General Information
What can the Embassy do for you?
Registrations
In order to allow the Consular Section to better help and serve you, if you are going to be in Zimbabwe for business, pleasure, or an extended stay, please register here. You can also register in person at the U.S. Embassy. Please bring your passport with you. Registration services are free of charge.
Passport Replacement
The Consular Section is available to accept applications for passport replacement during regular working hours: 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm Mondays through Thursdays. The estimated processing time to receive a new passport is approximately seven to ten working days. A limited emergency passport can be issued for urgent, necessary travel only.
If your passport has expired or is going to expire, please bring:
· your most recent passport;
· 2 photographs 5x5 cm (2 inches by 2 inches), full face, with light background, no head cover or dark glasses;
· The fee payable in US dollars.
If your passport has been lost or stolen, please bring:
· proof of your identity (i.e. photo ID, such as a driver's license, residence permit for Zimbabwe, old passport);
· proof of your citizenship (a birth or naturalization certificate, or an old passport);
· a copy of a report to the police of the circumstances of the theft or loss.
· the fee for a replacement for a lost or stolen passport is 85 U.S. dollars;
· 2 photographs 5x5 cm (2 in. x 2 in.) full face, light background, no head cover or dark glasses.
Although we can sometimes verify citizenship through our computerized passport records, our connection is not always reliable. The computer record does not establish identity. If no documents verifying your citizenship and identity are available, but you need to travel immediately, Consular staff will discuss with you possible alternatives to allow issuance of an emergency passport of limited validity.
Assistance in Finding Medical Help
If you become sick or hurt, we can assist you with a list of doctors, dentists, and medical specialists. In an emergency, we can also help you contact your family or friends. Medical bills, however, are the responsibility of the patient and/or his/her insurance company. The Embassy is prohibited from paying private medical expenses.
If You Are Arrested
If you are arrested, you should first comply completely with all instructions from the police and ask the authorities to notify the U.S. Embassy. We cannot get you out of jail. You are in a foreign country and are subject to its laws. However, we will work to protect your legitimate interests and ensure that you are not mistreated while incarcerated. We can provide a list of attorneys, and if you ask, contact your family and friends.
Making Arrangements After the Death of An American Citizen
When an American dies abroad, a consular officer notifies the American's family and informs them about their options and costs for disposition of remains. If the next-of-kin or his/her representative is not in Zimbabwe, we will make the arrangements upon receipt of instructions and funds. We also prepare an official report of the death that can be used to settle the estate. For further questions, contact the Consular Section at +263 (4) 250-593, or e-mail ConsularHarare@state.gov.
Consular Reports of Birth
If you are a U.S. citizen, it is possible that any child born to you is also a U.S. citizen, even though born outside the U.S. the child should be documented as a U.S. citizen as soon as practical after the birth. The Embassy will be happy to prepare a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen, and a U.S. passport for your child. (A U.S. passport must be used for every entry and departure from the U.S., even if your child is a dual national.) Because of the complexity of the process, Reports of Birth and first passports for children born abroad are done only by appointment; please call the Consular Section to schedule one.
How to Make a Report of Birth
On the day of your appointment, please bring the following documents with you:
1. Proof of the U.S. citizenship of one or both of the parents: U.S citizen parent's/parents' original Birth Certificate(s) (or certified copy (copies)), or U.S. citizen parent's parents' U.S. passport(s).
2. Child's original Birth Certificate.
3. Parents' original Marriage Certificate (or certified copy). If divorced, all original Divorce Decree(s) (or certified copies). If the parents are not married, please discuss this with a consular staff member when you make the appointment, as additional documents are required.
4. Identity document for the parent making the application for the Report of Birth, if not an American.
5. The fee of $65 for the Report of Birth (payable in U.S. dollars or Zimbabwean dollars).
First Passport
We strongly encourage you to apply for the child's first passport at the time you get the Report of Birth. (We cannot issue the passport without a report of Birth.) Remember, the child cannot enter the U.S. on a foreign passport, and you might be delayed in traveling for a family emergency if you have not already obtained a passport for the child. The passport is valid for five years. To apply for a passport, please bring the following additional items:
1. Fee of $85 for the passport application (payable in U.S. dollars, no personal checks or credit cards are accepted).
2. Two identical photos of the child, taken full face, with no head coverings, light background, with the face covering ¾ of the photo. Please note that the photos must be 5cm by 5cm (2 inches by 2 inches).
3. Both parents must appear with the baby with their passports. If both parents cannot appear, the parent appearing must bring a signed written consent from the other parent for issuance of the child's passport.
At the time you call for an appointment, we will offer to send you some forms to fill out in order to save time waiting during your appointment. Please answer all questions legibly (a typewriter may be used), and pay particular attention to reply accurately to the question: "Precise periods of physical presence in the United States of the U.S. citizen parent". The application form also contains a second page on which you can request a Social Security number for your child (necessary for U.S. tax forms, etc.)
Usually, the Report of Birth and the first passport will be issued on the day of the appointment. The process normally takes one to two hours. If there are special circumstances affecting your child, you will be told what additional documents are required.
Notarization
Under Federal law, a commissioned U.S. Consular Officer is empowered to notarize documents for use in the United States. The fee is $20-30 per transaction. If you need to have a document notarized, make sure to bring your passport or other Government-issued identification, showing the same name as that on the document. All documents must be complete, with blank spaces filled in, with all mentioned attachments. Documents that are incomplete or lack attachments cannot be notarized. Embassy staff are not allowed to act as witnesses, so bring your own if the document requires witnessing as well as notarization. U.S. Consular Officers are not lawyers and therefore are not allowed to write a legal document for you.
For documents to be used in Zimbabwe, you should go to a Zimbabwean notary. For a document to be used in a third country, please check with the Embassy of that country.
Please call for an appointment for U.S. Embassy notarizations at +263 (4) 250593
Legal Advice
Consular Officers are not lawyers and are not permitted to provide legal advice. We provide all U.S. citizens a list of English-speaking attorneys willing to represent American clients.
The Embassy's Consular Section can also:
- Distribute payments from Social Security and the Veterans Administration,
- Assist with absentee voting and Selective Service registration,
- Provide U.S. tax forms.
Current information about Zimbabwe and advice for Americans visiting or living here is also available in Zimbabwe Country Specific Information. We also recommend that travelers check the State Department's website travel.state.gov for information on any country they plan to visit, and consult general advice to Americans abroad.
Consular officers cannot act as travel agents, banks, lawyers, investigators, or law enforcement officers. They may not find employment, obtain residence or driving permits, act as interpreters, search for missing luggage, or settle disputes with hotel managers. They can, however, tell you how to get help on these and other matters.
Individuals seeking more specific information can call +263 (4) 250-593 during regular working hours. Faxes can be sent to +263 (4) 250-343. Send e-mails to: ConsularHarare@state.gov
Further information on U.S. Consular Services is available from the U.S. Department of State website at: http://www.travel.state.gov/