Zimbabweans living abroad who drive home in foreign-registered cars face tighter checks at the border after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) set a normal limit of 30 days on Temporary Import Permits.

The rules are in Public Notice 60 of 2026, issued on Wednesday 21 October and published on Zimra's website. Zimra says it brought in the "enhanced measures" after "noting abuse of this facility", which lets visitors bring a car into the country for a short stay without paying full import duty. The Herald, NewZimbabwe and The South African have all reported the change.

What the new rules say

According to the notice, a permit can go to a "bona fide visitor ordinarily resident outside Zimbabwe" coming in for tourism, business, study, work, sport or another lawful temporary reason.

Applicants must show a valid passport, the original vehicle registration book, and a letter of authority or affidavit if they are not the registered owner. Zimbabweans who live abroad must also show a work, employment, study or residence permit for the country they live in. Zimra says it may carry out extra checks on some applications, "especially non-owner driven vehicles".

Permits will "ordinarily" be issued for no more than 30 days. Longer stays will be looked at case by case but cannot go beyond three months in total, and any request for an extension must be made before the permit runs out, with reasons and documents.

The car must stay under the permit holder's control, cannot be sold or disposed of in Zimbabwe without Zimra's approval, and must leave the country before the permit expires unless it has been extended. The holder should not leave Zimbabwe without the car unless they have made arrangements with the nearest Zimra office.

What it costs

Fees stay the same, according to the notice: US$10 carbon tax and US$30 third-party insurance. Travellers using Beitbridge also pay a US$9 bridge toll and a US$28 Zimborders fee, a total of US$77 at that crossing, as NewZimbabwe works out.

Why it matters

The change lands as many Zimbabweans in South Africa weigh trips home. NewZimbabwe reports that some people driving South African-registered cars home have been told to pay import duty straight away or take the cars back across the border, and that many say they came back for a while to get away from growing anti-migrant feeling, planning to return to South Africa later.

Earlier this week the government said about 197,300 Zimbabweans had come home from South Africa so far, though it said returns had slowed sharply.

Anyone planning a trip home by car should carry proof of their foreign residence or work status and the original logbook, and should not plan on staying longer than 30 days without applying for an extension in time.

What we don't know yet

Zimra has not said how many permits it believes were abused, or how.

It is not clear whether permits issued before 21 October are affected.

Sources: ZIMRA Public Notice 60 of 2026, 21 Oct 2026: https://www.zimra.co.zw/public-notices?download=4555%3Apublic-notice-60-of-2026-on-issuance-of-tips-21-october-2026 · The Herald, Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/zimra-tightens-temporary-import-permit-rules-for-foreign-vehicles/ · NewZimbabwe (Business Reporter), 24 Oct 2026: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zimra-tightens-screws-on-temporary-import-permits-for-vehicles/ · The South African, Oct 2026: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/zimbabwe/new-rules-for-motorists-travelling-between-south-africa-and-zimbabwe/

Related: Fewer Zimbabweans returning from South Africa, government says