São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment

No, investors does not need to travel to São Tomé and Príncipe before or after obtaining citizenship. They are not required to take exams on the country’s culture or history or prove proficiency in the official language. There are also no residence requirements in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Yes, citizens of São Tomé and Príncipe are allowed to hold multiple citizenships. The investor may keep their first citizenship if this does not contradict the rules of another country. However, there is a limit on the number of passports: applications are not accepted from investors who hold three or more passports.

Yes, citizens of São Tomé and Príncipe may hold two or more passports. Investors can retain their original citizenship if it is permitted by the laws of their home country.

Holding São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship does not create tax obligations in the country. An investor becomes a tax resident only if they live on the islands for more than 183 days per year.

Personal income tax is charged progressively from 0 to 25%. Corporate income tax is 25% of profits, and entrepreneurs may qualify for allowances and deductions.

The Community of Portuguese Language Countries, CPLP, includes Portugal and eight nations that were formerly its colonies. Citizens of member states travel within the community visa‑free or under simplified visa procedures.

Citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries may be eligible for Portuguese citizenship under a simplified procedure. However, this is not the main advantage of the passport, as this opportunity depends on another country’s legislation and may change.

Citizens of São Tomé and Príncipe may use banking services within the country and can also apply to open accounts abroad. However, banks will verify the applicant’s background and the source of their funds.

Yes, an investor can obtain a Schengen visa with a São Tomé and Príncipe passport. Citizens of the country have one of the highest approval rates for visas to Portugal, at 97%.

Investors can obtain São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship in 6 months at a minimum. The longest stage is the processing and approval of the application, which takes 8+ weeks.

The investor must transfer the investment within 90 days after the application is approved. They transfer the full amount of the contribution, which starts at $90,000, to a licensed agent. The agent then transfers the funds to the account of the programme department. The investor pays the associated government fees in the same way.

The Government of São Tomé and Príncipe plans to use investors’ funds to develop the country’s infrastructure, including the construction of schools and roads and the purchase of equipment for hospitals. Another area of investment is the development of tourism in the country. For this purpose, the government plans to expand the airport and build a deep-water port.

The applicant transfers the investment only in US dollars. Some licensed agents accept payment in cryptocurrency and convert it into US dollars themselves.

No. A family application may include one spouse or one de facto partner.

São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship programme identify North Korea as the only excluded nationality. This is generally linked to the programme’s mandatory Due Diligence and compliance checks, which apply to all applicants.

The programme allows de facto partners to be included in a family application. Because the published criteria do not specify a gender restriction, same-sex partners may be eligible under this category, subject to case-by-case confirmation.

No. A marriage certificate is one of the documents used to confirm marital status, but foreign documents must be properly prepared for submission. In practice, this means translation, notarisation, and apostille or legalisation, depending on the issuing country and document type.