Zimbabwe launch new e-passport
Zimbabwe’s plans to clear the passport backlog of 184 000 by the end of December 2021 engaged into a higher gear on Tuesday following the gazetting of the e-Passport Production project.
Under Statutory Instrument 273 of 2021, Government announced it has ceased the issuance of the current passports and will now be issuing electronically readable passports (e-passports).
Zimbabweans have been given up to end of December 2023 to move onto the e-passport at which time the current passport will no longer be recognized internationally.
“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,” reads the Government Gazette issued on Tuesday.
The project has significantly reduced the price of passport production.
The Department of The Registrar General had been charging US$53.00 for an ordinary passport, US$253.00 for an urgent passport (3 working days) while the Express urgent passport (24 hours) was set at US$318.00.
The new fees for obtaining an e-passport have been set at US$100 for ordinary e-passport and US$200 for an emergency or express e-passport.
“A normal fee of US$20,00, shall be charged for every passport application fee processed at any CBZ Bank Branch Countrywide,” further reads the new regulations.
The e-passport project comes after signing a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer Agreement with Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuanian Company
Addressing media during a recent post-Cabinet briefing Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the project is well on course with the aim of boosting production of passports, identification cards and birth certificates.
“Cabinet considered and noted the Progress Report on the Revamping of the Passport Office which was presented by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe,” Mutsvangwa said.
“The nation will recall that during its Ninth Meeting, Cabinet approved a strategy by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to clear the country’s passport backlog that had accumulated to over 400 000 by August 2020. It is pleasing to note that the backlog has since been reduced to the current 184 000. It is anticipated that the backlog would have been cleared by the end of December 2021,” she continued.
“Cabinet also wishes to report that the implementation of a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer Agreement with Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuanian Company on an e-Passport Production Project is well on course with the aim of boosting production of passports, identification cards and birth certificates.”
e-passports
