Sao Tome election without a winner: what happens to the citizenship programme

In short

• On 6 October 2026 the Constitutional Court confirmed the results: MLSTP 24 seats, ADI 23, the MCI-PS/PUN coalition 6, the Basta movement 2. A majority needs 28.
• Turnout was about 37%, the lowest on record. EU and Portuguese-speaking community observers assessed the vote as orderly and transparent.
• President Carlos Vila Nova was re-elected in July 2026 and will appoint a prime minister in line with the balance in parliament.
• The citizenship programme rests on Decree-Law 07/2025 and keeps operating. Delays are possible in steps that need government sign-off.
• The fund contribution is paid after approval in principle, so the applicant's money is hardly at risk during the uncertainty.

What the election showed

In 2022 the ADI party led by Patrice Trovoada won a majority of 30 seats and formed a government. Then came what happens in small countries more often than one might think. In January 2025 President Carlos Vila Nova dismissed Trovoada and appointed Americo Ramos, a former secretary-general of the same party, as prime minister against the wishes of its leadership. A struggle began inside ADI, and in summer 2026 the Constitutional Court recognised Ramos as party chairman. Trovoada urged his supporters not to vote.

In July 2026 Vila Nova was re-elected president with 55.88% of the vote, now as an independent backed by MLSTP, the main opposition party. He was sworn in on 3 September, and his term runs to 2031. Parliamentary, municipal and regional elections followed on 27 September.

The result: ADI lost seven seats, MLSTP gained six. The first party beat the second by fewer than 500 votes. Turnout was about 37%, a record low. EU and Portuguese-speaking community observer missions called the vote orderly, transparent and credible.

What this means for you. The country is not in a political crisis in the usual sense: the election was calm and the results were confirmed by the court. There is arithmetic that requires a coalition.

Who can form a government

Under the constitution the president appoints the prime minister taking the election result into account. Vila Nova has already said the new government will rest on corresponding support in parliament. The options are these.

The key is held by the MCI-PS/PUN coalition with six seats: with it both MLSTP and ADI reach a majority. There is a third option, a grand coalition of the two largest parties, but after the campaign it looks least likely. While the parties negotiate, the current government runs the country.

What it means for the citizenship programme

Sao Tome and Principe's citizenship by investment programme is established by Decree-Law 07/2025. It is a legal act, not a decision of a particular government. Changing the terms or closing the programme requires a new act. A change of cabinet does not by itself abolish the programme.

Accepting applications, due diligence and work with licensed agents go through the programme unit. This work does not depend on government formation. Steps that require a council of ministers decision may take longer until the new cabinet starts work. In practice this means the time from filing to passport may grow by several weeks.

A separate question is whether the new government will revisit the programme. Nobody has announced changes. But the programme was launched in 2025 under the previous balance, and any new government is entitled to fine-tune it: change the contribution, the requirements or the procedure. I would build this possibility into plans but not treat it as a reason to give up on Sao Tome.

What this means for you. The programme works. The most the election can do is stretch timelines a little and, in future, change terms for new applicants.

How the programme works is covered in the Sao Tome citizenship programme.

Why the applicant's money is hardly at risk

Sao Tome has a feature that is especially valuable in a period of political uncertainty. The programme works on an approval-first basis. The applicant files documents, pays a filing fee of about $5,000 and vetting fees, passes due diligence and only after approval in principle pays the main contribution from $90,000 to the National Transformation Fund.

Compare this with programmes where money is paid before a decision. If something goes wrong in Sao Tome during the change of government, the applicant risks fees, not the contribution. That is a fundamentally different level of risk from, say, Argentina, where the programme rests on a decree challenged in court and ban bills provide no refunds.

For me the main criterion in such a situation is simple: at what point the client hands over the main money. In Sao Tome that happens after approval. So applying now is possible; you just need to allow extra time for government formation.

Sofia MendesInvestment Migration Expert, BRIDGES

What makes up the budget: the cost of Sao Tome citizenship. The amount for your family is shown by the Sao Tome citizenship cost calculator.

Is it worth applying now

• Yes, if you need a second passport within months, have a budget of up to $120,000 and are ready for a timeline a few weeks longer than usual.
• Yes, if you plan a route to Portugal through the Portuguese-speaking community: its nationals need 7 years of residence for Portuguese citizenship rather than 10.
• Wait, if an exact passport date is critical for you, for example for a trip or a deal.
• Look at other programmes, if you need visa-free Schengen: a Sao Tome passport does not give it.

For Russian citizens one more detail matters. Sao Tome accepts applicants from Russia with enhanced source of funds checks. EU sanctions on selling securities do not apply here: a contribution to Sao Tome's fund is not a purchase of units in a European fund. Details are in the article on Sao Tome citizenship for Russians.

Our way of working and services are shown on the page Sao Tome citizenship with BRIDGES. What the passport gives: the Sao Tome passport, visa-free countries for Sao Tome passport holders.

Political risk: Sao Tome, Argentina, Vanuatu

Every young programme carries political risk. What matters is where it lies and what it means for the money.

• Sao Tome. The risk lies in government formation and possible fine-tuning of terms. The basis is a decree-law; money is paid after approval.
• Argentina. The risk lies in court and in Congress: the decree the programme rests on has been declared null in individual cases, and ban bills have been filed. A comparison of the two is in "Argentina or Sao Tome".
• Vanuatu. The programme has run since 2017, and the risk is mainly external: EU pressure on visa-free access. Internal political stability is higher.

What this means for you. Of the three most discussed programmes of autumn 2026, Sao Tome has the clearest political risk and the safest for the applicant's money.

Political risk in other programmes: Argentina passport on trial, Tate and the Vanuatu passport.

Common mistakes

1. Giving up on Sao Tome because of an election headline. The programme works and the election was calm.
2. Planning the passport for an exact date. Timelines may grow while a government is formed.
3. Expecting Schengen from the passport. Sao Tome has no visa-free EU access; Europe opens through residence or the Portuguese route.
4. Paying the main contribution before approval. The programme's order is approval first, then the contribution.

Conclusion

Sao Tome's election ended without a winner but not without order. The results are confirmed by the court, observers are satisfied, the president is in office until 2031, and the citizenship programme rests on a legal act that a change of cabinet does not abolish. The main practical effect in the coming months is a possible delay in steps that need government sign-off. For an applicant who pays the main contribution after approval, that is an inconvenience, not a threat.

Sources

Results of the parliamentary election of 27 September 2026, confirmed by the Constitutional Court of Sao Tome and Principe on 6 October 2026, and National Electoral Commission data. Preliminary statements of EU and Portuguese-speaking community observer missions. Results of the presidential election of 19 July 2026. Decree-Law 07/2025 on the citizenship by investment programme and its procedure. Prepared by Sofia Mendes, Investment Migration Expert at BRIDGES. Facts checked on 14 October 2026.

Related: Sao Tome citizenship by investment, Sao Tome and the route to Portugal, Sao Tome or Vanuatu.