Guide
Mining licences and fees in Zimbabwe
What each licence, title, permit and royalty costs, what you pay once and what you pay every year, and the fee cuts Cabinet approved in May 2026.
- Prospecting licence
- US$75
- Register a gold block
- US$150
- Yearly inspection
- US$150per 5 ha
- Transfer a claim
- US$375per block
Current Ministry of Mines schedule. Cuts approved by Cabinet in May 2026 were not yet gazetted when we checked.
How mining fees work
Ministry of Mines fees were last set by regulation in 2021, in SI 185 of 2021.1 The Ministry’s current schedule shows them in US dollars, payable in ZiG at the official interbank rate.2
On 5 May 2026 Cabinet approved a review: more than 80% of fees stay as they are, small-scale operators get lower rates than large companies, and several fees — including inspection fees for blocks of claims — are cut. The briefing gave no new amounts, and we found no new regulation putting them into force when we checked, so the figures below are the ones in force until that happens.3
Claims and mining titles
These are the Ministry of Mines fees most claim holders and buyers meet.2 A prospecting licence runs for two years from the date it is issued.4
| Item | What it is | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary prospecting licence | Lets you prospect and peg ground; lasts two years | US$75 | Per licence |
| Special prospecting licence | Wider prospecting rights | US$563 | Per licence |
| Register a precious metal block (gold) | Turns pegged ground into a registered claim | US$150 | Once |
| Register a base mineral block | Chrome and other base minerals | US$300 US$563 | Once — ordinary / special licence |
| First inspection certificate | Keeps the block alive Cut approved May 2026 — new amount not yet gazetted | US$75 per 5 ha | First inspection |
| Later inspection certificates | Base minerals, precious metals, mining leases Cut approved May 2026 — new amount not yet gazetted | US$150 per 5 ha | Every year |
| Search of the register | Checks who holds a block, and its status | US$50 | Per search |
| Certificate of registration after transfer | Moves a claim to a new owner | US$375 per block | Per transfer |
| Transfer of a donated block | Claim given, not sold | US$750 | Per transfer |
| Tribute agreement registration | Registers a deal to mine someone else’s claim | US$2,000 US$5,000 | Per agreement — standard / non-standard |
| Exclusive prospecting order (EPO) | Exclusive exploration over a large area | US$1,500 | Application, non-refundable |
An inspection certificate must be kept current or the claim can be forfeited. Applying for protection against forfeiture costs US$75, and asking for a forfeiture to be revoked costs US$750.2,4
Explosives
Explosives licences come under the Explosives Act, which is administered by the Minister of Mines through the Chief Inspector of Explosives.5 The current fees include:2
| Item | What it is | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage licence — approved container | Small quantities in an approved box | US$75 | Every year |
| Storage licence — portable magazine | Movable explosives store | US$375 | Every year |
| Permit to acquire and possess explosives | Needed before you buy explosives | US$375 | Every year |
| Full blasting licence | For the person who does the blasting, issued after an examination | US$225 | Per licence |
Environmental approval (EMA)
Mining needs an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate from the Environmental Management Agency before operations start. EMA lists these charges:6,7
- Review of the project prospectus — the first step: 901.68.
- Review of the full EIA report: 0.8%, 1% or 1.2% of the total project cost, depending on the project.
- Renewal: the certificate lasts two years, then 1,643.47 for each further year.
EMA lists these amounts with a plain “$” sign and does not say whether that means US dollars or ZiG, or when they were set. Apply to renew six months before the certificate expires, and confirm the charges with your EMA provincial office before you budget.6
Royalties
Royalties are a percentage of the value of what you produce. For gold, Fidelity Gold Refinery deducts the royalty when you deliver.8
| Mineral | Who | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Large-scale miners | 3% / 5% / 10% | 3% at or below US$1,200 an ounce, 5% up to US$5,000, 10% above |
| Gold | Small-scale miners | Up to 2% | 2% was being deducted in 2025 |
| Chrome | All producers | 2% | As listed in April 2026 |
| Diamonds | All producers | 10% | As listed in April 2026 |
| Platinum group metals | All producers | 7% | As listed in April 2026 |
| Lithium | All producers | 5% + 3% levy | Royalty plus an additional levy, as listed in April 2026 |
Gold rates are from the 2026 budget as passed; the small-scale rate is as reported by Reuters and Mining Zimbabwe; the other rates are from Lucent Consultancy’s April 2026 summary. Royalty rates for minerals other than gold are reported differently by different sources, so confirm with ZIMRA.9,10,11
What it costs to take over a claim
- Search the register: US$50, before you pay anything.2
- Transfer certificate: US$375 per block, so a sale of three blocks is three certificates.2
- Arrears: ask for proof that the seller’s fees are paid. In August 2026 the Ministry said title holders owed about US$31 million,12 and a July notice warned that titles could be forfeited if obligations were not regularised.13
- Tax: since 1 January 2024 the buyer of a mining title usually pays Special Capital Gains Tax, within 30 days of assessment, and the seller usually also pays ordinary capital gains tax. The main exception is a sale to a local company, where only ordinary capital gains tax applies. Get tax advice before you sign.14
The checks that matter more than the fees are in our guide to buying a claim.
What Cabinet changed in May 2026
- Cut: inspection fees for blocks of claims (base minerals, precious metals and mining leases), registration fees for dealing in precious stones — which will be payable every five years — and the diamond cutting and polishing licence.3
- Scrapped: the Ministry’s “trading on a mining location” fee.3
- New: a gold jewellery permit, and a registration fee for approved lithium processing plants.3
- Standardised: rural district council land development levies.3
The new amounts were not published with the announcement. A new Mines and Minerals Bill, which would also change the titles themselves, was still before Parliament on 8 August 2026.3,15
Fees change, and this is not legal or tax advice. Confirm every amount with the Provincial Mining Director, EMA or ZIMRA before you pay, and keep the official receipt.
Common questions
Can I pay mining fees in US dollars?
The Ministry’s schedule sets fees in US dollars and says they are payable in ZiG at the official interbank rate. Ask the Provincial Mining Director’s office which it accepts on the day.2
What happens if I don’t pay my inspection fees?
Without a current inspection certificate a claim can be forfeited. You can apply for protection against forfeiture (US$75), and the Ministry has let holders with arrears submit payment plans.2,12
Are fees lower for small-scale miners?
Cabinet approved lower fees for artisanal and small-scale operators than for large companies in May 2026, but the new amounts had not been published when we checked. Until they are, the current schedule applies.3
Sources
- Mining Zimbabwe — Government gazettes new mining fees (25 Jun 2021)
- Mining Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe mining fees in USD (updated 11 Apr 2026)
- Government of Zimbabwe — 13th Post-Cabinet Press Briefing (5 May 2026)
- Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05], consolidated to 1 August 2021 (Veritas)
- Explosives Act [Chapter 10:08] (ZimLII)
- Environmental Management Agency — ESIA process
- Environmental Management Agency — Frequently asked questions
- Mining Zimbabwe — Gold prices per gram from Fidelity hit over US$100 (27 May 2025)
- Reuters via Kitco — Zimbabwe scraps gold royalty hike, sets higher threshold for windfall tax (17 Dec 2025)
- Muvingi & Mugadza — Key provisions of the Finance Act (No. 7) of 2025 (5 Jan 2026)
- Lucent Consultancy — Tax treatment of mining royalties in Zimbabwe (29 Apr 2026)
- Mining Zimbabwe — Ministry of Mines chases US$31 million in outstanding title fees (Aug 2026)
- Mining Zimbabwe — Government gives mining title holders until 30 August 2026 to regularise outstanding obligations (Jul 2026)
- ZIMRA — Special Capital Gains Tax
- Veritas — Status of Bills as at 8 August 2026
Checked against the sources above on 17 September 2026.