Zimbabwe to fully automate passport applications before year-end

Zimbabwe's passport application system will be fully automated before the end of the year, allowing citizens to complete the entire process online and only visit registry offices for biometric capture and collection of their travel documents.

The move represents a significant departure from the previous paper-based system, which often required applicants to queue for hours or even camp overnight at Civil Registry offices.

In an interview in Harare last week, Civil Registry Department Registrar-General Henry Machiri said the new digital platform will enable applicants to complete forms, upload supporting documents, and make payments electronically from the comfort of their homes or offices.

"One thing which I can promise citizens is that before the end of the year, we are going to introduce an online passport application, whereby you will only be coming to the passport office for biometrics - that is all," he said.

Under the proposed system, applicants will create an online profile, fill out digital forms, upload required documents such as birth certificates and national identity cards, and pay fees online. They will then be scheduled for a biometric appointment - where fingerprints, photographs, and signatures are captured - before returning only to collect the processed passport.

The digital platform will integrate document verification, payment confirmation, and workflow tracking, enabling authorities to monitor applications in real time while maintaining compliance with international travel document standards.

Machiri said the overhaul builds on reforms introduced when Zimbabwe rolled out e-passports on January 18, 2022, at a time when the department was grappling with a backlog of more than 171,000 applications. Long queues and overnight stays at registry offices were common.

"Up to now, we have issued something like 1.7 million passports countrywide since the day of commencement," he said, attributing the progress to automation, staff retraining, and decentralisation of services.

The e-passport system has since been rolled out to all provincial centres and several rural districts, including Murewa, Hwange, Beitbridge, Chiredzi, Chipinge, and Umzingwane, bringing services closer to communities. Further expansion, Machiri noted, depends on adequate infrastructure to house specialised equipment.

Government has also invested in upgrading registry facilities. A new building was commissioned in Mutare last September, while Bindura is expected to receive a new facility this year, followed by upgrades at Masvingo provincial offices. Authorities also plan to extend decentralised passport services to selected embassies to improve access for Zimbabweans living abroad.

Officials say the full automation of passport applications is part of broader efforts to modernise public services, reduce processing times, and improve the overall customer experience.