São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe has officially launched its citizenship by investment program. The West African island nation’s citizenship act came into effect on August 1st, establishing one of the newest pathways to second citizenship in the global market.

The program requires a submission fee of US$5,000 regardless of family size. Upon receiving Approval in Principle, single applicants pay a US$90,000 donation. Families of two to four members pay US$95,000 total, and each additional dependent incurs a US$5,000 donation.

The government has set a processing time of six weeks and established the Citizenship Investment Unit (CIU) as a public-private partnership headquartered in Dubai. The unit will be led by STP Service Advisory, a newly-established UAE-based firm working in close collaboration with the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe. The CIU will start accepting applications in the first week of September.

Alfredo Trinidade, head of the government’s Promotion, Commerce and Investment Agency (APCI) in São Tomé and Príncipe, explains that this innovative structure sets São Tomé apart from traditional citizenship programs. “The CIU will operate as a standalone statutory entity that combines private sector efficiency with government oversight, essentially creating a successful public-private partnership.”

Trinidade notes that the Dubai location provides strategic advantages for global accessibility and operational efficiency. He emphasizes the benefits of this approach: “Having qualified staff in a fast-paced environment will allow the CIU to process applications much faster than traditional government departments. They can flexibly respond to demand, recruit top talent from the industry, and clients can easily reach them in Dubai which is an international travel hub.”

He says this PPP model enables the program to maintain government standards while leveraging private sector agility. The structure employs experienced professionals from both the citizenship by investment industry and São Tomé nationals. A São Tomé citizen will head the unit.

Additional costs apply upon approval: US$350 for passport fees, US$150 for national ID, and US$250 for Certificate of Registration per person. São Tomé maintains an inclusive approach to applicant nationalities. Russians and Iranians can apply, reflecting the country’s neutral international stance. North Koreans represent the only restricted nationality.

Qualifying dependents include spouses, children up to 30 years old who remain unmarried and financially dependent, and parents above 55 years old. Adding future dependents requires paying submission costs again, plus US$10,000 for spouses and US$5,000 per additional qualifying dependent upon receiving Approval in Principle. Newborn children cost US$500 to include.

São Tomé and Príncipe CBI Program Fees

The program does not have any interview requirements or residency obligations, following the biometric-based model used in previous iterations of the Caribbean CBI programs. Trinidade emphasizes the collaborative development process that shaped the final product. “The government issued a tender and listened to experienced professionals in the investment migration industry, and we shaped this program to benefit everyone involved: The clients, the agents, the government, and most importantly, the people of São Tomé and Príncipe.”

The donations will go into a National Transformation Fund, which will then support local projects. The first key enterprise on the island will be a renewable energy infrastructure project, which will serve as the lighthouse project in the region, as it will enable the entire country will run on renewable energy. Trinidade explains the broader vision: “These funds will flow directly into renewable energy first, then expand into housing, education, and extensive socioeconomic and infrastructure projects, including road development.”

He believes the economic impact extends beyond energy infrastructure. Trinidade anticipates “genuine trickle-down benefits that will create jobs, increase foreign direct investment, strengthen the electrical grid, and support local businesses throughout the island economy.”

São Tomé passports provide visa-free access to 61 destinations, including South Africa. Travel to the European Union and the United Kingdom requires visas. According to Trinidade, the program targets sophisticated investors who recognize citizenship value beyond travel convenience.

Trinidade positions the program for discerning clients who “understand the true value of second citizenship and the comprehensive benefits of dual nationality beyond simple global mobility, including legal tax restructuring, global diversification, estate planning, business expansion opportunities, political risk mitigation, and enhanced privacy protection.”

Agents receive a flat US$20,000 commission regardless of family size and can add their own office fees. The government plans to establish a São Tomé embassy in Abu Dhabi, though the UAE-based Citizenship Investment Unit will handle passport renewals until then.

Jeffrey Henseler, the 30-year-old Chairman of Passport Legacy and 2025 IMI Person of the Year, has disclosed the unlikely origins of São Tomé and Príncipe’s citizenship by investment (CBI) program, which launched in September as the most affordable second passport option globally.

The West African island nation’s program requires a US$90,000 donation, undercutting every mainstream competitor.

Henseler credits “a little bit of luck” for the program’s genesis.

A neighbor who had been “doing investments in São Tomé for quite a long time” eventually “realized what we do as Passport Legacy, which is mainly citizenship and residence by investment” and thought “this would be the perfect island to establish something like that because they’re in need of financial help and they can profit from developments on the ground.”

The connection led to an 18-month period where Henseler’s team “worked with the government very closely” to establish the program.

He emphasizes that his team prioritized having “a proper citizenship act implemented” as the foundation, then went “through their entire regulations” because they “realized that a lot of countries, or especially the clients they want quick [processing], they want citizenship by descent, and they want a price point that they can afford.”

He confirms that “since the 1st of September,” the program “was live” and began “officially accepting applications through the citizenship by investment unit in Dubai.”

He notes the program “has currently about 20 approved agents, there are still a few more in due diligence.”

Agent requirements, according to Henseler, mandate that applicants “need to be in the industry for already two years” and “need to have another license already because we do not want to come in and just focus on all the new agencies and rather go really with the people that have a lot of experience in the industry that can then officially go and promote the program.”

Henseler predicts “the program in the first year will receive around 500 applications.” He notes, “I think we’re on a very good path to achieve that,” and hopes “next year hopefully we’ll double that number.”

He hopes this will position São Tomé as a serious competitor in the investment migration market despite limited visa-free access compared to established Caribbean programs.

The program operates through a public-private partnership model, with STP Service Advisory managing the Dubai-based CIU in collaboration with the São Tomé government.

Donations flow into a National Transformation Fund earmarked for renewable energy infrastructure, housing, education, and socioeconomic development projects.

“Blockchain created just for São Tomé“

São Tomé and Príncipe announced in October a partnership with UAE-based technology firm IOPn to power the CBI program’s operations through blockchain infrastructure.

The five-year agreement establishes OPN Chain as the technological backbone for citizenship applications, which STP Service Advisory executes in collaboration with the government.

Henseler outlines six core functions the blockchain system will deliver at the CIU. The entire system “runs on OPN Chain, a blockchain created just for São Tomé,” where “every application, approval, and payment is safely recorded and can’t be changed,” providing transparency for both government and partners.

According to Henseler, investors will access online dashboards allowing them to “follow their citizenship process in real time.” He explains, “each case will be linked to a secure blockchain record showing all steps, from document checks to approvals and payments.”

He says the digital identity component introduces NeoID, which he describes as “a digital identity connected to their face or fingerprint.”

He explains that each applicant uses this ID to “log in, sign documents, and store digital citizenship certificates in a Citizen Wallet, all safely on the blockchain.”

The compliance infrastructure “uses AI to automatically check each applicant’s background and verify their identity,” according to Henseler. These verification processes are “recorded on the blockchain so everything is transparent but still private.”

He explains the payment system operates through STP-USD, which he identifies as “São Tomé’s own digital dollar.” This structure “allows the government to see where every dollar goes, in real time, through a Treasury Transparency Portal.”

Future enhancements will introduce advanced AI capabilities. He says the CIU “will add more AI tools that can instantly detect fake documents or suspicious activity,” creating a process that is “faster, more secure, and reduces human error.”

Disney Ramos, Director of the Citizenship Investment Unit, emphasizes that the partnership “ensures transparency, efficiency, and international credibility” while opening cooperation opportunities with the Emirati innovation ecosystem.

The blockchain implementation positions São Tomé as what IOPn CEO Mojtaba calls “the world’s first citizenship by investment program on blockchain.”