São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship Application: Steps, Documents, Due Diligence and Timeline

The São Tomé procedure is short on paper and fully remote. Files stall at the same two points as everywhere else: police certificates and the source of funds. Below are the steps as they appear in Decree-Law 07/2025 and on the CIU application page, checked on 25 October 2026.

Step 1: a licensed agent

Applications are filed only by agents licensed by the Minister of Justice, and the government publishes the list of licensed agents. The agent checks your eligibility before anything is paid: age 18 or over, a clean record, a lawful source of funds and, according to BRIDGES, no more than two foreign citizenships.

Step 2: documents

What the decree requires

Annex III of the decree lists the mandatory documents:

• the application form, signed, in Portuguese or English;
• certified copies of valid passports of the applicant and dependants;
• criminal record certificates from every country of nationality and every country of residence in the last five years, issued within the last 3 months;
• proof of residence;
• a declaration of the lawful source of funds with bank documents;
• a medical certificate confirming the absence of communicable diseases;
• proof of payment of the base fee.

What the CIU adds

The CIU page adds birth certificates, marriage or divorce documents, recent bank statements and passport photos. Documents in other languages must be translated, and foreign public documents need an apostille.

Step 3: filing and preliminary review

The agent uploads the file to the UCID electronic platform and the $5,000 fee is paid. The UCID has 15 days for a preliminary check and may ask for missing documents.

Step 4: due diligence

Independent firms check the main applicant and every dependant who is criminally responsible under São Tomé law. They look at identity, reputation, sanctions lists and the origin of the money. The UCID may also call you for an interview, in person or online.

Step 5: the prosecutor and the decision

Once due diligence is complete, the file must go to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for a prior opinion. Then the UCID Director decides within 15 days. The CIU informs your agent of the outcome.

Step 6: payment, oath and documents

After approval in principle you have 90 days to pay the contribution, otherwise the case lapses. Then you take the oath before an official in São Tomé or a consular agent abroad, and the file goes to the Central Registry within 5 days. The certificate of citizenship, the national ID and the passport follow. According to BRIDGES, since January 2026 documents are issued remotely.

One more rule from the decree: the prosecutor may still file a judicial opposition within six months after the declaration of nationality. It has no suspensive effect, but it exists.

Realistic timelines

Source	What it says
CIU FAQ	about 2 months to approval, then 3 to 4 months to the passport
CIU report as of 1 September 2026, quoted by BRIDGES	2 months on average to approval, fastest 26 days, 4 months to the passport
BRIDGES programme page, October 2026	review takes around 9 months

I cannot tell you which figure will apply to your file. I plan clients for the long scenario and treat anything faster as a bonus.

Who can join your file is covered in the family guide.