Latest Zimbabwe Birth, Death, and National ID Registration Fees
Navigating birth, death, National ID and citizenship documents in Zimbabwe can feel like a maze of different offices and requirements. This page gives you every fee in one place; for the full step-by-step requirements on a specific document, jump to its own guide below.
Jump to a specific guide
- Birth certificate fees & how to apply — who can apply, required documents, processing times
- Death certificate fees & registration guide — including deaths registered from abroad
- National ID fees & application guide — first-time IDs, replacements, and the upcoming plastic ID card
- Passport application fees & FAQs
All fees below are set in USD, but you can pay in ZiG at the prevailing rate on the day.
Birth certificate, death certificate and National ID fees
Prices last confirmed 4 hours ago.
All of these are handled by the Civil Registry Department (the same office that issues passports). Fees are billed in USD, but you can pay in ZiG at the exchange rate on the day.
| Service | Fee (USD) | Fee (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| Searching birth or records for any one year of any document | US$1.00 | ZiG 27 |
| Photocopying any birth or death document/page | US$0.20 | ZiG 5 |
| Initial birth certifcate for persons six years or younger | US$0.00 | ZiG 0 |
| Initial birth certifcate for persons above six years | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| Certified copy of an entry of birth or death certificate | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| An extract of an entry relating to birth or death | US$2.00 | ZiG 53 |
| Urgent birth/death certicate | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| External birth certificate | US$15.00 | ZiG 399 |
| Non-citizen birth certificate (initial) | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| Non-citizen birth certificate (duplicate) | US$25.00 | ZiG 665 |
| Service | Fee (USD) | Fee (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| Photocopying any birth or death document/page | US$0.20 | ZiG 5 |
| Initial death certificate | US$2.00 | ZiG 53 |
| Certified copy of an entry of birth or death certificate | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| An extract of an entry relating to birth or death | US$2.00 | ZiG 53 |
| Urgent birth/death certicate | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| Service | Fee (USD) | Fee (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| Searching ID records for any year or any document entryor other record | US$2.00 | ZiG 53 |
| For fingerprint clearance | US$1.00 | ZiG 27 |
| Urgent fingerprint clearance | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| National ID (Initial registration for persons aged 16-18) | US$0.00 | ZiG 0 |
| National ID (Initial registration for persons above 18 years) | US$2.00 | ZiG 53 |
| Replacement of lost or torn paper ID document | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| Urgent replacement of torn or lost paper ID document | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| Replacement of lost or defaced metal or plastic ID document (resident) | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| Replacement of lost or defaced metal or plastic ID document (non-resident) | US$15.00 | ZiG 399 |
| Application for plastic changeover from metal ID to plastic ID (resident) | US$20.00 | ZiG 532 |
| Application for plastic changeover from metal ID to plastic ID (non-resident) | US$30.00 | ZiG 798 |
| Correction of ID error due to applicant on paper ID | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| Correction of an error due to applicant on plastic ID | US$25.00 | ZiG 665 |
| Change of name on plastic, metal or paper ID | US$0.00 | ZiG 0 |
| Change of name on plastic, metal or paper ID other than after marriage | US$25.00 | ZiG 665 |
| Change of name on ID by notarial deed | US$100.00 | ZiG 2,661 |
| Service | Fee (USD) | Fee (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| For altering a name in register or correcting an error | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| Correcting an error orignating from the Department | US$0.00 | ZiG 0 |
| For a change of surname by notarial deed | US$50.00 | ZiG 1,330 |
| For a change of surname by Registrar-General | US$5.00 | ZiG 133 |
| Correction of error due to Department | US$0.00 | ZiG 0 |
| Change of citizen status | US$40.00 | ZiG 1,064 |
| Service | Fee (USD) | Fee (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| A certifcate not provided elsewhere | US$2.00 | ZiG 53 |
| Authentication | US$20.00 | ZiG 532 |
| Re-registration (for legitimacy purposes) | US$20.00 | ZiG 532 |
What's changing: the new plastic National ID card
Government has announced plans to replace the metal National ID card with a biometric polycarbonate (plastic) card, similar in concept to the e-passport, as part of a wider civil registry digitisation drive. As of 2026 this has not fully rolled out — the metal ID remains the standard document — and it is expected to begin in Harare and Bulawayo before extending countrywide. There is no need to apply early or pay anything now; this page will be updated with the official application process once it opens.
Citizenship and travel document fees
Prices last confirmed 4 hours ago.
| Service | Fee (USD) | Fee (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| Searching a set of citizen records/set | US$10.00 | ZiG 266 |
| Making a photocopy of any document/Page | US$0.10 | ZiG 3 |
| Issuance of a Temporary Travel Document (TTD) | US$40.00 | USD only |
| Certificate of confirmation of citizenship (citizenship status certificate) | US$50.00 | ZiG 1,330 |
| Certificate of registration of citizenship by descent (adult) | US$50.00 | ZiG 1,330 |
| Certificate of registration of citizenship by descent (minor) | US$50.00 | ZiG 1,330 |
| Certificate of renunciation of Zimbabwean citizenship | US$200.00 | ZiG 5,322 |
| Restoration of citizenship by descent | US$50.00 | ZiG 1,330 |
| Restoration of citizenship otherwise than descent | US$1,000.00 | ZiG 26,609 |
| Restoration of citizenship by SADC descentants under Section 9A of the Act | US$50.00 | ZiG 1,330 |
| Initial registration as a citizen of a foreign permanent resident (minor/adult) | US$5,000.00 | USD only |
A Temporary Travel Document (TTD) is a short-validity travel document issued when you cannot get a full passport in time — it is not a substitute for one long-term.
Note
- Prices are indexed in USD but can be paid in ZiG at the prevailing interbank rate. Check the current interbank rate here.
A few quick answers
For the full FAQ on any one of these — documents required, processing times, edge cases like registering out of wedlock or a death that happened abroad — see the dedicated guide linked above. Here are the questions that come up across all of them:
Either parent. If they’re legally married, either one can register the child alone but must bring the other spouse’s national ID. If unmarried, both parents must be present to sign a declaration of paternity — though a single mother can still register the child under her own name if the father won’t acknowledge paternity.
For an initial ID for someone above 16: a long birth certificate, your parents’ national ID cards, and a marriage certificate if applicable.
The death entry number of the deceased, a marriage certificate if they were married, and — for a customary marriage or cohabiting couple — the surviving spouse attending in person with relatives of the deceased.
Apply at the Registrar’s office. The standard correction fee is US$5.00 (or the ZiG equivalent), with documentary evidence — school or hospital records, for example — required to support it. There’s no charge if the error was the Department’s own mistake.
National ID cards for both parties and, in some cases, a pre-marriage counselling certificate. Marriage fees aren’t covered in the fee tables on this page — contact your local Registrar’s office for the current amount.
Government has announced plans to move to a biometric plastic (polycarbonate) National ID card, expected to start in Harare and Bulawayo before extending countrywide. As of 2026 it hasn’t fully rolled out, so the metal ID remains the standard document.
