Zimbabwe: company files, registry extracts and CIPZ access

Search and document delivery at a glance

Search online: Not specified
Search language: Not specified
Digital documents: Not specified
Document language: Not specified
Paper and collection: Not specified
International delivery: Not specified

Fees at a glance: File search in the 2023 schedule: US$5; confirm current terms with CIPZ
Access: CIPZ enquiry; online services through sign-in with CAPTCHA

Choose the right register

The official website identifies offices in Harare and Bulawayo. Its published contact is registration@cipz.gov.zw, telephone +263 242 773 443, with the address 38 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Harare. Explicitly describe your request as research into an already registered entity. [1]

Names and abbreviations explained

CIPZCompanies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe: The office registering companies and other entities under the Companies and Other Business Entities Act. [1]
PBCPrivate Business Corporation: A separate registered entity type, distinguished by CIPZ from a private limited company. [1]
Constitutive documentsDocuments establishing the company and its internal rules: The entity’s filed constitutional documents, such as its memorandum and articles. [3]

Search step by step

Research a company file

Obtain the name and registration number
Take the name and number from an existing incorporation certificate or reliable record. Include the entity type. The Name Search described on the homepage checks name availability for formation. [1] [3]
Request a file search or copy
Ask CIPZ for a search conducted on a file, or a copy or certified extract under section 14. For current registry standing, you can also ask about a Certificate of Good Standing. [3] [4]
Confirm access, price and delivery
Online sign-in requires account details and a CAPTCHA. Before ordering, confirm whether the request is handled online, the identification needed from overseas applicants and how the result is supplied. Use payment instructions confirmed by CIPZ. [2] [1]

Documents and fees

Document / information	Contents and purpose	Fee	How to get it
Registry-file copy [3] [4] [1]	A selected formation document or subsequent filing; specify whether certification is required.	2023 schedule: US$1 per page; separate certification item US$20 per document. Request the current total.	Request from CIPZ with the name, number and document description.
Certificate of Good Standing [3] [4] [1]	A separate registry certificate concerning company standing. Confirm the content required for your purpose with CIPZ.	US$50 in SI 95/2023; confirm the current price.	Request from CIPZ with the name, number and document description.

Can third parties inspect records?

Section 14 of the Companies and Other Business Entities Act allows any person to apply for inspection on payment of the prescribed fee. It also allows incorporation or registration certificates and certified copies or extracts to be requested. That wording does not restrict the entitlement to citizens. [3]

Match the correct official fee items

The published Gazette tariff SI 95/2023 dated 9 June 2023 lists US$5 for a file search, US$1 per copied page and US$20 for a Certificate by Registrar per document. It lists US$50 for a Certificate of Good Standing. A separate item lists US$10 for an application to inspect entity documents and registers. These are different services and should not automatically be added together. Ask CIPZ for the current total and payment currency for your request. [4]

Formation documents and subsequent changes

Inspection under section 14 concerns documents held by the Companies Office. To check current directors or an address, ask for the relevant change filing and its date. The fee schedule separately lists filings concerning directors, secretaries and registered addresses. [3] [4]

Avoid common mistakes

A proposed-name reservation and a search of an existing file are different transactions. [1] [4]
An English interface establishes neither the language of every filing nor immediate PDF download. [2] [1]

Frequently asked questions

Can I look up an existing company online without signing in?

The official portal describes registration services and leads to account sign-in. For an existing entity, use the published CIPZ contact. [1] [2]

Is inspection restricted to residents?

Section 14 refers to any person. Confirm practical overseas application and delivery requirements with CIPZ. [3] [1]

Original sources

Sources reviewed: 16 September 2026. The guidance is based on the linked information published by registers and public authorities.

CIPZ: Zimbabwe Online Companies and Other Entities Registration Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe
CIPZ sign-in Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe
Companies and Other Business Entities Act, Chapter 24:31 Zimbabwe legislation, reproduced by Veritas
Statutory Instrument 95 of 2023: official fee schedules Zimbabwe Government Gazette, 9 June 2023; copy hosted by Veritas

Zimbabwe