Zimbabwe is planning to establish three e-passport centres in Zambia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

This follows the trial of an e-passport office at the Zimbabwe Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, in June.

The government said centres will be equipped with the latest technology to ensure that passports are processed quickly and securely.

Registrar-general Henry Machiri told The Sunday Mail that the e-passport offices will provide convenience to Zimbabweans living outside the country.

He said: “We are committed to ensuring that our diaspora community has access to essential documents without undue hardship.”

According to Machari, the Johannesburg e-passport office has witnessed success since its inception, with around 7000 e-passports distributed to applicants.

"The e-passport office in the Johannesburg consulate in South Africa began processing e-passports on June 18, 2024. As of September 20, 2024, a total of 6, 967 e-passports had been issued," added Machari.

Machari further said the Civil Registry Department intends to expand the e-passport service to the Zimbabwe Consulate Cape Town.

Before the end of the year, the e-passport centres will be supplemented by an online platform for passport and national identity card applications via the Zimbabwe Population Registry System, said the government.