Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu-Chief Reporter
THE Government will open three new passport centres in the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia in the forthcoming year to enhance accessibility of these vital documents for citizens residing abroad.
This is part of efforts to facilitate easy access to the civic documents.
The authorities have already identified London, New York and Lusaka as areas where the offices will be established, with renovations set to begin next month.
In its 2025 National Budget, the Government set aside funds for renovation of major chanceries, including the one in London.
The opening of the centres is part of Government efforts to decentralise the service to Zimbabweans across the globe.
Earlier this year, the Government successfully opened an e-passport centre at the Zimbabwean consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Locally, the Government will open a passport centre in Mutare during the first quarter of 2025, as decentralisation of the offices countrywide continues.
The projects are part of Government efforts to establish state-of-the-art e-passport centres in the country and across borders, which bring convenience to locals and those in the diaspora.
In an interview, Registrar-General Mr Henry Machiri said countries that will benefit first have a large population of Zimbabwean citizens.
“We have already started preparation for the centres in the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia. So, in our offices in January, it is one of the issues that we will be working on,” he said.
“Locally, this year, we are going to set up a centre in Mutare. We had strategically planned to begin setting up centres in provincial centres and then move to districts; however, for Manicaland, we started with Chipinge because our office in Mutare was not in good shape.
“However, I can now say that renovations for the office are now at 90 percent, so the e-passport centre will be opened in the first quarter of 2025.”
Mr Machiri said plans were underway to open centres in Bindura and Masvingo.
The Government has set aside funds for the renovation of the London chancery and embassies in Nigeria and Germany.
Presenting the 2025 National Budget, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Professor Mthuli Ncube said funds had been set aside to upgrade the country’s embassies across the world.
“Ongoing construction works at various institutional buildings for the security sector, embassies and courts will be prioritised to boost morale and improve the quality of service delivery,” he said.
At least 14 e-passport offices have been set up countrywide, with over 100 000 travelling documents having been issued since the introduction of such papers in January 2022.
E-passports are now being processed at the Harare registry and at provincial and district offices in Bulawayo, Gwanda, Gweru, Lupane, Marondera, Beitbridge, Chitungwiza, Hwange, Mazowe, Murewa, Zvishavane, Chinhoyi and Guruve.
