A second citizenship open to almost every nationality

No. You don't need to visit the country to apply, during the process or afterwards, and the passport can be renewed remotely. There is no interview and no fingerprinting.

Not under São Tomé law, which allows dual citizenship up to three citizenships in total, including São Tomé's. But some countries, such as China and India, do not allow dual citizenship: check what your home country's law says.

There are no extra due diligence fees for any nationality. Every applicant is assessed on their own merits, with the same background checks. The only nationality excluded is North Korea.

Yes. Each application is assessed on its own merits.

Not for being a citizen. São Tomé taxes by residence: if you don't live there, you pay no tax in São Tomé on income you earn abroad. Your tax residence stays where you live. For your specific case, ask your tax adviser.

No. It is not on the European Union's list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions (February 2026 update). Residents pay income tax of up to 25%, companies pay 25% and VAT is 15%. The citizenship does not lower your taxes: what you pay depends on where you live.

No. It requires a visa for the whole Schengen area, including Portugal, and for the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada. For those trips you keep using your current passport. In Europe, Kosovo is the only visa-free destination.

It may help, but it is not a guaranteed shortcut. As a CPLP national you can apply for Brazil's CPLP residence and Portugal's CPLP residence visa; in Portugal, CPLP nationals can apply for citizenship after 7 years of residence instead of 10. Nobody has yet tested whether these rules apply equally to people who acquired their nationality by investment.

You don't pay the donation, since it is only paid after approval. The filing fee is not refunded. You can appeal with a formal request and supporting evidence; the appeal fee is USD 5,000. If you prefer to withdraw, you can do so until the Unit has decided, but not afterwards.

USD 15,000, on top of what you pay the government. For a family of four, that comes to USD 118,000 in total: USD 103,000 to the government and USD 15,000 to AIM Global. Preparing your documents (translations, certified copies, the medical exam and police certificates) is paid separately.

No. The donation is paid in full, in US dollars and by bank transfer, within 90 days of approval in principle. You can request a single 90-day extension.

Yes, as long as you document its origin as the programme requires. The payment to the government is still made in US dollars.

Yes. A sponsor is another person who funds your application, such as a parent, and doesn't need to be a relative. The sponsor goes through their own background check, with a USD 5,000 fee, and submits their own documents.

No. A copy certified by a notary, lawyer or equivalent authority is enough. What is required is that everything is in English or translated by an accredited translator.

During the process, only a child born before approval. Adding dependants once you are a citizen depends on the revised dependants law, which is not yet in force.

At the embassies of São Tomé and Príncipe in Beijing, Brussels and Lisbon, or at the Unit's office in Dubai. It can also be done remotely.

The Unit reviews the file in 3 to 4 working days. According to its first-year report, approval in principle took about 2 months on average, and the passport about 4 months for those who have already received it. After approval you have up to 90 days to pay. Document issuance is currently slower than approvals, and there is no paid fast track.