Zimbabwe Surpasses 1.6 Million E-Passports as Government Expands Access Locally and Abroad

Zimbabwe has recorded major progress in its electronic passport rollout, with the Registrar-General’s Office confirming that more than 1.6 million e-passports have been issued both within the country and at regional centres since the programme’s launch in 2022.

The milestone reflects the Government’s commitment to making travel documents more accessible and convenient for citizens, including those in the Diaspora.

According to Registrar-General Mr. Henry Machiri, a total of 1,687,899 e-passports had been issued as of October 10, 2025. Seventeen local offices are now fully operational, while South Africa remains the only foreign location currently offering the service.

“The Government began issuing e-passports in January 2022, and to date, we have successfully distributed over 1.6 million documents,” Mr. Machiri said.

Local passport offices are located in Harare, Bulawayo, Marondera, Murehwa, Chitungwiza, Chinhoyi, Chipinge, Mazowe, Mwenezi, and Gwanda, among others. Additional centres include Beitbridge, Lupane, Hwange, Gweru, Gokwe, Zvishavane, and Mutare, which started operations in September 2025.

To further expand access, the Registrar-General revealed that new enrolment offices will soon open in Hwedza, London, and Botswana before the end of the year — countries with significant Zimbabwean communities.

These initiatives form part of the Government’s broader plan to set up modern e-passport centres both locally and internationally, making it easier for citizens abroad to renew or apply for travel documents.

During a post-Cabinet briefing in August, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, announced that Zimbabwe is also building new diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Mozambique, with the London embassy expected to host an e-passport office upon completion.

Dr. Muswere highlighted progress on several infrastructure projects, noting that construction of the Zimbabwe-Abuja Chancery in Nigeria is 65 percent complete, while renovations at the Pretoria and Cape Town facilities are at 60 and 50 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Finance, Economic and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, stated in the 2025 National Budget that the Government has allocated ZiG $4 billion to strengthen Zimbabwe’s diplomatic presence abroad as part of its engagement and re-engagement agenda. Plans are also underway to establish a new diplomatic office in New York, USA.

Efforts to improve access to documentation align with recommendations made by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission in its 2020 National Inquiry Report on Access to Documentation. The report urged the creation of a national policy to guide documentation processes and to decentralise Registrar-General’s services in line with Section 264 of the Constitution, which promotes devolution.

The Commission also called for regular, well-funded mobile registration exercises to help citizens in remote areas obtain birth certificates, identity cards, and passports.

Overall, Zimbabwe’s e-passport rollout demonstrates tangible progress in modernising public services and ensuring that citizens both at home and abroad can access essential identification documents with greater ease and efficiency.