Files that will not pass CIU due diligence are identified at this stage and either remediated to compliance or respectfully declined. This is the stage at which most avoidable application failures are prevented.
The complete file is formally submitted to the CIU's Head Office in Dubai. The submission fee of USD $5,000 and the processing fee of USD $5,000 are paid at this stage to initiate the process. Base up-front payment: USD $10,000, plus USD $5,000 processing for each dependant beyond four. The main contribution to the National Transformation Fund is not yet paid.
The CIU conducts internal review of the file for completeness and consistency, then refers the application to independent third-party international compliance firms for substantive due diligence. This stage includes international sanctions screening, Politically Exposed Person (PEP) screening, criminal record verification, adverse-media checks, source-of-funds validation, and biographical verification. The CIU's First Year Report, published 1 September 2026, recorded an average approval time of approximately 2 months and a fastest-recorded approval of 26 days. Government review and Government Due Diligence run concurrently; the submission fee includes Government Due Diligence.
The Government of São Tomé and Príncipe reviews the CIU's recommendation and either approves the citizenship grant or declines it. Approval is communicated through the Licensed Marketing Agent. Per the CIU's Year One data, 350 applications were approved out of 362 decisions rendered, giving a rejection rate of approximately 3.3%.
Following formal citizenship approval, the main contribution to the National Transformation Fund is paid. For a single applicant, this is USD $90,000. For a family of up to four, USD $95,000. Per-applicant minor fees for citizenship certificate, passport, and national ID card ($750 per person) are also paid at this stage. This payment-after-approval structure is a meaningful structural protection against the risk of paying before approval.
The citizenship certificate, national ID card, and biometric passport are issued and dispatched by secure international courier to the applicant's preferred address. Following the January 2026 legislative amendment enabling remote issuance, no travel to São Tomé and Príncipe is required at any stage of the application. Passport in hand marks the end of the formal process.
The complete cost breakdown
| Line item | Single applicant | Family of 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution to National Transformation Fund | $90,000 | $95,000 |
| Submission fee (per application) | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Processing fee | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Minor fees ($750 per applicant) | $750 | $3,000 |
| Total all-in | $100,750 | $108,000 |
Each additional dependant beyond four is USD $10,750: $5,000 contribution, $5,000 processing fee and $750 document issuance fee. The only costs outside this schedule are minor international bank transfer fees, document translation and apostille where required, and secure courier delivery. There are no hidden Programme fees.
Payment timing matters
When each payment is made
At submission: Submission fee ($5,000) and processing fee ($5,000). Base total: $10,000, plus $5,000 processing for each dependant beyond four.
At approval: Main contribution to National Transformation Fund (either $90,000 for single or $95,000 for family of 4) plus per-applicant minor fees ($750 each).
The structural significance of this sequencing is that the main contribution is paid only after a formal citizenship approval is in the applicant's hand. Many CBI programmes require the main contribution at submission or in escrow before approval. STP does not.
Programme payments must be made only through an Authorised Government Agent under approved programme procedures.
What makes a successful application
The CIU's Year One rejection rate was 3.3%. The applications that fail at the Commission level almost always fail on one of three dimensions: inadequate source-of-funds documentation, undisclosed material information discovered during due diligence, or adverse findings on international sanctions and PEP screening. Applications with complete, well-organised documentation, a clean international profile, and honest disclosure of any potentially relevant background move through the process on the shorter end of the timeline. Applications with gaps or inconsistencies move slower, with additional information requests extending the formal processing clock.
"The Programme's two-month formal processing figure assumes a complete, well-prepared file on submission. The pre-submission work, which is where Advance Citizenship adds most of its value, is what makes that timeline achievable."
What you get at the end
Full citizenship of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, under Decree-Law No. 07/2025 and the broader Nationality Law. A biometric passport issued by the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe. A national ID card. CPLP member-state status with the preferential residency pathways that entails for Portugal and other Lusophone states. Dual citizenship recognised, so no need to renounce existing nationality. Inheritable citizenship for direct descendants. No automatic tax residency in STP from citizenship alone. The passport is accepted globally for visa applications and international travel, though it is not currently visa-free for the Schengen Area.
Common questions at the consultation stage
Can I travel to STP after approval? Yes, as a citizen. There is no requirement to, but you can. STP is a small country of approximately 230,000 people in the Gulf of Guinea, administered through its capital at São Tomé city.
Can I pay in cryptocurrency? Yes. Cryptocurrency is accepted as source of funds subject to the same traceability standards that apply to fiat payment. The cryptocurrency transaction must be traceable to identifiable, lawful sources.
Is my information kept confidential? Yes. The CIU and the Licensed Marketing Agent network operate under strict confidentiality obligations. STP is not a participating jurisdiction in the OECD Common Reporting Standard.
What if my application is declined? The submission fee and due-diligence costs are not refundable. The main contribution is not paid at submission, so is not at risk. Pre-screening at Step 03 is specifically designed to identify files that will not pass, so that declined applications are rare for files that proceed to formal submission.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment?
The process has eight stages: initial consultation with a Licensed Marketing Agent, document collection, pre-screening and file preparation, formal submission to the CIU, due diligence, Government approval, main contribution payment, and document issuance. approximately 8 weeks from formal submission of a complete application to government decision. Government review and Government Due Diligence are conducted concurrently by the Citizenship by Investment Unit. Post approval, promulgation, registration and document issuance take approximately 12 weeks minimum. Document preparation precedes formal submission and varies by applicant. The application is processed under Decree-Law No. 07/2025 by the CIU's Dubai Head Office in coordination with the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Do I need to travel to São Tomé and Príncipe to apply?
No. The STP application process is fully remote. Following a January 2026 legislative amendment enabling remote issuance of National Identity Cards and passports, no travel to São Tomé and Príncipe is required at any stage. Documents are couriered directly to the applicant's chosen address.
How long does STP citizenship take to process?
Per the CIU's First Year Report published 1 September 2026, the average approval time is approximately 2 months from complete submission. The fastest recorded approval was 26 days. approximately 8 weeks from formal submission of a complete application to government decision. Government review and Government Due Diligence are conducted concurrently by the Citizenship by Investment Unit. Post approval, promulgation, registration and document issuance take approximately 12 weeks minimum. Document preparation precedes formal submission and varies by applicant.
Who is eligible to apply for STP citizenship?
Applicants of any nationality except North Korea are eligible. The main applicant must be 18 or over, hold a clean criminal record over the past 10 years, be able to document the lawful source of the qualifying contribution funds, and pass the CIU's due-diligence screening. Stateless persons are eligible subject to the same due-diligence standards, with documentary substitutions where country-of-nationality documents cannot be produced.
What is the total cost?
USD $100,750 all-in for a single applicant, USD $106,500 for two applicants, USD $107,250 for three and USD $108,000 for four. This covers the non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund, submission fee, processing fee, and per-applicant minor fees for citizenship certificate, passport, and national ID card. Each additional dependant beyond four is USD $10,750: $5,000 contribution, $5,000 processing fee and $750 document issuance fee.
When do I pay the contribution?
The submission fee and processing fee are paid at application submission. The main contribution to the National Transformation Fund is paid only after formal citizenship approval is received from the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe. This payment-after-approval structure protects the applicant from the risk of paying before approval.
What are the benefits of STP citizenship?
Full citizenship of a sovereign Republic, biometric passport valid for international travel, CPLP mobility rights across the Community of Portuguese Language Countries including Portugal, Brazil and Angola, no residency obligation, dual citizenship recognised, no personal income tax exposure in STP for non-resident citizens, and inheritability of citizenship for future generations. STP is not currently visa-free for the Schengen Area.
Ready to start the process?
Advance Citizenship, as a Licensed Marketing Agent designated by the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe under Decree-Law No. 07/2025, handles the full application from initial consultation through passport issuance. The initial consultation is confidential and obligation-free. We will tell you honestly whether your application is likely to succeed before you commit to anything.
Request a confidential consultationLicensed Marketing Agent · Decree-Law No. 07/2025