Zimbabwe spouse residence permit

The permit is for a foreign national married to a Zimbabwean. The local spouse acts as guarantor, completing the close relative guarantee form and providing proof of accommodation, residential status and funds.

Section 3A of the Immigration Act lets an immigration officer treat a couple as not married if either partner is not lawfully resident and the marriage was entered into mainly to obtain a right of entry, or without intending to live together in Zimbabwe. If the couple has not lived together since the ceremony, the law presumes no such intention unless shown otherwise.

The residence permit form, the close relative guarantee form, a letter to the Chief Director of Immigration from the foreign spouse with a support letter from the local spouse, the passport bio page, two certified photos, proof of the guarantor's accommodation, status and funds, a copy of the marriage certificate, children's birth certificates or passports where applicable, a police clearance from the country of origin or last permanent residence not older than six months and a radiological certificate.

The department's fee table lists USD 300 for spouse residence permit applications and extensions, while its permits page states USD 500 plus USD 300 per dependant for an initial application and USD 300 for an extension. Confirm the amount due when you apply; fees are non-refundable.

For an extension, the foreign spouse writes to the Chief Director with the local spouse's support letter and a copy of the current permit. The permanent spouse residence permit is requested the same way, with a local police clearance not older than six months, at a fee of USD 500 plus USD 300 per dependant according to the permits page.

When the foreign spouse is accompanied by dependants, the department asks for the marriage certificate, birth certificates for all children, a police clearance for each dependant over 18, passport bio-data pages and two passport photos per dependant. Each dependant adds USD 300 to the fee on the initial permit, the extension and the permanent spouse permit.

Documents from abroad must be notarised and translated into English, with originals presented; Zimbabwean copies are certified by a Commissioner of Oaths. Under section 3 of the Act, domicile requires ten years of continuous lawful ordinary residence on a residence permit and is lost after five years of continuous absence unless the Minister fixes a longer period. Applications go to the Chief Director at the Chingaira Building in Harare; email customercare@zimimmigration.gov.zw.