Zim GBC News | Harare Correspondent
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s passport application system is set for a complete digital overhaul before the end of the year, a move authorities say will eliminate the notorious long queues and overnight camping that have plagued the process for years.
The Civil Registry Department is rolling out a fully automated online platform that will allow citizens to complete the entire application process remotely. Under the new system, applicants will only need to visit a passport office for biometric data capture and, subsequently, to collect their finished travel documents.
In an interview in Harare last week, Civil Registry Department Registrar-General Henry Machiri assured citizens that the days of cumbersome paperwork are numbered.
“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,” Machiri said.
The new digital platform will enable applicants to create an online profile, fill out digital forms, upload required documents such as birth certificates and national identity cards, and pay all necessary fees from the comfort of their homes or offices.
Once the online application is verified, applicants will be scheduled for an appointment to have their fingerprints, photographs, and signatures captured.
The system integrates document verification, payment confirmation, and workflow tracking, allowing authorities to monitor applications in real-time while ensuring compliance with international travel document standards.
Machiri explained that this latest upgrade builds on significant reforms introduced when Zimbabwe rolled out e-passports on January 18, 2022. At that time, the department was grappling with a backlog of more than 171,000 applications, leading to chaotic queues and desperate overnight stays at registry offices.
The transformation has already yielded substantial results.
“Up to now, we have issued something like 1.7 million passports countrywide since the day of commencement,” Machiri said, attributing the progress to automation, staff retraining, and the decentralisation of services.
The e-passport system has already been extended to all provincial centres and several rural districts, including Murewa, Hwange, Beitbridge, Chiredzi, Chipinge, and Umzingwane. This decentralisation effort is bringing critical services closer to communities. According to Machiri, further expansion will depend on ensuring adequate infrastructure is in place to house the specialised biometric equipment.
To support the modernisation drive, the government has invested in upgrading registry facilities.
A new building was commissioned in Mutare last September, and Bindura is expected to receive a new facility this year, followed by upgrades at the Masvingo provincial offices. Authorities also plan to extend decentralised passport services to selected embassies to improve access for Zimbabweans living abroad.
Officials state that the full automation of passport applications is a key component of broader efforts to modernise public services, drastically reduce processing times, and enhance the overall customer experience for Zimbabweans.
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