Zimbabwe National ID Replacement Fees: Search Charges and Full Cost Breakdown

Replacing a national ID in Zimbabwe involves several fees set by the Registrar General's office, and yes — there is a separate search fee charged when the office needs to look up your records. Understanding the full fee structure helps you budget correctly before visiting a registry office, whether you are applying from within Zimbabwe or arranging for a relative to do so back home. Under Statutory Instrument 10 of 2024 (National Registration (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 No. 18) and related SIs introduced in early 2024, all fees are now pegged in US dollars, payable either in USD or the equivalent in ZiG at the prevailing interbank rate on the day of payment. **Search Fee** Searching ID records — covering any year, document entry, or other record held by the Registrar General — costs US$2.00 per search. This is a separate charge from the replacement fee itself and applies when the office needs to locate and verify your existing registration details. A broader search of a set of citizen records costs US$10.00. Photocopying any document or page from the registry costs US$0.10 per page. **Replacement Fees (as of 2024)** The fee you pay depends on the type of document being replaced and how urgently you need it: - Replacement of a lost or torn paper ID document: US$5.00 (standard service) - Urgent replacement of a lost or torn paper ID document: US$10.00 - Replacement of a lost or defaced metal or plastic (synthetic polythene) ID — resident: US$10.00 - Replacement of a lost or defaced metal or plastic ID — non-resident: US$15.00 - Urgent replacement of a lost or defaced metal or plastic ID — resident: US$20.00 - Urgent replacement of a lost or defaced metal or plastic ID — non-resident: US$30.00 - Switching from a metal ID to a plastic ID (resident): US$20.00 - Switching from a metal ID to a plastic ID (non-resident): US$30.00 **Error Corrections** If there is a mistake on your ID that was caused by you (the applicant), correction costs US$10.00 for a paper ID and US$25.00 for a plastic ID. Corrections caused by a Registrar General department error remain free of charge. **Other Related Fees** - Fingerprint clearance: US$1.00 - Urgent fingerprint clearance: US$5.00 - Initial registration for persons aged 16–18: free - Initial registration for persons aged 18 and above: US$2.00 **Practical Notes for the Diaspora** If you are in the UK and need a family member in Zimbabwe to replace your ID on your behalf, note that non-resident rates apply in certain categories and are higher than resident rates. For a lost plastic ID, that means US$15.00 rather than US$10.00, and US$30.00 for urgent processing. All applications for a national ID require attendance in person at a District or Provincial Registrar General's office for biometrics — photograph and fingerprints — so a proxy cannot complete the full process on your behalf. The original long birth certificate is required for all applications. Fees are subject to change by statutory instrument. ZiG equivalents fluctuate with the interbank exchange rate, so the USD figures are the more stable reference point. Always confirm current fees directly with the Registrar General's office before travelling, as these figures reflect the position as established under SI 10 of 2024.