New Zealand passport photo
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The requirements
| Print size | 33.75 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 900-4500 px |
| File size | 5 MB |
| File formats | JPEG |
| Head height, chin to crown | The authority publishes no head height |
| Background | Plain light-coloured background with strong contrast to the face, no shadows and no objects behind the head |
| Glasses | Allowed, as long as the eyes are fully visible with no glare and no tint. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Ears | No |
| Photo age | 6 months |
| Also required |
|
New Zealand publishes a 3:4 aspect ratio and a pixel range rather than a printed size in millimetres, because the service is digital first. The photo block above expresses that same 3:4 ratio at a 45 mm height (33.75x45 mm) so the print sheet stays consistent with the accepted crop; it is a derived figure, not a published millimetre size. If a printed size is later found on an official page, replace it and say so here. No chin to crown height is published either, and the framing instruction asks for a clear gap around the head with shoulders and upper chest included, which is wider than the ICAO 70-80% band, so no fallback head band is applied.
Applying in New Zealand
New Zealand is digital first, and it is unusually direct about how the photograph should be taken. Selfies are not accepted, and the guidance says so in those words: get someone else to take your photo. It even describes the arrangement, with the other person standing about a metre and a half away holding the camera at your eye level. Most countries leave you to work that out. Here it is written down, because the distance is what stops a phone lens distorting your face.
The second thing worth correcting is the background. New Zealand asks for a plain light-coloured background with strong contrast to your face. It does not mandate pure white, and it does not mandate grey either. The frequently repeated grey background rule is a paraphrase that has escaped from secondary sites, not something the Department of Internal Affairs publishes. What matters is that the surface behind you is plain, evenly lit and different enough from your skin and hair for the outline to read.
The application is made online through RealMe. An adult passport costs NZD 247 for ten years and a child passport NZD 144 for five, as of September 2026. You will also need an identity referee, which is a person rather than a signature on the back of a photo: they confirm who you are and supply their own New Zealand passport number. A first passport adds a live identity check through a device camera, and that live image is not used as your passport photo.
Why photos get rejected here
A selfie
Selfies are rejected outright, and the guidance names them. At arm's length the phone's wide lens enlarges the nose and forehead, which is the underlying reason the rule exists.
Not enough space around the head
There has to be a clear gap above and to the sides of your head, with the shoulders and upper chest included in the frame. A tight crop that looks like a portrait elsewhere is too close here.
Filters, editing or retouching
Editing of any kind is forbidden, and the guidance names filters and AI retouching specifically. The image has to show your natural appearance, which rules out the enhancement most phones apply by default.
Glare, tint or heavy frames on glasses
Prescription glasses are accepted if the lenses are untinted, the frames are not thick, there is a clear gap between your eyes and the frames, and there is no glare. Four conditions is a lot to satisfy at once.
A background without enough contrast
Plain and light-coloured is only half of it. The background also has to contrast with your face, so a pale wall behind a pale complexion and light hair can fail even though the wall itself is correct.
A file outside the accepted range
The upload must sit between 900 and 4500 wide, between 1200 and 6000 high, and between 256000 and 5242880. A photo sent through a messaging app usually falls under the lower bound.
What helps
Hand the camera to someone else
Ask them to stand about a metre and a half away and hold the phone at your eye level. That is the arrangement New Zealand actually describes, and it removes both the selfie problem and the distortion behind it.
Use the official photo checker before you start
New Zealand Passports publishes an online photo checker. Running your file through it before opening the application is the cheapest way to find a problem, and it is the same check the application will apply.
Do not go hunting for a white wall
The requirement is a plain light-coloured background with contrast to your face, not white and not grey. If your hair and skin are light, a slightly deeper tone reads better than the palest wall in the house.
Line up your identity referee early
The referee is a person who confirms your identity and gives their own New Zealand passport number, current or expired. Finding one takes longer than taking the photograph, and the application stalls without them.
The live identity check is not your photo
A first passport includes a live check through a device camera. That image confirms you are present; it does not become the photograph in the passport, so you still need a compliant one.
Babies and young children
Lay a baby on a plain, light-coloured sheet and photograph from directly above. The whole face has to show with the eyes open, and no other people or objects may be visible, which means a supporting hand has to stay out of the frame. The eyes-open requirement is worth noting, because it is stricter than the British rule that lets a child under one have their eyes closed. Under-16s also need a parent or guardian to consent to the application, which is separate from anything about the photograph itself.
Glasses
Prescription glasses are allowed, subject to four conditions: the lenses must not be tinted, the frames must not be thick, there must be a clear gap between your eyes and the frames, and there must be no glare. That last one is produced by the lighting rather than the eyewear, so it is the condition you cannot fix by choosing different glasses. Removing them satisfies all four at once, and is the simpler route unless you cannot see well enough to hold a steady gaze.
Head covering
A head covering is accepted where it is worn for religious or medical reasons, with the face remaining clearly visible. We did not find more detailed published wording than that on the pages we read, so we are not going to invent conditions about fabric or pattern that other countries specify and New Zealand may not. If you wear a covering daily and it leaves the face clear from chin to forehead, the general requirements about lighting and shadow are the ones to concentrate on.
Applying online
New Zealand publishes a pixel range and an aspect ratio rather than a printed size, because the online route is the primary one. The photo must be a colour portrait at a 3:4 aspect ratio, in jpg or jpeg format, less than six months old. Scans of printed photographs are not accepted for an online application. An official online photo checker is available before you begin.
Questions about New Zealand photos
Why does New Zealand reject selfies outright?
Because the guidance asks you to have someone else take the photo, standing about a metre and a half away with the camera at your eye level. Selfies are explicitly not accepted.
Does the background have to be grey?
No. The requirement is a plain light-coloured background with strong contrast to your face. The grey background rule that circulates online is a paraphrase from secondary sites, not something the Department of Internal Affairs publishes.
What is an identity referee, and do they sign my photo?
They are a person who confirms your identity and provides their own New Zealand passport number, current or expired. They do not countersign the photograph, which is how several other countries handle the same problem.
The app photographed me during the identity check. Is that my passport photo?
No. A first passport includes a live identity check through a device camera, and that image confirms you are present rather than becoming the photograph in your passport.
How fast is urgent processing in New Zealand?
Urgent processing is aimed at three working days. We could not confirm the standard timeframe on an official page, so we do not publish one. Check the New Zealand Passports site before booking travel.
Where can I have the photo taken?
At a pharmacy, at Warehouse Stationery, by a professional photographer, or by a friend, family member or colleague. The rule is about who is holding the camera and how far away they stand, not about the business taking it.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- Passport photoschecked September 2, 2026
Reviewed by Editorial teamHow we check our numbers