⸻ 0.3 N, 6.7 E SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE / ST
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São Tomé and Príncipe

A remote, unspoiled archipelago off West Africa, now home to one of the world's newest and most affordable golden passports, with a fast route into the Portuguese-speaking world.

C A P I T A L

São Tomé

L A N G U A G E

Portugese

C U R R E N C Y

Dobra

T I M E Z O N E

GMT+0

A fast, affordable passport to the Portuguese-speaking world

São Tomé and Príncipe is a remote archipelago off the coast of West Africa, one of the least visited nations on earth and often described as an untouched Eden of rainforest and empty beaches. As of August 2025, it also offers one of the world's newest and lowest cost citizenship by investment programs. One of our advisors visited last year and described it as unique and welcoming!

The program grants citizenship in exchange for a one time $90,000 contribution to the country's National Transformation Fund, plus roughly $5,750 in fees. For an additional $5,000 you can include up to three family members, such as a spouse, children under 30, or parents and grandparents over 55, with a further $5,000 for each person beyond that. There is no requirement to relocate, stay for a set period, or buy property, which sets it apart from most golden passport routes. It is also quick, approving applications in an average of about two and a half months in its early months and issuing its first passport in January 2026.

For many applicants the real draw is not the islands but what the passport unlocks. Portuguese is the national language, and São Tomé belongs to the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), which can streamline living, studying, or working in member states including Portugal and Brazil. For context, residency by investment in Portugal or Greece starts around 250,000 euros (roughly $284,000) and takes years to convert to citizenship. São Tomé compresses both the cost and the timeline dramatically. The program disqualifies anyone holding more than three active citizenships.

While the nature is pristine, this is a small, remote country with limited direct flights, currently from Lisbon, Angola, and Accra, as well as frequent power outages and healthcare and water supply that thin out quickly beyond the capital.

Read the full Condé Nast Traveler breakdown here.