For years, applying for a passport in Zambia often meant waking up before dawn, travelling long distances, and standing in endless queues, sometimes only to be told to return another day.
For citizens in remote communities, the journey could take days and cost more than the document itself.
That experience is now set to change.
In a significant leap forward for Zambia’s digital transformation journey, the Government of Zambia has officially launched a fully online passport application system, allowing citizens to apply and pay for passports and travel documents anytime, anywhere.
The announcement was made on the floor of Parliament by Jack Mwiimbu, the minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, who confirmed that the system is now live and fully operational on the Government Service Bus (GSB), accessible through the ZamPortal.
“This platform represents a shift from inconvenience to efficiency,” the Minister said, describing a system designed to be secure, reliable, and accessible to all Zambians, regardless of location.
A Digital Turning Point
The new online passport service is part of the government’s wider e-government agenda, spearheaded by the SMART Zambia Institute in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
At its core is the Government Service Bus, a central digital platform built to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government services.
Under the new system, citizens no longer need to physically visit offices to begin the process. Instead, applications and payments can be completed online, while applicants track progress in real time.
Mwiimbu acknowledged that the previous manual process came with steep costs, lost time, high transport expenses, and barriers for citizens living far from major cities.
“The new system directly addresses these challenges,” he said.
More Than Just Passports
Beyond standard passport applications, the GSB now supports multiple travel-related services, including:
- Zambian Passport applications
- Diplomatic Passport applications
- Refugee Travel Documents (UNCTD)
- COMESA Laisser Passer
- Travel Documents of Identity
The system also brings practical benefits that go beyond convenience: encrypted digital records, faster turnaround times, reduced operational costs, and improved access for citizens in underserved areas.
Clear Timelines, Greater Transparency
To build trust in the new process, the government has set defined processing timelines – 14 days for applications in Lusaka, Ndola, and Livingstone, and 21 days for other provincial capitals.
While the digital system is now active, Mwiimbu assured lawmakers that manual passport applications will continue temporarily, running alongside the new platform during the transition phase.
A Glimpse of the Future
The launch marks the culmination of a digitalisation project initiated in 2022, aimed at modernising passport services and easing administrative bottlenecks. More importantly, it signals a future where government services are shaped around citizens’ needs, not bureaucracy.
For many Zambians, the passport application journey has finally moved from crowded offices to the convenience of a screen, a small change that carries big meaning.
Citizens can now access the service through the official Government Service Bus, ushering in a new chapter for public service delivery in Zambia.
