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Renewing Your Zimbabwean Passport While Abroad: A Step-by-Step-Guide: Focus on Thailand

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INTRODUCTION 

Are you a Zimbabwean living abroad and feeling stressed because your passport is nearing its expiry date? You might think renewing it and managing your visa situation is complicated, but it doesn't have to be! This guide will walk you through renewing your passport, transferring your current visa to the new passport, and applying for a visa extension if needed – all manageable by yourself without relying on an agent. We'll use the process for Zimbabweans residing in Thailand as a specific example, which involves contacting the embassy in Malaysia.

Step 1: Visit the Nearest Zimbabwean Embassy 

Your first official step is to contact the nearest Zimbabwean embassy located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  1. Book an Appointment: Contact the embassy well in advance to schedule an appointment. You can usually do this via email: zimkIcons@gmail.com (Double-check the current email address on the official embassy website).
  2. Prepare Your Documents: Gather the required documents. You will generally need 3 passport colour photos, the originals AND 2 clear photocopies of each:
    • Long Birth Certificate
    • National Identity Card (Zimbabwean ID)
    • Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
    • Your current (expiring) Passport or Emergency Travel Document
    • Police Report (ONLY if your current passport was lost or stolen)
    • Completed Designee Form (indicating who will submit/collect in Zimbabwe)
    • (Self-check: Always verify the latest document requirements directly with the embassy before your appointment, as these can change.)
  3. Prepare the Fee: Be ready to pay the necessary fee for the application form, biometric data capture, and document verification. Currently this procedure costs  $US20 (converted to Malaysian currency Ringgit)
  4. Embassy Visit: Attend your appointment, submit your documents, provide biometrics, and pay the fee. The embassy officers will prepare an application package.
  5. Send the Package: You will need to send this official application package (handed to you by the embassy) back to your designated relative (designee) in Zimbabwe. Use a courier of your choice for example DHL. At the moment of writing this article, DHL charges 3050 THB to send an envelop from Bangkok to Zimbabwe.

Step 2: Application Submission in Zimbabwe

Once your relative (designee) in Zimbabwe receives the application package from you:

  1. Submission: They will take the package to the appropriate passport office in Zimbabwe.
  2. Payment: They will pay the main passport application fee (confirm the current fee structure in Zimbabwe). Currently, the fee is $US170 and US$270 for the regular and urgent passports respectively.
  3. Processing: The application will then be processed.

Step 3: Cancelling Your Old Passport

Before your designee can collect your new passport, the passport office requires proof that your old passport has been officially cancelled.

  • If the Embassy is in Your Country of Residence: Book an appointment, take your old passport to the embassy, and they will physically stamp it as cancelled and provide a cancellation confirmation letter. You can then collect it.
  • If the Embassy is in Another Country, Malaysia for Thailand Residents):
    1. Send Old Passport: Securely send your old passport to the embassy via a reliable courier (like DHL).
    2. Embassy Action: Upon receiving it, the embassy will cancel the passport (usually within 24 hours) by stamping and marking it and will issue a cancellation confirmation letter.
    3. Retrieve Documents:
      • Arrange for a courier to collect both the physically cancelled passport AND the original confirmation letter. 
      • Alternatively (and often faster for collection purposes): Request the embassy to email you scanned copies of the cancelled pages of your old passport and the cancellation confirmation letter while you wait for the courier to deliver them to your residence.
    4. Inform Designee: Forward these scanned copies immediately to your designee in Zimbabwe via email or any platform that supports sending documents such as WhatsApp. 

Step 4: Collecting the New Passport in Zimbabwe

  1. Notification: The passport office in Zimbabwe will notify your designee when the new passport is ready for collection.
  2. Submit Proof of Cancellation: Your designee must present the proof of cancellation (either the scanned copies you emailed them or potentially the original confirmation letter if you sent it directly to them) to the passport office.
  3. Collection: Upon verifying the cancellation, the passport office will release the new passport to your designee.

Step 5: Receiving Your New Passport Abroad

  1. Courier: Your relative (designee) will send your new passport to you in your country of residence using a courier service (e.g., DHL).
  2. Costs: Be prepared for the courier costs, which may vary depending on the destination province. (The example given was approx. 3000 THB for Bulawayo-Bangkok).

Step 6: Transferring Your Visa to the New Passport 

Once you have your new passport, you need to transfer your existing visa from the old (cancelled) passport to the new one.

  1. Request Authenticity Letter: Ask your relative to immediately scan and send you the bio-data page of your new passport. Email this scan to the nearest Zimbabwean embassy in Malaysia along with a polite letter requesting a "Letter of Confirmation of Authenticity" for your new passport. You can do this while your new passport is in transit.
  2. Gather Documents for Immigration: Once you receive the Authenticity Letter from the embassy (usually via email), prepare the following for your local Thai Immigration office:
    • Original New Passport
    • Original Cancelled Old Passport
    • Authenticity Letter from the Embassy
    • Photocopy of your cancelled old passport's bio page and relevant visa/stamp pages
    • Photocopy of your new passport's bio page
    • Photocopy of your original visa sticker/stamp
    • Photocopy of your latest visa extension stamp (if any)
    • Photocopy of your last arrival stamp in Thailand (TM.6 if you still have it)
    • Photocopy or printout of your TM.30 (Notification of Residence)
    • (Self-check: Verify the exact required document list with your local Thai Immigration office or their website, as requirements can vary slightly.)
  3. Visit Immigration: Go to your local Thai Immigration office.
  4. Complete Form: Fill out the visa transfer application form 
  5. Process: Submit your documents and passports. Visa transfer is typically a same-day process, resulting in a stamp in your new passport indicating your visa details have been transferred.
  6. Important Note: This process only transfers your existing visa and its current expiry date. It does not extend your stay.

Step 7: Applying for a Visa Extension 

If your visa is close to expiring after the transfer, you'll need to apply for an extension as usual, using your new passport.

  • Ensure you meet all the standard requirements for your specific visa type extension.
  • Use your new passport for the application.
  • Some of your supporting documents (e.g., contracts, work permits, job offer letters, employment letters issued previously) might still show your old passport number. This is usually acceptable for the first extension after a transfer, but it's wise to update these documents with your new passport number when possible for future applications. Always bring copies of your old passport's relevant pages and the visa transfer page from your new passport to explain any discrepancies if needed.
  • Remember all necessary supporting documents for your specific visa extension type.

ENJOY YOUR STAY!

Renewing your Zimbabwean passport while abroad involves several steps and coordination with your relative back home, but by following the process carefully – from the initial embassy visit in Malaysia, to the final visa transfer – you can successfully navigate it yourself. Always double-check current requirements and fees with the official embassy, passport office and Thai immigration sources, and allow ample time for each stage. Good luck!

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Very informative thank you for sharing
28 April 2025 at 05:10
Cosmopolitan said…
Your're welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful.
5 May 2025 at 20:03
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