1.1 Initial Birth Registration
Requirements
- Mother and father’s national identity documents.
- Both parents must be present to sign declaration of paternity if customarily married or not married.
- Birth confirmation record from the hospital or clinic where applicable.
- Health card where applicable.
- Witness preferably birth attendant where applicable. If the child is above the age of sixteen, two witnesses are required.
- Marriage certificate where applicable.
- Where parents are in a registered marriage, one parent can register the child.
- Single mothers are eligible to register their children in their maiden names.
- Where one parent is deceased, the surviving spouse must bring the death certificate, near relative of the deceased and the above supporting documents.
- Where both parents are deceased, the death certificates are required and near relatives from both sides (maternal and paternal) should be present to register the birth.
- Letter from school for children above the age of six (6) years.
- Where the child is above the age of sixteen (16), he/she must be present at the time of registration and must simultaneously be issued with a national identity document.
Statutory fee
Normal – Free (6 years and below)
– US$5.00 (Above the age of 6 years)
Processing time
Normal – 1 day (If notice of birth is given to the
Registrar of District of child’s birth)
– 3 days (For applications from other
districts).
NB: 1. Birth certificates (Initial) are issued for free to children 6 years and below.
The Department issues computerised and manual birth certificates and both are authentic documents.
1.2 External Birth Registration
An external birth certificate is issued to a child born outside Zimbabwe and when they were born, either of their parents was a Zimbabwean citizen or any of their grandparents was a Zimbabwean citizen by birth or descent.
Requirements
- Child’s foreign birth certificate/ child’s foreign health card/foreign birth confirmation record/ notification of birth. Mother’s names must correspond with those on the passport and national identity document.
- If the above documents are lost an affidavit and police report can be submitted.
- Mother’s passport showing that she was in a foreign country at the time of birth of the child. If the passport is expired a national identity document is required.
- Explanatory affidavit and national identity document where the mother’s passport is lost or does not have a passport.
- Father’s national identity document or valid passport.
- Marriage certificate where applicable.
- Prescribed statutory fee.
- Where the parents are in a registered marriage, one parent can register the child and must bring either national identity documents or a valid passport in the case of a foreign husband or wife.
- Where parents are not in a registered marriage/ not married or child was born before the marriage was solemnized, both must be present to sign the declaration of paternity.
- A single mother can also register a child under her maiden surname.
- Where one parent is deceased and they were in a registered marriage, registration is done by the surviving spouse upon production of the death certificate of the deceased.
- Where the alleged father is deceased, registration is done upon joint request by the mother and a near relative of the alleged father. The father’s near relative must submit an explanatory affidavit.
- Where the mother is deceased the registration is done upon joint request by the father and a parent or near relative of the mother. The mother’s near relative must give notice of birth.
Statutory fee
Normal – US$15.00
Processing time
Normal – 1 day
1.3 Non-Citizen Birth Registration
A non-citizen birth certificate is issued to a child born in Zimbabwe to foreign parents.
Requirements
- Parent’s Zimbabwean Non-Citizen identity documents where applicable or valid foreign passports
- Valid residence permit
- Child’s birth confirmation record
- Marriage certificate where applicable
- School letter for children above the age of six (6).
Statutory fees
- Normal processing – US$ 10.00
Processing time
- Normal application – 1 day (For applications done at
Central Registry)
– 1 month (For applications
Submitted through mail)
1.4 Refugee Birth Registration
A refugee birth certificate is issued to children born in Zimbabwe to refugees. These registrations are done at Central Registry.
Requirements
- Birth confirmation record.
- Marriage certificate (where applicable).
- Valid Zimbabwean Refugee identity documents.
- Parents’ temporary permits from the Immigration Department.
- Refugee status form.
- Parents’ and children’s photo slip.
- Prescribed statutory fee.
- Where the parents are in a registered marriage, one parent can register the child and must bring either national identity documents or a valid passport in the case of a foreign husband or wife.
- Where parents are not in a registered marriage/ not married or child was born before the marriage was solemnized, both must be present to sign the declaration of paternity.
- A single mother can also register a child under her maiden surname.
- Where one parent is deceased and they were in a registered marriage, registration is done by the surviving spouse upon production of the death certificate of the deceased.
- Where the alleged father is deceased, registration is done upon joint request by the mother and a near relative of the alleged father. The father’s near relative must submit an explanatory affidavit.
- Where the mother is deceased the registration is done upon joint request by the father and a parent or near relative of the mother. The mother’s near relative must give notice of birth.
Statutory fee
Normal – US$10.00
Processing time
Normal – 1 day (For applications done at Central
Registry)
1.5 Application for Duplicate Birth Certificate
This entails the replacement of a lost or defaced birth certificate.
- Requirements:-
- Applicant’s birth entry number.
- If the applicant does not have a birth entry number he/she will furnish the office with the date or year when his/her birth was initially registered and pay US$1.00 search fee for each year provided.
- National identity document where applicable. If applicant does not have an identity document they must produce a relative’s ID.
Statutory fees
- Normal processing – US$ 5.00
- Urgent processing – US$10.00
Processing time
- Normal application – 3 working days
- Urgent application – 1 day
1.6 Correction of Errors
Correction of an error on a birth record is the process of correcting information that was wrongly captured during initial registration. The correction may relate to the date of birth, sex, spellings or parent’s details.
Requirements
Documentary evidence e.g. school certificates or hospital records must be produced to substantiate the correction.
Statutory fee
- Normal – US$10.00 (US5 for correction of error
and US5 for the certificate)
- Urgent – US$15.00 (US5 for correction of error
and US$10 for the certificate)
Processing time
- Normal – 3 working days (For applications
done at Central Registry).
– 1 month (For applications submitted
through mail).
- Urgent – 1 day
1.7 Change of Name in Register
Alteration of names in a birth register is provided for in terms of section 18 of the Act. There are three types of change of names: –
This is whereby a child’s first name(s) are being changed (adding, dropping,
adopting new name(s) or changing order of names).
Requirements:-
- Affidavits from both parents and legal guardian in cases where the child is below eighteen (18) years.
- For children sixteen (16) years and above the following supporting documents are required: –
- National identity document
- Marriage certificate where applicable
- Academic certificates where applicable
- Baptism certificate where applicable
- Professional certificates where applicable
- Fingerprint clearance from NFB and CID for complete change of forenames from the age of eighteen years and above.
- An affidavit from the child if they have attained the age of eighteen (18).
Statutory fee
- Normal – US$10.00 (US5 for the change
and US5 for the certificate)
- Urgent – US$15.00 (US5 for the change
and US$10 for the certificate)
Processing time
- Normal – 3 working days (For applications
done at Central Registry).
– 1 month (For applications
submitted through mail).
- Urgent – 1 day
- For alteration of surname the following is required:-
- Notarial deed of change of name
- Government Gazette Notice.
- Fingerprint clearance from NFB and CID
- Explanatory affidavit for applicants eighteen (18) years and above.
- Alteration of Surname only
- Notarial deed of change of name
- Government Gazette Notice.
N.B: A foreign notarial deed of change of name shall not be considered unless it is published in the Government Gazette. The Registrar General may alter surnames without the production of a notarial deed and Government Gazette Notice.
Statutory fee
- Normal – US$55 ((US$50 for change of surname by notarial
deed and US$5 for the certificate).
- Urgent – US$60 ((US$50 for change of surname by notarial
deed and US$10 for the certificate).
Processing time
- Normal – 3 working days (For applications done at Central Registry).
– 1 month (For applications submitted
through mail).
- Urgent – 1 day
This applies in cases where a child’s birth was registered without any first name. No fee is charged. Such cases were common during the colonial era and in the case of abandoned children.
Requirements
- National identity document
- Marriage certificate where applicable
- Academic certificates where applicable
- Baptism certificate where applicable
- Professional certificates where applicable
Statutory fee
- Normal – US$10.00 (US5 for correction of error
and US5 for the certificate)
- Urgent – US$15.00 (US5 for correction of error
and US$10 for the certificate)
Processing time
- Normal – 3 working days (For applications done at Central Registry). – 1 month (For applications submitted
through mail).
- Urgent – 1 day
1.8 Authentications
Requirements
- Applicant’s birth certificate
- National identity card
Statutory fees
- Normal – US$20.00
Processing time
- Normal – 14 days (for authentications by the
Registrar General and Secretary for
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage)
– 1 month (For applications submitted
through mail).
1.9 Re-Registration to Add Father’s Particulars
This is where the birth of a person was previously registered by the mother in her maiden surname and the parents now want to re-register the child in the father’s surname. This is a Central Registry function.
Requirements
- Affidavits by both parents confirming that they are the biological parents of the child and now want to add the father’s particulars.
- Parent’s identity documents.
- Both parents must be present to sign declaration of paternity.
- Marriage certificate where applicable.
- An affidavit of consent if the child has attained the age of eighteen (18).
- Child’s previous birth certificate.
- If the child has attained the age of sixteen (16) the child must be present at the time of registration for subsequent issuance of identity document.
- Where the mother is deceased the death certificate is required, and explanatory affidavits from both the father and the near relative to the mother confirming that the child to be re-registered belongs to the alleged father and they have no objection to the child being re-registered using the father’s details.
- In cases where the death of the parents occurred before 20 June 1986 and the relevant death was not registered, a sworn affidavit must be tendered by the parents’ relatives.
Statutory fees
- Normal processing – US$ 20.00
Processing time
- Normal application – 1 day (For applications done at
Central Registry).
– 1 month (For applications
submitted through mail).
