Costs and Requirements

STP is the world’s most affordable citizenship by donation program and so naturally we receive many questions about the costs. Below is a full breakdown of the program costs, all of which are in United States Dollars.

Donation to the National Transformation Fund:
– For a single applicant: 90,000
– For a family of up to four: 95,000
– For each additional dependent beyond four: 5,000

Non-refundable submission fee (one per family): 5,000

Identity document fees, to be included with the donation amount to obtain first time identity documents as new citizens:
– Citizenship Certificate per person: 250
– Passport per person: 350
– National ID Card per person: 150

Who qualifies as a family member / dependent of the main applicant:

– Spouse: unfortunately only opposite-sex spouses are eligible. The spouse must be legally married to / in a civil union with the main applicant. The place and time of marriage or civil union is not relevant but an official marriage or civil union record extract must be provided.

– Children: biological or legally adopted children of the main applicant or their spouse, up to and including the age of 30. Adult children aged 18–30 must be unmarried and financially dependent on the main Applicant.

– Parents and grandparents: Parents or grandparents of the main applicant or their spouse (as defined above), aged 55 or older.

Documents required to apply, for the main applicant:

1 – Application forms.
2 – Passport data page.
3 – Birth certificate from country of birth or citizenship.
4 – Second ID document like a national ID, driver’s license, etc.
5 – 4 passport photos
6 – Police clearance certificate from country of residence or citizenship.
7 – Source of Funds: company license and shareholder certificate or certified employment letter, among other qualifying documents.
8 – Bank reference letter.
9 – Proof of address, for example a utility bill, lease or similar, with complete address.
10 – Medical examination report: completed medical form confirming health status.
11 – Marriage certificate, if applicable.
12 – Affidavit of Support using official template, if adding dependents to the application.

Documents required to apply, for dependents:

1 – Documents 1–7, 10 and 11 above.
2 – Declaration of consent: passport data page and affidavit from non-accompanying parent for dependent(s) under 18, if applicable.

Notes about all application documents:

Notarised, colour copies must be made of all original documents and these official copies are to be scanned. Apostilles are not needed on any documents. The police clearance certificate must have been issued within the last 3 months. All extracts must be officially translated into English if they are not originally issued by the relevant authority in English. Notarised, colour copies must be made of all original documents only after translation if the document in question needs to be translated into English.

FAQ

Government processing time: 1 to 3 months after submitting a complete application package.

Travel: There is no need to travel to the country at any point during the process or after becoming a citizen.

Passport:

– After being granted citizenship, you will receive a biometric STP passport, no different from those issued to any other STP citizens. For adults, the passport is valid for 7 years. For minors under the age of 16, the passport is valid for 3 years.

– You can renew your passport at any STP embassy or at the CIU office in Dubai. STP currently has embassies in Beijing, Brussels and Lisbon, though it is planning to expand its diplomatic network significant in the coming years.

Cryptocurrency: The source of funds can be cryptocurrency, however payments must be made in US dollars. Appropriate documentation to prove the source of funds is required.

Nationalities excluded from applying: North Korea.

Are the names of new citizens published: No, they are not published in the national gazette or in any other form.

CPLP and African Union benefits: Please note that the immigration and consular protection policies of foreign countries, including CPLP and African Union members, are outside the control of STP and are thus always subject to change by those countries in the future.

STP Facts

São Tomé and Príncipe is a small, peaceful nation off the west coast of Central Africa. It is composed of many islands, the two largest giving the country its name. The country became independent from Portugal in 1975. Untouched beaches and forests abound across the islands. The climate is tropical and the equator passes through the island of São Tomé. STP can be reached by daily, international flights, including to and from Lisbon.

Population: about 220,000

Time Zone: UTC+0 which is the same as winter time in the UK and Portugal. Daylight savings time has never been used in STP.

Currency: São Tomé and Príncipe Dobra (STN)

Official Language: Portuguese

Economy: Agriculture, Fishing, Eco-tourism, Cocoa Production, Renewable Energy

National passport. (Licensed, Vectorstock)

Why STP?

As a westerner, why should you be interested in STP citizenship? In short: geopolitical diversification and long-term access to the growth of the global south.

– STP has been a non-aligned, neutral country since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975. It enjoys a good reputation and good relations with the rest of the world. For a westerner who is a citizen of a polarising country, adding citizenship of a small, lesser-known and non-aligned country to your portfolio is a major diversification.

– Membership of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, along with Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Timor-Leste. On the basis of the Agreement on Mobility between the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, signed in Luanda in 2021, citizens of STP are eligible for special immigration options in member states that have ratified the agreement. Brazil and Portugal have ratified the agreement and currently offer STP citizens residency without any investment required. Brazil also offers resident CPLP citizens an expedited path to naturalisation.

– STP citizens have a right to consular assistance from Portuguese diplomatic missions in countries where STP does not have a diplomatic mission of its own. This is based on the CPLP Consular Cooperation Agreement, formally the Acordo de Cooperação Consular entre os Estados Membros da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa, signed in Lisbon in 2008. Portugal ratified the agreement in 2014. We have also independently confirmed this with the CIU.

– Membership of the African Union. The union’s Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment, adopted in 2018, aims to give the citizens of all member countries the right to live, work, and travel freely across the continent. So far 4 countries, Mali, Niger, Rwanda and STP, have ratified the treaty. 15 countries must ratify the treaty for it to enter into force. This will take time but presents a valuable free movement option in the long-term.

– STP does not practice conscription and never has. In the unlikely event that conscription would ever be introduced, citizens by donation are explicitly exempted from military service, as per Decree-Law No. 07/2025.

– Unlike with some other citizenship by donation or investment programs, STP citizens by donation can vote and pass their citizenship on by descent to children born in the future, without incurring fees other than those that any other citizen would be subject to when registering a newborn as a citizen.

About the Program

São Tomé and Príncipe launched its citizenship program in September of 2025. Citizenship may be obtained by making a donation to the National Transformation Fund, which supports renewable energy, housing and infrastructure projects in the country. The program aligns with the nation’s commitment to environmental preservation, social progress and economic self-sufficiency, meaning donors not only gain a second citizenship, but also make a meaningful and impactful contribution to the islands. The legal backing of the program is Decree-Law No. 07/2025 Regulation of Nationality by Investment or Donation, published in the national gazette of STP on 1 August 2025.

Scan of our license, issued 15.09.2025.

Praia Inhame Eco Lodge, São Tomé island. (Licensed, Getty Images)

Above: Map published by Joannes Janssonius, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1646. (Public Domain)

Header image: Club Santana Beach & Resort, São Tomé island. (Licensed, Getty Images)