The Government has given passport holders until 31 December 2023 to swap their passports for a new electronic passport (e-passport).
According to Statutory Instrument 273 of 2021, the ordinary e-passport will cost US$100 while an emergency or express e-passport will cost US$200.
A nominal fee of US$20 shall be charged for every passport application fee processed at any CBZ Bank Branch Countrywide. SI 273 of 2021 reads in part:
IT is hereby notified that the Minister has in terms of section 22 of the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act (Chapter 4:01), made the following regulations:
… The Minister hereby notifies that henceforth the Government will cease the issuance of the current type of passports and in place thereof will be issuing electronically readable passports (e-passports) whose charges are as specified in the Schedule.
The current type of passports, issued before the date of operation of these regulations, will cease to be acceptable internationally by 31st December 2023, and will therefore need to be replaced by e-passports in terms of these regulations.
The Citizenship (Passport Fees) Regulations, 2021, published in Statutory Instrument 201 of 2021, are hereby repealed.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage said the Electronic Passport (E-Passport) will be launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa this Tuesday.
READ MORE: Electronic Passport Launch Set For Today
It said the e-passport has more security features in order to protect against identity theft and counterfeiting of travel documents.
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