Sao Tome and Principe citizenship by investment in one paragraph

Programme status

Active. Launched in 2025 under Law No. 07/2025, the programme is one of the newest in the market and the lowest-priced contribution route currently available. It is contribution-only: there is no real-estate or bond option.

Government contribution and fees

Contribution bands verified against cip.gov.st on 14 September 2026. Legal translation, attestation and Alpha's professional fee are additional and quoted in writing.

Worked examples

Single applicant: 90,000 + 5,000 due diligence + 750 post-processing = US$95,750 in government charges. Family of three: 95,000 + 5,000 + 2,250 = US$102,250. Family of four: 95,000 + 5,000 + 3,000 = US$103,000.

Eligibility

• Main applicant aged 18 or over with a clean criminal record and police clearances from country of citizenship and residence.
• Lawful source of funds, evidenced for due diligence; sponsored (benefactor-funded) applications are permitted with a separate benefactor check.
• Dependants who can be included: spouse or de facto partner, children up to the age of 30, and parents or grandparents, under the Unit's current rules. Adult children apply with their own police clearances.
• Future dependants (for example a child born after the grant) can be added later, subject to fees and due diligence.

Restricted applicants

The Unit has not published a banned-nationality list. Applicants on international sanctions lists or who fail due diligence are refused, and eligibility for particular nationalities is decided case by case by the Unit. We confirm this at pre-screen before any agreement is signed.

Processing time and steps

The Unit states a typical approval time of about two months, with passport issuance about three to four months after approval; expect roughly six months from filing to passport. The sequence is:

1. Pre-screen by Alpha: passport copies, nationality, sanctions and source-of-funds check.
2. Agreement and document collection, translation and attestation; first payment on registration of the application.
3. Due-diligence fee paid and file submitted to the Citizenship by Investment Unit through the licensed channel.
4. Comprehensive due-diligence checks by the Unit.
5. Approval; contribution paid to the Government of Sao Tome and Principe.
6. Certificate of citizenship, then passport issuance.

Residency, visits and dual citizenship

• Residency requirement: none, during or after the application.
• Visit requirement: none.
• Interview: none.
• Dual citizenship: permitted; citizenship passes to future generations by descent.

Travel access and the CPLP pathway

A Sao Tome and Principe passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to a limited set of destinations, including Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Brazil and Malaysia. It does not give visa-free entry to the Schengen area, the United Kingdom or the United States. Published counts range from 59 (Henley Passport Index 2026) to more than 90 (the Unit's own figure) depending on how visa-on-arrival and e-visa destinations are counted; treat every count as indicative and confirm with the destination state before travelling.

The distinctive advantage is CPLP membership. Under the CPLP mobility agreement, Sao Tome and Principe citizens can apply for residence permits in Portugal and other member states, including Brazil, Angola and Mozambique, on preferential terms. This is a residence application made after citizenship, not a travel right, and it is subject to each member state's own rules.

Tax

Sao Tome and Principe taxes residents on their income; citizens who are not tax resident there are not taxed on foreign income. Citizenship does not by itself change your tax residency or your obligations where you live or hold assets. We do not provide tax advice.

Due diligence

Every applicant, and any benefactor, undergoes the Unit's due-diligence checks against sanctions, politically exposed person and adverse-media sources. Alpha pre-screens every case and declines files unlikely to clear. Approval is decided solely by the Government of Sao Tome and Principe and is never guaranteed.

Disadvantages and risks

• A new programme (2025) with a short track record; acceptance by banks and visa authorities is still being established.
• Limited travel value: no Schengen, UK or US access; the passport is weaker than any Caribbean document.
• The CPLP residence pathway is a separate application governed by the receiving state; it is not automatic and its terms can change.
• Six months end to end is slower than Vanuatu.
• Citizenship can be revoked for fraud or misrepresentation.

Alternatives

• Nauru: US$90,000 to 31 December 2026; three to four months; parents and siblings includable.
• Vanuatu: US$130,000 plus US$5,000 FIU fee; one to three months; stronger passport.
• Dominica: from US$200,000; Schengen visa-free access; interview required.
• Full comparison: CBI programme database.

Official sources

• Citizenship by Investment Unit, Sao Tome and Principe: cip.gov.st (programme overview, FAQ, licensed marketing agents).
• Law No. 07/2025 establishing the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
• CPLP mobility agreement (2021) and the implementing rules of each member state.

Alpha's regulatory role

Alpha Immigration Associates FZC (SPC Free Zone, Sharjah, Reg. 4204438.01; office 309 Opal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai) is listed as an Authorized Marketing Agent (Middle East region) on the Unit's official register at cip.gov.st. Verify on our accreditations page. Editor: Manpreet Kataria, Managing Director. Page reviewed 17 September 2026.