How to Get Sao Tome and Principe CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 5 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Africa
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024GLOBALCIT baseline, plus 1 later in-force change applied where the data records a new value.
- Last checked
- 5 November 2026
What changed since 2024
- In force
Citizenship-by-investment programme launched 1 August 2025 (from USD 90,000 donation).
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. 1 later in-force change in the timeline above takes precedence where it differs.
Naturalisation (residence)
For foreign nationals living in Sao Tome and Principe, this is the ordinary route based on residence. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
- Residence
- 5 years
Person has been legally resident in STP for at least 5 years
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Sufficient knowledge of Portuguese or another national language required.
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
No conviction in final instance with prison sentence of 3 or more years.
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Person is able to secure subsistence.
Marriage or civil partnership
For spouses of citizens of Sao Tome and Principe, the rules below set out what this route requires. Provided the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities must grant citizenship following an application.
Person is married to a citizen under the common acquired assets regime for at least 5 years, or lives in a judicially recognised de facto union with a citizen for over 3 years. Grounds for opposition: failure to meet the legal requirements under the Nationality Act, non integration into Sao Tome society, practice of acts against public health and security of the state, criminal conviction in penalty of more than one year imprisonment.
Descent (citizen parent)
This route covers children of a citizen of Sao Tome and Principe, subject to the conditions below.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in STP to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen in the service of the state.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen and declares that s/he wishes to acquire citizenship.
Birth in the country
Birth in Sao Tome and Principe is the starting point of this route, together with the conditions below. Under the law of Sao Tome and Principe, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Person is born in STP to foreign parents who reside there and are not in the service of another state.
Child of a new citizen
A parent acquiring citizenship of Sao Tome and Principe is the basis of this route.
Person is a minor child of a person who acquired citizenship. Grounds for opposition: failure to meet the legal requirements under the Nationality Act, non integration into STP society, practice of acts against public health and security of the state, criminal conviction in penalty of more than 1 year imprisonment; Person is a minor child of a person who acquires citizenship under the rules for ordinary naturalisation and requests citizenship for the child. Grounds for opposition: same as above.
Adoption
This route covers people adopted by a citizen of Sao Tome and Principe, subject to the conditions below. Under the law of Sao Tome and Principe, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Person is a minor who is fully adopted by a citizen. Grounds for opposition: failure to meet the legal requirements under the Nationality Act, non integration into STP society, practice of acts against public health and security of the state, criminal conviction in penalty of more than 1 year imprisonment.
Other family members of citizens
A family tie to a citizen, former citizen or new citizen of Sao Tome and Principe is the basis of this route. Under the law of Sao Tome and Principe, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Person is born abroad and has one grandparent who is a citizen.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
Earlier citizenship of Sao Tome and Principe is the basis of this route. Provided the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities must grant citizenship following an application.
Person is a former citizen by birth who re-establishes permanent residence in STP for 3 years, or is a former naturalized citizen who renounced STP citizenship and who re-establishes permanent residence in STP for 5 years. Grounds for opposition: failure to meet the legal requirements under the Nationality Act, non integration into STP society, practice of acts against public health and security of the state, criminal conviction in penalty of more than 1 year imprisonment.
Stateless persons
For people without any citizenship, the rules below show what the law of Sao Tome and Principe provides. Under the law of Sao Tome and Principe, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Person is born in STP and whose parents are stateless or of unknown citizenship (attested by court ruling).
Special achievements
This route covers people recognised for special achievements or for contributions to Sao Tome and Principe, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person has rendered relevant services to the state and/or has made investments, contributed to sports and culture, or made donations to the state. Other conditions: no criminal conviction in a prison sentence of 3 years or more, no threat to national security and defense due to involvement in terrorist activities, development of activity that ensures his or her subsistence. Person may not have more than two other citizenships. Grounds for opposition: failure to meet the legal requirements under the Nationality Act, non integration into Sao Tome society, practice of acts against public health and security of the state, criminal conviction in penalty of more than one year imprisonment.
Investment
For applicants making a qualifying investment in Sao Tome and Principe, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
In force, 1 August 2025: Citizenship-by-investment programme launched 1 August 2025 (from USD 90,000 donation).
Person has made investments which unequivocally raise employment opportunities and significantly contribute to the country's development. Other conditions: no criminal conviction in a prison sentence of 3 years or more, no threat to national security and defense due to involvement in terrorist activities, development of activity that ensures his or her subsistence. Person may not have more than two other citizenships. Grounds for opposition: failure to meet the legal requirements under the Nationality Act, non integration into Sao Tome society, practice of acts against public health and security of the state, criminal conviction in penalty of more than one year imprisonment.
Not available in Sao Tome and Principe: Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service. Based on the GLOBALCIT coding of the law, updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Sao Tome and Principe accepts dual citizenship in both directions.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Sao Tome and Principe requires 5 years, the most common requirement across Middle Africa.
Compare Sao Tome and Principe with all countries in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Angola | 10 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Cameroon | 5 years | None | New citizens only |
 Central African Republic | 5 years | None | New citizens only |
 Chad | 15 years | None | Accepted |
 Gabon | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Republic of the Congo | 10 years | Assimilation only | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 10, 11, 19.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (2026, November 5). How to Get Sao Tome and Principe Citizenship. https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/sao-tome-and-principe/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/sao-tome-and-principe/">How to Get Sao Tome and Principe Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, last checked 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Sao Tomean citizen?
5 years of residence, under the ordinary naturalisation route. The conditions that come with it are listed on this page.
Does Sao Tome and Principe allow dual citizenship?
Yes. The law of Sao Tome and Principe accepts dual citizenship for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
Do I need a language test for Sao Tomean citizenship?
A language requirement exists, but no test or certificate is specified.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Sao Tomean citizenship?
No civic knowledge test is required for Sao Tomean citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Sao Tomean citizenship?
You are not required to renounce your current citizenship to get Sao Tomean citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Sao Tome and Principe citizenship by marriage?
Yes, the law of Sao Tome and Principe has a route for spouses. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Sao Tome and Principe citizenship by descent?
Yes. A child of a citizen can acquire citizenship of Sao Tome and Principe by descent. Procedure: automatic, entitlement.
Can I get Sao Tome and Principe citizenship by investment?
An investment route is coded for Sao Tome and Principe. Confirm the current terms with the official authority.
Related pages
Also see: Sao Tome and Principe passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.