How do I apply for a Zimbabwean passport for a child?

A child needs an individual Zimbabwean passport; the application is made in the child’s identity and requires consent from a parent or lawful guardian. The adult assists and signs the relevant declaration, but the child must still be identified and photographed. Prepare the parentage and guardianship evidence before booking.

Confirm the child’s civil record

Start with the child’s original long birth certificate. Check every name, the date and place of birth, and the recorded parents. If the child is old enough to hold a national ID, take the original ID as well. Official consular guidance requires an ID for children who have attained the specified registration age, commonly 16.

The parent or legal guardian who will sign must take an original Zimbabwean national ID or valid passport. If a guardian rather than a parent is applying, take the Zimbabwean court order or other documentary proof of guardianship accepted by the office. Where both parents are deceased, published guidance asks for the original death certificates.

If this applies to your situation, read our guide on child passport in Zimbabwe.

Prepare the application pack

Take two identical colour photographs that meet the office’s current child-passport specification. Infants and young children still need a clear, front-facing image with a plain background. Do not digitally replace the background or use a school photograph. Include the child’s previous passport or temporary travel document if one exists.

If only one parent is attending, ask the office beforehand what consent or Section 5 declaration it requires. Do not improvise a consent letter. Requirements can depend on whether the other parent is abroad, deceased, unavailable or subject to a custody order.

You may also need to know can delay or cause rejection of child passport in Zimbabwe.

Complete the application

1. Confirm the authorised Civil Registry office or Zimbabwean mission and make any required appointment.
2. Bring the child, signing adult, originals, copies and photographs.
3. Complete the official form using the child’s registered particulars.
4. The parent or lawful guardian signs the consent section in the officer’s required manner.
5. Allow staff to complete the child’s photograph, fingerprints or other age-appropriate biometric steps.
6. Check the captured spelling, parent details and date of birth.
7. Pay through the official channel and retain the receipt and collection reference.

Statutory Instrument 1 of 2024 lists US\$150 for an ordinary passport or US\$250 for an emergency passport, plus US\$20 for the QR code, without creating a separate child rate in that schedule. Confirm the current tariff and any mission administration fee.

Collection and travel preparation

Ask who may collect the document and what identification that adult must show. If the child had a valid old passport, follow the cancellation instruction. Inspect the new passport carefully before leaving.

A passport does not replace destination-specific consent rules for a child travelling with one parent or another adult. Check airline, border and visa requirements separately. The passport application establishes identity and permission to issue the document; it is not blanket permission for every journey.

Once collected, store the child’s passport with the birth certificate only when travelling; at home, keep the documents separately to reduce the risk of losing the full identity file together.

Official sources

• Zimbabwe Consulate Johannesburg Consular Services
• Zimbabwe Embassy Lusaka Passport Application
• Citizenship Passport Fees Amendment Regulations 2024

Before paying or travelling, confirm the latest fee, accepted payment method and office arrangements with the Civil Registry Department.