New Zealand Passport
New Zealand Passport Photo Requirements: 900x1200px, 3:4
New Zealand passport photo rules for the online application: 3:4 portrait JPG, at least 900x1200 pixels and 250KB, plain light background. The passport office says not to edit the image, so we explain the rules and do not make this photo.
Last updated Oct 8, 2026
Verified against the official source · Oct 7, 2026Official New Zealand Passport Photo Requirements (Digital, 3:4)
New Zealand passport applications use a digital photo. These are the requirements the passport office publishes.
- Shape: Colour portrait with a 3:4 aspect ratio.
- Pixels: 900–4500 wide and 1200–6000 high.
- File: .jpg or .jpeg, between 250KB and 5MB.
- Background: Plain and light-coloured, with strong contrast to your face and no shadows.
- Framing: Head centred with a clear gap at the top and sides; shoulders and upper chest included.
- Expression: Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open.
- Glasses: Prescription glasses are allowed if they are not tinted or thick-framed and show no glare.
- Recency: Less than 6 months old.
- Selfies are rejected, and so are scans of printed photos.
Online File or Paper Application
For an online application you upload the digital file. For a paper application the passport office says a photo service should print the photo for you.
- Digital: JPG, at least 900×1200 pixels and at least 250KB.
- The passport office has its own online photo checker; use it before you start your application.
Why We Do Not Make This Photo
The New Zealand passport office says: do not edit, apply filters, or use AI tools to modify how you look. An online photo maker replaces the background with software, so we do not offer one for the New Zealand passport.
- Use a plain, light-coloured wall or sheet as the real background.
- Have someone else take the photo from about 1.5 metres; selfies are rejected.
- If the photo looks distorted, step back, take a wider shot and crop it to the right head size.
Photo Examples
Pass example
Correct photo
Common rejection risk
Incorrect photo
Real New Zealand Passport Rejection Data
29.4% of New Zealand Passport photos were rejected on first submission, based on 17 checks run through VisaPhotoCheck.
Most common reasons a rejected photo failed
- Crop or framing40%
- Accessories (glasses, hats, headphones)20%
- Expression20%
- Lighting or shadows20%
Each figure is the share of rejected New Zealand Passport photos that failed that specific check. A single rejection often fails more than one check, so these do not add up to 100%.
Based on VisaPhotoCheck's own New Zealand Passport submissions — this reflects our users, not an official or industry-wide rejection rate.
How New Zealand Passport compares to similar documents
Every figure below is read from the same rule profiles this checker validates against, so it says what actually differs rather than what sounds different.
What changes for nearby documents
- Australia Visa wants 35×45mm, not 900×1200px; head fills 71–80% of the frame, not 64–76%; file limit 3500 KB, not 5000 KB; an off-white or light grey background, not pure white.
- Philippines Passport wants 35×45mm, not 900×1200px; head fills 71–80% of the frame, not 64–76%; file limit 1000 KB, not 5000 KB; an off-white or light grey background, not pure white.
- India OCI Card wants 51×51mm, not 900×1200px; head fills 70–80% of the frame, not 64–76%; file limit 200 KB, not 5000 KB; an off-white or light grey background, not pure white.
- Vietnam eVisa wants 40×60mm, not 900×1200px; head fills 70–80% of the frame, not 64–76%; file limit 1024 KB, not 5000 KB.
Frequently Asked Questions
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