São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment: Process and Costs

How the program is structured

Decree-Law No. 07/2025 created the Program and the specialized Citizenship by Investment or Donation Unit. The qualifying contribution is paid to the National Transformation Fund, which the law assigns to national-development purposes and subjects to oversight and audit requirements.

The decree permits the responsible government members to revise minimum amounts by joint order. Treat every amount as time-sensitive and verify the current CIU schedule before committing funds.

Published contribution amounts

• US$90,000 minimum National Transformation Fund contribution for an individual applicant
• US$95,000 minimum contribution for a family application containing two to four members
• US$5,000 additional contribution for each further qualifying dependent
• US$5,000 non-refundable due-diligence and processing fee per application
• Additional issuance, agent, translation, legalization, professional, or later-family-inclusion costs may apply

Who may be included

The principal applicant must be at least 18 and satisfy the nationality law, investment, documentation, source-of-funds, and due-diligence requirements. The official CIU site currently describes qualifying family members as a spouse or de facto partner, children up to age 30, and parents or grandparents aged 55 or older. Dependency and documentary conditions must be confirmed for the actual application.

Documents and checks

• Completed official application forms in Portuguese or English
• Certified valid passport copies for the applicant and dependents
• Recent criminal-record certificates from applicable countries of nationality and residence
• Proof of residence
• Medical evidence required by the program
• Lawful source-of-funds declaration with supporting banking documentation
• Civil-status and dependency evidence for family members
• Authenticated translations and apostille or consular legalization where required
• Independent due-diligence review and any additional information requested by the Unit

Application sequence

1. 1Confirm eligibility and select an agent from the CIU’s current licensed Marketing Agents register.
2. 2Complete pre-screening and prepare the official forms and supporting documents.
3. 3Pay the applicable submission, processing, and due-diligence fees.
4. 4Have the authorized agent submit the complete application through the government process.
5. 5Respond to document requests, source-of-funds review, due diligence, and any interview request.
6. 6Wait for the government’s approval-in-principle decision.
7. 7After approval, deposit the required contribution within the stated deadline.
8. 8Complete the oath or affirmation, registration, and document-issuance steps directed by the authorities.
9. 9Check the citizenship certificate, national ID, and passport, then record their issue and expiry details.

Timing and payment caution

The official CIU site currently describes an average decision time of about two months and a broader five-to-six-month period including post-approval passport issuance. These are estimates, not guarantees.

The decree states that the contribution is due after approval and must be deposited within 90 days for the process to remain valid. Never transfer program funds based only on an unverified website, intermediary, or payment instruction. Confirm the agent on the official CIU register and verify the current government payment procedure.

What to track in Expat Crow

• Principal applicant and every proposed dependent
• Agent license verification and engagement documents
• Passports, civil-status records, police certificates, medical evidence, and legalization dates
• Source-of-funds evidence and due-diligence requests
• Submission date, government reference, and approval-in-principle
• Contribution deadline, verified payment instructions, and receipts
• Oath, registration, certificate, national ID, and passport issuance
• Passport expirations and any later family-inclusion applications