São Tomé CBI Receives Over 500 Applications in Its First Year

São Tomé and Príncipe’s Citizenship by Investment Program received 548 applications in its first year, according to the Citizenship by Investment Unit’s inaugural annual report. Of these, 350 were approved, 12 rejected and 186 remained under review.

Strong Demand Creates a Post-Approval Backlog

While approvals took an average of two months, document issuance progressed more slowly. The report recorded 117 citizenships granted and 29 passports delivered.

Speaking to IMI Daily, our CEO, Jeremy Savory, described the backlog as a normal challenge for a new program experiencing high demand.

“Every new program has teething problems. The negative is minor, and on balance the positive far outweighs it.”

He also praised the CIU’s transparency and the leadership of its director, Disney Leite Ramos, saying the program has “a bright future.”

China, Russia and Iran Lead Applications

China accounted for 29% of applications, followed by Russia at 22% and Iran at 9%. São Tomé’s broader nationality eligibility allows the program to serve applicants who face restrictions across several Caribbean citizenship programs.

Around half of the approved applicants completed their contributions, generating more than US$9.8 million for the National Transformation Fund.