Returning Resident to Zimbabwe? How to Import Your Vehicle Duty-Free in 2025

If you are a Zimbabwean national moving back home after living abroad, you may qualify for a significant tax concession on your vehicle. Here is what you need to know to claim it.

What Is the Returning Resident Concession?

Zimbabwe offers returning residents a suspension of customs duty on ONE motor vehicle. This is not a permanent exemption — the duty is "suspended" and may become payable if the vehicle is sold within a specified period.

Qualification Criteria

• Must be a Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident
• Must have lived outside Zimbabwe for 12+ continuous months
• Vehicle must have been owned and used for 12+ months before return
• Vehicle must be imported within 6 months of your physical return to Zimbabwe
• Only ONE vehicle per individual (or two per family)

Documents Required

• Valid passport with entry/departure stamps proving 12+ months abroad
• Original vehicle registration/ title from country of residence
• Purchase invoice or proof of ownership (dated 12+ months before return)
• Bill of Lading and shipping documents
• ZIMRA Returning Resident Declaration Form
• Proof of residence abroad (utility bill, lease agreement, work permit)

Important Restrictions

• Vehicle must be right-hand drive (RHD)
• Vehicle must comply with the 10-year age limit under SI 54/2024
• If sold within 5 years of import, the suspended duty becomes payable by the buyer
• The concession can be used only once every 5 years

Step-by-Step Process

• Apply to ZIMRA before shipping for a tariff ruling and concession approval
• Ship your vehicle to a Zimbabwe port of entry (Beit Bridge, Chirundu, or Victoria Falls)
• Present all documents at ZIMRA border post for assessment
• Pay any applicable VAT and processing fees
• Register the vehicle with the Vehicle Inspection Depot (VID) for number plates