Citizenship of Sao Tome and Principe by investment in 2026: NTF fee, deadlines, family

What is Sao Tome citizenship by investment?

Sao Tome citizenship by investment is a legal way to obtain a second passport through a non-refundable contribution to a government fund, without relocation and without the requirement to live on the islands. The regulatory basis of the program is Decree-Law 07/2025, according to which Sao Tome and Principe officially opened the reception of investors. The program started in 2025, and the first approvals and passports appeared in early 2026.

This is important to keep in mind: we have one of the youngest programs on the investment citizenship market. Caribbean and other mature programs have been around for decades, have streamlined procedures and a predictable passport reputation. Sao Tome is just gaining practice, creating a list of visa-free countries and polishing the rules. You should treat it soberly: it is an accessible and fast tool, but not an analogue of programs with a long history.

Investors' money goes to the National Transformation Fund (NTF) - a targeted instrument through which the country's infrastructure and social sphere are financed. The logic is the same as for small island states in general: the country receives funds for development, and the investor receives a second passport. Basic information about the country itself is collected in a separate material about citizenship of Sao Tome.

What kind of country is Sao Tome and Principe?

To soberly evaluate a passport, it is useful to understand what kind of state it is. Sao Tome and Principe is an archipelago of two main islands in the Gulf of Guinea, in the Atlantic off the west coast of Africa, almost on the equator. This is one of the smallest states on the continent: the population is about 230 thousand people, the capital is the city of Sao Tome.

The country gained independence from Portugal in 1975, and Portuguese heritage is everywhere. The official language is Portuguese, the currency is dobra (STN), pegged to the euro. The economy is small and relies on cocoa, fishing and tourism, and oil and gas projects in the Gulf are being discussed for the future.

Three things are important for an investor. Firstly, it is a calm and neutral jurisdiction without a loud international agenda. Secondly, membership in the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries opens a separate path to Portugal - we will talk about it in more detail below. Thirdly, the country allows second citizenship, meaning there is no need to give up your current passport. This context helps not to build high expectations: a passport of average strength, but with its practical advantages.

Conditions and cost 2026: table of composition - fee - what is included

Let's move on to the main question - how much does citizenship of Sao Tome cost by investment and what is included in this amount. It is important to distinguish two things here: the non-refundable NTF fee (primary deposit) and the associated fees - for filing, for due diligence and for paperwork. The program is young, so we present the fee figures as a guide: they are being updated and may change, the final estimate is always recorded in writing before the start.

Estimated parameters for 2026:

• Contribution per applicant - from 90,000 USD to the NTF fund.
• Contribution for a family of up to four people - approximately from 95,000 USD, that is, the inclusion of a spouse and children increases the price of the basic threshold slightly.
• Each additional dependent more than four - approximately from 5,000 USD additional.
• Application fee - approximately 5,000 USD, regardless of composition.

Let's collect the picture into a table. This is a guideline for understanding the logic of prices, and not a fixed price.

The main thing to remember: 90,000 USD is a contribution for one, but due to the advantageous family structure, you can include loved ones with a small additional payment. The exact estimate for your composition is calculated individually, taking into account all fees.

Where does the money go: NTF fund

The purpose of the contribution is one of the key issues for any investment program. In Sao Tome, the money goes not just into the general budget, but into the National Transformation Fund (NTF). This is an instrument through which the state finances projects that the country needs for growth.

What the fund's funds are used for:

• Infrastructure - energy, ports and airport, road network.
• Social sphere - housing, healthcare and education.
• Economy - tourism and industry, on which the country wants to increase income.

For an investor, this logic is important for two reasons. Firstly, the trust fund is a sign that the program is structured as a government mechanism, and not a one-time sale of passports. Secondly, the transparent allocation of money indirectly works on the reputation of the program in the eyes of other countries, and therefore on the value of the passport in the future. But you shouldn’t delude yourself: the program is very young, and the sustainability of this reputation has yet to be confirmed by practice.

Who can be included in the application?

The family structure is one of the program's strengths. The basic threshold is designed for a family of up to four people and increases slightly as it expands, so Sao Tome is often beneficial for families rather than single applicants.

Who is allowed to be included (parameters are indicative, verified as of the date of submission):

• Spouse main applicant.
• Children - up to a certain age, approximately up to 30 years, subject to financial dependence on the applicant.
• Parents the applicant and his spouse - approximately 55 years of age.
• Older generation - grandparents on comparable terms.

Important disclaimer: a separate due diligence check is carried out for each adult, and if you go beyond the basic package, individual fees and charges are added. If you want to include loved ones after receiving your passport (for example, a newborn child or spouse), separate rates apply for them. Therefore, it is wise to plan the composition of the family in advance, along with the estimate - this way the budget will not bring surprises.

Remote registration without accommodation

The Sao Tome program was initially designed for remote registration. To obtain citizenship, you do not need to move to the islands or even physically appear on them. All interaction takes place through a licensed agent and authorized authorities of the country.

What does this give in practice:

• There is no residency requirement. There is no need to live in Sao Tome either before or after receiving your passport. There is no residency requirement here.
• No mandatory visit. Documents are submitted and processed remotely; personal presence on the islands is not required.
• Submission through an agent. The application cannot be submitted directly as an individual - the work goes through an authorized representative who collects the package, verifies the source of funds and conducts the case.

For most foreign investors, this is convenient: there is no need to waste time on long-distance flights to the Atlantic and coordinate schedules. It is enough to collect and legalize documents, undergo verification and wait for a decision. More about the document itself - in the article on Sao Tome passport.

Processing time: approximately from 2 months

Speed ​​is the second reason, after price, why people pay attention to the program. According to official guidelines, the minimum due diligence check takes about two months, and approval, in principle, can be obtained in approximately 6-8 weeks after submitting the full package. That's fast by citizenship by investment standards.

a answer is more complex than one number. The actual deadline consists of several stages:

• Preparation of documents and verification of the source of funds - usually several weeks on the client side: collection of certificates, legalization, transfer, confirmation of the origin of money.
• Official processing and due diligence - those same approximate two months before approval in principle.
• Registration of passport and documents - final technical stage after approval.

In practice, it is reasonable to lay out the full cycle from the start of work to the passport in hand within approximately 4-6 months, if the package is assembled without gaps. Any delay with documents or questions regarding the source of funds will shift this deadline. The speed of the program largely depends on how well the package is prepared at the start.

Expert's opinion: who is the program suitable for?

A young program is always a balance of opportunity and uncertainty. Let’s look at who the citizenship of Sao Tome is really suitable for, and who should look towards mature programs, and what to pay attention to before starting.

• If you need an affordable second passport for your family - the advantageous structure for up to four people makes Sao Tome one of the most interesting options on the market.
• If connection with the Portuguese-speaking world is important - the country’s membership in the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries opens a separate path to Portugal, although not instantaneously.
• If a strong visa-free regime for Schengen and the USA is critical - this is not about Sao Tome, other jurisdictions should be considered here.
• If you are from the CIS - plan for enhanced compliance and a thorough check of the source of funds, a formal approach will not work.

The main advice is not to chase only the price and not to believe the advertising promises of an “EU passport right away.” Consider the full estimate based on family composition, check the relevance of the conditions on the date of submission and soberly assess the strength of the passport. Then the program will work exactly like the accessible tool that it is.

What opportunities does the Sao Tome passport provide?

Now about the reason for which everything is being started - about the passport itself and its real, and not embellished, capabilities. Let's be : the Sao Tome passport is not the top document in the world, but it has its practical advantages.

What does it give:

• Visa-free or simplified entry approximately to about 60 countries and territories, including visas on arrival and electronic visas. The list is changing and should be checked when planning your trips.
• Among the notable directions name, in particular, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil and a number of countries in Africa and Latin America.
• Dual citizenship. Sao Tome allows second citizenship; you do not need to give up your current passport.

Let's talk about restrictions. Sao Tome passport doesn't give visa-free entry into the United States and does not provide visa-free access to the Schengen area. This is an average-level passport in terms of strength, and it would be dishonest to exaggerate its capabilities. But it has a special advantage that Caribbean programs do not have - a Portuguese-language route to Europe. Let's talk about it further. A detailed analysis of the directions is in the material about Sao Tome passport and visa-free countries.

The path to Portugal through the CPLP

This is perhaps the most interesting feature of the program. Sao Tome and Principe is a member of the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries (Comunidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa, CPLP). For citizens of this commonwealth, Portugal offers a simplified path to residence and, in the future, to naturalization. But here it is important to immediately remove illusions.

How it works :

• This is not an EU passport right away. Citizenship of Sao Tome does not in itself give the right to live and work in the European Union.
• You need a real residence in Portugal. Simplifications under the CPLP relate to obtaining a residence permit and subsequent naturalization, but you will have to move and live there legally.
• It takes language and time. For naturalization, you will need knowledge of Portuguese at a basic level (approximately A2) and several years of legal residence at a reduced qualification for CPLP citizens - the exact terms are verified according to the current legislation of Portugal.

In other words, Sao Tome can be seen as the first step of a long journey to Europe, and not as an instant ticket. For some this is a compelling argument, for others it is too long a journey. The main thing is to understand the mechanics and not confuse the simplified path with the automatic result.

Due diligence

A low entry threshold does not mean that a passport is handed out to everyone. Due diligence is a mandatory step for every adult applicant. The result directly determines whether the application will be approved or rejected.

What they check:

• Biography and reputation. Absence of criminal records, serious violations and facts calling into question the applicant’s trustworthiness.
• Source of funds. The money for the contribution must have a confirmed legal origin - this is a key point for investors from the CIS.
• Sanctions and wanted lists. Reconciliation against international databases, including by specialized agencies.

The verification is carried out for each adult applicant, and a separate fee is charged for it. For a young program, the quality of due diligence is a matter of reputation: the stricter the check, the stronger the trust of other countries in the passport. There is no point in approaching the source of funds formally - it is at this stage that delays and refusals most often occur.

Taxes, currency and ship register

There are always a lot of myths about zero taxes around island jurisdictions. Let's sort it out carefully. Sao Tome and Principe does not routinely tax global income of individuals in the same way as global tax countries. This is potentially interesting for planning purposes, but it is important to understand the mechanics.

Key Disclaimers:

• Citizenship is not automatic tax residence. By obtaining a Sao Tome passport, you do not automatically become a tax resident of the country and are not exempt from taxes where you actually live.
• Real tax residence is determined by where your center of vital interests is located and how many days a year you spend in a particular country.
• The country's currency is dobra (STN), pegged to the euro; in practice, payments under the program are carried out in US dollars.

A separate interesting detail is the STPIR ship register: yachts and ships can be registered under the flag of Sao Tome, which is sometimes interesting for fleet owners. But in general, remember: a passport in itself does not solve tax issues. Any planning is carried out individually and taking into account the legislation of the country of your actual residence.

Russians and citizens of the CIS: what to consider

We will separately discuss the nuances for applicants from Russia and other CIS countries - there are features here that are best understood in advance.

• Everything is strictly within the law. The program is not and cannot be used to circumvent sanctions or any restrictions. Any such expectations are unrealistic.
• Strengthened compliance. For applicants from the CIS, the source of funds is verified especially carefully. Documents about the origin of money must be prepared in advance and carefully.
• Notice of second citizenship. Russian citizens are required by law to notify the authorized body about acquiring a second citizenship. This is a formal procedure that is important not to forget.

We provide a detailed analysis of all the subtleties for applicants from Russia in a separate article about citizenship of Sao Tome for Russians. In short: the program is available, but requires a and thorough approach to documents - formal compliance does not work here.

We will calculate the citizenship of Sao Tome based on your family composition

The cost of Sao Tome citizenship by investment depends on who you include in the application, and on the parameters that are current at the time of submission - the program is fresh, and the fee thresholds are being clarified. One applicant, a family with children or an extended group with parents - these are different estimates. In addition, a young program requires careful verification of the source of funds and a well-assembled package, otherwise you can lose weeks on modifications.

We solve the issues of obtaining second citizenship on a turn-key basis: we evaluate your case, calculate the exact budget based on family composition, check the source of funds and handle the application from start to passport in hand through a licensed agent.

Discuss Sao Tome citizenship with a BRIDGES GLOBAL lawyer - we will calculate the estimate specifically for your situation and check the current conditions as of the date of submission.

What does the final cost consist of?

When they say that citizenship of Sao Tome costs from 90,000 USD, they mean only the basic contribution to the NTF fund. The actual final cost is higher because there are several mandatory fees added to the fee. Let's break down the standard estimate into its components so that there are no surprises.

• Non-refundable contribution to the NTF fund - basic amount (from 90,000 USD for one person, approximately from 95,000 USD for a family of up to four people). This is a contribution to the development of the country, it is not returned.
• Application fee - approximately 5,000 USD per application.
• Due diligence fee - paid for each adult applicant.
• Document Fees - approximately several hundred USD per person: for a passport, identity card and registration certificate.

We would like to emphasize that the fee is non-refundable. Unlike programs for the purchase of real estate or government bonds, where in theory the money can be returned after a few years, here you make a non-repayable contribution. This is a price to pay for speed, simplicity and a low entry threshold. We provide a detailed breakdown of expense items in a separate article about Sao Tome citizenship cost.

Conclusion: who should take a closer look at the program?

Let's sum it up, without embellishment. Sao Tome citizenship by investment is a young, affordable and fast tool for those who need a second passport without moving, with an advantageous family structure and a relatively low entry barrier. A non-refundable contribution from 90,000 USD to the NTF fund, registration remotely from approximately two months, a favorable price for a family of up to four people and a special route to Portugal through the CPLP - these are the strengths of the program.

But a sober assessment is required. The Sao Tome passport is not among the strongest in the world: it does not provide visa-free travel to the USA and Schengen, and the program itself, based on Decree-Law 07/2025, is still just gaining practice and reputation. The path to Portugal is real, but long, through residence and language, and not instantaneous. It is therefore well suited as an accessible back-up document and a first step towards Europe, but not as a replacement for mature programs with a strong passport.

The optimal scenario is to calculate in advance the full estimate for your family composition, check the relevance of the conditions on the date of submission and ensure careful work with the source of funds. Details can be found via São Tomé citizenship guide, and go to the calculation for your situation on the page Sao Tome citizenship by investment programs.