All services
Every guide on this site, grouped by topic. Can't find what you need? Tell us.
IDs and family records
Birth and death certificates, national ID cards and marriages.
- Register a birth and get a birth certificateRegister your baby's birth within 42 days at a district registry office. Some hospitals and clinics also have a registration point. If you are late, you can still register.Civil Registry
- Get or replace a national ID cardEveryone must have a national ID from the age of 16. You apply in person at a district registry office, where they take your fingerprints.Civil Registry
- Register a deathYou must register a death within 30 days. First get a burial order. Then register the death at a registry office to get the death certificate.Civil Registry
- Get married or register a customary marriageUnder the Marriages Act of 2022, both civil and customary marriages are recorded with the Registrar of Marriages. If your customary marriage wasn't done before a marriage officer, register it within three months.Civil Registry
Passports and travel
Passports, visas and police clearance.
- Apply for a passportBook an appointment and pay online through the Civil Registry. Then go in person to have your fingerprints and photo taken. For a child under 18, a parent or guardian signs the application.Civil Registry
- Get a police clearance certificateThe ZRP's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Harare issues police clearance certificates. You have your fingerprints taken on special forms, pay the fee, and hand the forms in at CID Headquarters.ZRP CID
- Visit Zimbabwe: visas and the arrival formSome visitors need no visa, some get one on arrival, and others must apply before travelling. If you need to apply, use the official e-visa site at least three weeks ahead.Immigration
Driving and vehicles
Learner's and driver's licences, registering and licensing a vehicle, and traffic fines.
- Get a learner's licenceYou take the learner's licence test on a computer at a Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) depot. You can do it in English, chiShona or isiNdebele.VID
- Get a driver's licenceAfter you pass the VID road test, VID records your fingerprints and photo. The Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) then prints your licence card and sends it to the post office you choose.CVR and VID
- Register a vehicle or change ownershipWhen you buy a vehicle, first get a police (VTS) clearance, then pay ZIMRA's duty. After that, the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) records you as the new owner.CVR
- Import a vehicle and pay customs dutyTo bring a car into Zimbabwe, send your papers to ZIMRA before the car leaves. Then pay the duty ZIMRA works out, and clear the car at the border. After that, register it and get number plates. You can't import most second-hand vehicles that are 10 years old or more.ZIMRA
- Renew a vehicle licenceRenew your vehicle licence at a ZINARA office or an approved agent, along with your insurance. You also need proof of a ZBC radio licence. You get the licence disc on the spot.ZINARA
- Pay or challenge a traffic fineStopped by the police or caught by a traffic camera? Find out how much a fine can be, how to pay with an official receipt, and how to choose court instead. You can also report an officer who asks for a bribe.ZRP
School and exams
ZIMSEC exams and results, school places, help with fees, checking qualifications.
- Register for ZIMSEC examsYou register for ZIMSEC exams through your school or a ZIMSEC-approved centre, not at ZIMSEC offices. If you are a private candidate, register at an approved centre with your ID.ZIMSEC
- Check your ZIMSEC resultsZIMSEC puts results online for only a few days after it releases them. In 2026 it was five days for O and A Level, and in 2025 it was four days for Grade 7. After that, get them from your school or exam centre.ZIMSEC
- Ask for a ZIMSEC re-markIf you think an O or A Level subject was marked wrongly, you can ask ZIMSEC to re-mark it. Apply through the head of the school or centre where you wrote, within 42 days of the results coming out.ZIMSEC
- Find a school place for your childYour child can enrol at the government school nearest your home. If it is full, the head must give you a certificate to take to the next nearest school. If your child can't possibly get there, the head must enrol your child instead. A school must not send your child away because fees are unpaid.Ministry of Education
- Get help with school fees (BEAM)The Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) pays tuition, levies and exam fees for children whose families can't afford them. It aims to keep these children in school, or bring them back. You apply through the school.Social Development
- Check that a qualification is genuineThe Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) checks degrees, diplomas and other higher education qualifications from Zimbabwe or abroad. It confirms whether they are genuine and recognised.ZIMCHE
Work and pensions
NSSA and civil service pensions, government jobs, problems at work.
- Claim an NSSA pension or benefitNSSA pays retirement pensions, survivors' benefits and funeral grants to people who paid contributions through their jobs, and to their families.NSSA
- Claim a civil service pensionIf you work for the government, your pension comes from the Public Service Commission (PSC). Your ministry's HR office starts the claim before you retire. If a civil servant or government pensioner dies, their husband, wife or children can claim a survivor's pension.PSC
- Register with NSSA as an employerIf you employ people, you must register with NSSA within 30 days, register every employee, and file a P4 return each month.NSSA
- Report an injury at workNSSA's accident scheme covers workers who are injured at work or catch a work-related disease. Your employer must report the accident to NSSA within 14 days.NSSA
- Find and apply for government jobsThe Public Service Commission (PSC) advertises civil service jobs, and the Health Service Commission advertises public health jobs. Applying is free.PSC
- Get help with a problem at workIf you have a dispute with your employer, such as unfair dismissal or unpaid wages, a labour officer or your industry's National Employment Council can help settle it.Labour offices
Business and tax
Registering a company, tax numbers and clearance, trading licences and exchange rates.
- Register a company or PBCYou register a company or Private Business Corporation (PBC) with the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe (CIPZ). First you reserve a name, then you register the business.CIPZ
- Register with ZIMRA for a tax number (TIN)You register with ZIMRA online, on its TaRMS self-service portal. Your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) replaces the old BP number.ZIMRA
- Get a tax clearance certificate (ITF263)A tax clearance certificate shows that your taxes are up to date. It is free. Since 2024 you can only get it through ZIMRA's TaRMS portal.ZIMRA
- Get a shop or trading licenceShop and trading licences come from your local council. Each council has its own steps, but they usually include a health inspection and a tax clearance certificate.Local council
- Register a mining claimTo mine legally, you take out a prospecting licence, peg a block and register it with your provincial mining office. Then you keep it by getting an inspection certificate every year.Ministry of Mines
- Check the official ZiG exchange rateThe Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) publishes official exchange rates for the ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) every working day.RBZ
Home and utilities
Electricity, water and council bills, and title deeds.
- Pay your ZBC radio and TV licenceBy law, if you have a radio or TV, you need a listener's licence from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). Before ZINARA or an insurer will renew your licence disc or insurance, you must show a ZBC radio licence. If the car has no radio, show an exemption instead.ZBC
- Buy electricity and report a power cutZETDC supplies electricity. Buy prepaid tokens from ZETDC or its vendors. Report faults to the ZETDC contact centre, which is open 24 hours.ZETDC
- Apply for a new electricity connectionTo get connected, you apply to ZETDC and have the wiring inspected. Then you accept and pay a quotation, and ZETDC installs your meter.ZETDC
- Harare: pay water bills and report problemsThe City of Harare is in charge of water, sewers and rates in Harare. Pay only into the accounts listed on its website, and report bursts and leaks to its 24-hour emergency line.Harare City
- Bulawayo: pay water bills and report problemsThe City of Bulawayo is in charge of water, sewers and rates in Bulawayo. Its call centre takes questions, fault reports and bill queries.Bulawayo City
- Search title deeds or check a propertyTitle deeds are kept at the Deeds Registries in Harare and Bulawayo. You can search them at the registry for a small fee, or ask a registered conveyancer to search for you.Deeds Registry
- Get building plans approved and avoid demolitionBefore you build, check that the stand is legal and get your plans approved by your council. Have every stage inspected, and get a certificate of occupation before you move in.Local council
Health and support
Children's vaccinations and help from Social Welfare.
- Get your child vaccinatedYour child's routine vaccines are free at public clinics and hospitals, under the Zimbabwe Expanded Programme on Immunisation (ZEPI).Ministry of Health
- Get help from Social WelfareThe Department of Social Development helps people in hardship, including with hospital costs, food and burials. Start at your district Social Welfare office.Social Development
Rights, safety and voting
Police, corruption, free legal help, human rights, consumer complaints and voting.
- Report a crimeIn an emergency, call 999, or 995 for the police. For anything else, go to your nearest police station or contact the ZRP National Complaints Desk, which is open day and night.ZRP
- Know your rights if you or someone is arrestedIf you are arrested, the police must tell you why, let you contact family or a lawyer, and bring you to court within 48 hours or release you. You can ask for bail, get free legal help if you can't afford a lawyer, and complain about police abuse.ZRP
- Visit someone in prison or remandEveryone held in prison, whether on remand or serving a sentence, has a right to visits from family, a spouse or partner, a lawyer, a doctor and a religious counsellor. Each prison runs its own visits, so check times with the prison before you go.ZPCS
- Get a protection order against domestic violenceA protection order is a court order that tells someone at home or in a relationship with you to stop abusing you and stay away. You apply at a magistrates court. If you need protection now, the court can give you an interim order straight away.JSC
- Claim maintenance for a childIf a parent is not supporting their child, you can claim maintenance at the magistrates court, which also acts as the maintenance court. The court can order regular payments and have them taken straight from the parent's wages.Maintenance court
- Register a deceased estateWhen someone dies leaving property or a will, a close relative must register the estate with the Master of the High Court within 14 days. Registration is free. The Master then appoints an executor to pay the debts and share out what is left.Master's Office
- Report corruptionThe Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) takes reports through an online form, and you can stay anonymous. ZACC does not charge for anything.ZACC
- Get free legal helpIf you can't afford a lawyer, the Legal Aid Directorate gives free legal advice and can represent you in court. It handles family, work, eviction, estate and criminal cases.Legal Aid Directorate
- Complain to the Human Rights CommissionThe Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) investigates human rights violations and unfair treatment by government bodies. You can complain in person, by phone, WhatsApp or email.ZHRC
- Complain about a businessIf a shop or company sells you faulty goods or treats you unfairly, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) can help. You can complain through its website, WhatsApp or a free phone line.CPC
- Register to voteYou have been able to register to vote at any time of year at Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) offices. A 2026 change to the Constitution hands this to the Registrar-General, so check with ZEC or your nearest Civil Registry office before you go. You need ID and proof of where you live, or an affidavit.ZEC