The São Tomé & Príncipe citizenship by investment programme was established in 2025 and carries a minimum investment of $90,000, making it the most affordable citizenship by investment programme in the world. Investments in this programme are funnelled into the São Tomé & Príncipe National Transformation Fund, contributing to renewable energy, infrastructure, education, affordable housing and eco-tourism initiatives.
Two small islands in the Gulf of Guinea, roughly 200 kilometres west of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, home to the newest and most affordable citizenship by investment programme in the world.
São Tomé & Príncipe is a small island nation located in the Gulf of Guinea, roughly 200km west of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It is made up of two main islands (São Tomé and Príncipe) and several smaller islets. It has a total land mass of 1,000km², making it the second smallest country on the continent of Africa, with only the Seychelles being smaller.
The capital and largest city of São Tomé & Príncipe is São Tomé, and the islands enjoy a warm and tropical climate year-round.
Whilst Creole dialects are widely spoken across São Tomé & Príncipe, the official language is Portuguese, owing to the islands' discovery by Portuguese explorers João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar in roughly 1470.
São Tomé & Príncipe's economy is mainly driven by agriculture, primarily the growing and selling of cocoa, alongside fishing and a rapidly growing tourism sector predicted to keep expanding at scale.
Investing in a second citizenship provides greater global mobility, financial freedom, tax advantages and access to a secure, high-quality lifestyle, while ensuring long-term security for you and your family.
Visa-free or e-visa access to over 93 countries, including South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong, with e-visas to the UAE and Qatar.
All the citizenship rights of a São Toméan, including no minimum stay requirement and no language test.
A single applicant can include their spouse, dependent children under 30, and parents aged 55 and over.
São Tomé & Príncipe passport holders can hold dual citizenship.
Five personal conditions apply to every applicant.
A contribution to the National Transformation Fund, scaled by family size, funding renewable energy, infrastructure, education, affordable housing and eco-tourism initiatives.
The process is straightforward, and applications are currently being processed in 5 to 7 months.
São Tomé & Príncipe's Citizenship by Investment and Donation Programme is established under a Decree-Law which came into effect on 1 August 2025. The programme is governed by the Regulation on Nationality by Investment and Donation, providing a legal pathway for foreign nationals to acquire São Toméan citizenship through naturalisation.
Applicants must meet the requirements outlined in Decree Law No. 07/2022 and make a qualifying contribution to the country's National Transformation Fund.
While processing times can't be guaranteed, typically applications are processed and citizenship is achieved within 5 to 7 months.
Applicants must invest into the National Transformation Fund: USD 90,000 for a single applicant, USD 95,000 for a family of 2 to 4, and USD 5,000 for each dependant thereafter.
Yes, applications can include the main applicant's spouse, children under 30, and parents over the age of 55.
There are no residence requirements; applicants do not need to stay or reside in the country to keep their citizenship. Dual citizenship is also allowed, so applicants will not need to give up their existing passport.
Birth certificate, police clearance certificate, passport photos, current passport, proof of address, medical clearance results, and source of funds documentation.
Applicants first go through assessment and onboarding, consulting with advisors and passing due diligence checks. Next is application submission, where the client is fully onboarded, retainer fees are paid, and documents are prepared before submission. The application is then processed and government pre-approval is granted, at which point the investment requirements must be fulfilled. Once approved, a passport is issued within 1 to 2 months.
Yes. When applicants fulfil the investment requirements, the main applicant's spouse can be included in the application.
Yes. Investors can retain their original nationality while holding São Tomé & Príncipe citizenship; the country's laws do not require new citizens to renounce their existing citizenship.
A thirty-minute consultation with our advisory team will tell you whether São Tomé & Príncipe is the right programme for you, and if it is not, which of our other programmes is.