A Massively Successful First Year for the São Tomé CBI Program

The São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment Unit received 548 applications during the Program’s first year of operation, according to its First Year Report published on Tuesday (1 September 2026).

The Unit approved 350 of those applications and rejected 12, with a further 186 still in process at the end of the reporting period. It granted 117 citizenships and issued 29 passports over the same period.

Approvals took an average of two months from submission, and the fastest approval came through in 26 days. The average time from application to passport was four months.

Contributions to the National Transformation Fund

Around 50% of the 350 approved applicants completed their qualifying contribution payments during the first year, generating over $9.8 million for the National Transformation Fund.

The Fund directs Program contributions into infrastructure and public-sector projects set against the country’s development objectives. Completed projects in the first year covered the energy sector and IT infrastructure, including the installation of new power generators and equipment upgrades across Government ministries and other public institutions.

The Unit has earmarked the next phase of investment for energy infrastructure, water quality and supply, wastewater systems, waste management and the digitalisation of public services.

Applicant Nationalities and Family Profiles

Applicants held 72 different nationalities across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.

China accounted for the largest share at 159 applications, or 29.01% of the total, followed by Russia with 122 applications at 22.26%, Iran with 50 at 9.12% and Germany with 28 at 5.11%. Stateless applicants made up 10 applications, or 1.82%, with the remaining 179 applications spread across other nationalities.

Single applicants submitted 234 applications, or 43% of the total. Families of two to four accounted for 256 applications at 47%, and families of five to eight made up the remaining 58 applications at 10%. Families of three and four represented the largest family-based groups, at a combined 35% of all applications.

Program Structure and First-Year Milestones

São Tomé and Príncipe is the first country to run its Citizenship by Investment Unit from outside its own borders, through a government-authorised structure with offices in Dubai and São Tomé and Príncipe.

The Dubai head office handles application processing, due diligence and compliance, document verification, and coordination with Licensed Marketing Agents. The office in São Tomé and Príncipe works with Government institutions and national authorities.

The Program launched in September 2025 and received its first applications the same month.

A legislative amendment allowed the Unit to introduce fully remote issuance of National Identity Cards and passports in January 2026, and it confirmed the first passport issued under the Program in the same month.

São Tomé and Príncipe opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi in April 2026, and the Unit received the Program’s 500th application in August 2026.

Post-Approval Processing

The Unit acknowledged in the report that citizenship documents have not been issued at the same pace as application approvals, with 117 citizenships granted and 29 passports issued against 350 approvals.

It is working with national authorities to streamline post-approval procedures, improve coordination between institutions and expand the operational capacity of its office in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Considering Your Options

A first-year report gives investors something to measure a new program against: approval volumes, processing times, and how quickly citizenship and passports follow an approval.

La Vida’s 2025 investor research found political concerns and security among the leading reasons clients look at a second citizenship or residency, and a track record on delivery matters just as much as the headline requirement.

For investors who want a program with an established processing history, the Caribbean routes remain the most tested.

La Vida works with the Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Dominica Citizenship by Investment Programs, alongside European residency options in Portugal, Greece, Hungary and Malta, and residency routes in the UAE, Turkey and Panama.

Speak to La Vida’s expert advisers to find the program that fits your circumstances.