In recent years, zinc, and its alloys, along with biodegradable metals made of Mg and Fe, have been projected as potential replacements for biodegradable metals due to their better corrosion rate and high biocompatibility in gastrointestinal, bone, and cardiovascular contexts. Clinical application of Zn-related biodegradable metals with a reasonable rate of membrane degradation and outstanding mechanical properties for guided bone regeneration membranes is very promising. Nevertheless, in order to properly control their biodegradation behavior, Zn-based biodegradable metals do require surface treatment. First off, certain Zn-based biodegradable metals that were implanted in a cardiovascular background showed signs of intimal activation and moderate inflammation. Second, Zn-based biodegradable metals for orthopaedic applications biodegrade at relatively moderate rates, resulting in long-term retention after completing their task. The development of next-generation orthopaedic implants made on Zn related biodegradable alloys or composites has the capacity to eliminate revision surgeries and biocompatibility problems. In the meantime, increased Zn2+ release during breakdown will result in delayed osseointegration and in vitro cytotoxicity. Surface modification Zn-based biomaterials can solve above problems. In this review, we first provide a summary of the available Zn-based alloy’s surface modification techniques for biomedical applications such as chemical conversion coatings, different types of chemical conversion coating, and organic coatings. Advantages and challenges of Zn-based biomaterials are also discussed at the last. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.