A provisional licence, the learner's licence, is the first step to driving legally in Zimbabwe. Here is what is required of you before you sit the test, what the test itself looks like, and what happens once you pass.
You must be at least 16 years old to obtain a Zimbabwean driver's licence, and you must be over 16 to sit the learner's licence exam. That rule comes straight from the Highway Code, and there is no way around it: the VID will turn you away without proof of age.
Bring identification that shows your date of birth. A national ID or a valid passport does the job.
Requirements are checked in person, so arrive with more rather than less. In practice you should expect to be asked for a national ID or a valid passport, passport-sized photographs, a completed application form, and proof that the applicable fee has been paid.
Depots do not all ask for exactly the same paperwork, and the list changes from time to time. Confirm the current list with your local Vehicle Inspection Depot before you travel, rather than relying on what a friend was asked for last year.
The provisional test is booked and written in person at a Vehicle Inspection Depot (VID). There is no online sitting of the real test, and no third party can sit it for you.
Depots get busy, so go early in the day and be prepared to wait. This site and the Provisional app are independent study tools. We do not book tests, issue licences, or act as an agent for the VID.
The provisional theory test is 25 questions drawn from the Highway Code, road signs, and road rules. The pass mark is 88%, which means you can afford to get at most three wrong.
That margin is why guessing does not work. The questions people fail on are consistently the right-of-way scenarios, traffic circles, and the less common warning signs. Work through them until the answers are automatic rather than remembered.
The provisional test fee is US$20. Fees are set by the authorities and change from time to time, so treat that as the figure to check rather than the figure to rely on: confirm the current provisional licence fee with your VID depot, and keep the receipt, because proof of payment is normally part of the paperwork you hand in.
A provisional licence lets you drive on public roads to gain experience before you take the test for your full licence. A fully licensed driver must accompany you at all times, except on vehicles that only have a seat for the driver, and you may not carry passengers on an auto-cycle or a motorcycle while learning.
The vehicle you learn in must be registered and licensed. If you do not pass first time you can retake the test. Ask your depot about their retake process and any waiting period.
Everything the test covers is free to read and practise on this site. Read the Highway Code, learn the signs, then sit the 2026 papers online until you are clearing 88% comfortably.
Provisional is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with the VID or the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe. Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm the current position with your local depot.
Download the Zimbabwe Provisional Test App for 16 timed past exams with an 88% pass mark, a readiness score, and the full Highway Code offline.
