National Card Renewal in São Tomé & Príncipe

This service covers renewing a São Tomé and Príncipe national ID card (BI). We work out which route and forms apply, prepare the papers with you, file them with the right office, and follow the request until the document is issued.

How it works in São Tomé and Príncipe

These points come from the DGRN identification and criminal record page, the DGRN frequently asked questions:

• A BI renewal needs the previous BI and 2 passport photos, and costs 125 dobras (15 days) or 185 dobras (3 days).
• A first Bilhete de Identidade (BI) needs 2 passport photos and the cédula pessoal or birth record, and costs 135 dobras (normal, 15 days) or 202.50 dobras (very urgent, 3 days).
• You apply at the Civil Registry and Identification office at Praça do Povo in São Tomé, the regional office in Príncipe, or the posts in Trindade, Santana, Ribeira Afonso, Angolares, Santo Amaro, Guadalupe and Neves.

Rules and fees change, so we check the official source again before your application goes in.

Before you start

• Match your names. The spelling should be the same on your passport, birth record, and any citizenship certificate.
• Collect the originals. Most offices want originals or certified copies, and some want translations.
• Plan for in-person steps. Some offices take photos, fingerprints, or signatures themselves.
• Tell us the destination. If the document will be used abroad, it may also need an apostille.

Why requests get delayed

• Names or dates that differ between documents
• A birth, marriage, or citizenship record that is not yet in the register
• Missing translations or certified copies
• Fees paid to the wrong account
• Photos that do not meet the office's rules

We check each of these before anything is filed.

Related pages

You can browse every São Tomé and Príncipe service. If you are applying for citizenship, see the São Tomé and Príncipe programme.

• A check of which route and forms apply to you
• A review of your passport, civil records, and supporting papers
• Help with forms, photos, translations, and certified copies
• Filing with the right office, and payment of the fee to the correct account
• Follow-up with the authority until the document is issued
• Collection or delivery of the issued document

1. Brief. Tell us what you need and where the document will be used.
2. Check and quote. We confirm the route, list the documents, and send the quote.
3. Documents. You send scans; we check them and arrange translations or certified copies if needed.
4. Filing. We prepare the forms and lodge the request with the authority.
5. Follow-up. We track the request and answer any questions from the office.
6. Delivery. We send you the issued document, or tell you how to collect it.

You receive a quote before any filing starts. It separates the CitizenX fee from government charges, translations, and courier costs. Those extras are added only when they apply, and only after you approve them.

Government fees change, so we confirm them with the issuing authority for your case before you sign.