Non-Immigrant Visas

Diplomatic and Official Visas

The U.S. Embassy Consular Section accepts applications for diplomatic and official visas without appointment on Monday through Thursday from 13:00 to 16:00.  For urgent applications outside of these hours, please send a FAX to the Consular Section at 263-4-796488 or an email to consularharare@state.gov, and our staff will contact you to schedule a time to submit the visa application.  For diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe seeking a visa for non-official travel, please follow these instructions.

In order to ensure timely issuance of diplomatic and official visas, applications should be submitted only by the Ministry or an organization's office of protocol in charge of visas.  In order for an applicant to be eligible for a diplomatic or official visa, the applicant must be traveling on official government business and be either a government official or an official staff member of an international organization.  For more information, click here.

All visa applicants must complete an Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) found at http://evisaforms.state.gov .  The Embassy regrets that we cannot accept handwritten applications.  Please print the application, insure the bar code is included on page 3, and pay particular attention to the following points:

• A full answer should be provided to each question on the application.

• Each application form should be signed and dated by the applicant, and by the person who helped fill out the form if appropriate.

• A frontal photograph of the applicant that is size 5 cm by 5 cm, taken with a white background, must be attached to each application.

• The application must be submitted with a passport valid until at least the end of the projected stay in the United States.

• Applications for official diplomatic travel must be submitted with a diplomatic note(s) referencing the names of all persons traveling.
  
  

Although it will not be necessary for anyone to appear personally, we request that all visa application forms and passports be submitted to the consular section at least one week before their planned departure, to ensure that visas are issued in a timely manner. 

Applications from international organizations should be accompanied by a letter or FAX directly to the Embassy Consular Section confirming the official request, sent by the organization's transportation office.

Diplomatic and official visas, other than for Zimbabwean government officials, will normally be available the day after the application is submitted.  In cases of urgent need, the Embassy will try, but cannot guarantee issuance on the same day.  Occasionally, applications require additional administrative processing.  Unfortunately, we cannot waive this requirement and processing can take up to one month.  As a result, we encourage all missions to submit application as soon as possible.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONAL EMPLOYEES of GOVERNMENT and INTERNATIONAL OFFICIALS

In order to be eligible for a diplomatic or official visa, personal employees must be traveling to the U.S. to perform a specific job and must be capable of performing this job. 

U.S. law requires that employers pay their personal employees a fair wage by U.S. standards. 

In addition to the regular documents outlined above, applications for personal employees must also include a contract (in both English and a language understood by the employee) that demonstrates the employee will receive a fair wage, and that the employee understands his or her duties and rights.

The employee will have to make a personal appearance at the Embassy Consular Section.

NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DIPLOMATIC OR OFFICIAL VISAS

The following visa applicants are not eligible for diplomatic or official visas, and therefore must schedule an appointment for an interview with a U.S. consular officer: