New Zealand Passport Photo (digital 3:4, 900-4500 x 1200-6000 px, 250 KB-5 MB): size and requirements
The New Zealand Passport Photo size is 1500 x 2000 pixels for online upload (minimum 900 x 1200, maximum 4500 x 6000), file under 5 MB. Use a plain, light-coloured background.; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-10 against Department of Internal Affairs, Te Tari Taiwhenua (New Zealand Passports), 'Passport photos', with ICAO Doc 9303 for the head band.
For the digital photo uploaded with an online New Zealand passport application (adult, child, renewal or replacement) through passports.govt.nz, by New Zealand citizens anywhere in the world. Paper applications take a print from a photo service instead; scans of prints are refused. Not for a New Zealand visa or NZeTA (Immigration New Zealand's rule differs) or a driver licence.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 1500 x 2000 pixels for online upload (minimum 900 x 1200, maximum 4500 x 6000), file under 5 MB
- Head height
- Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (There must be a clear gap around the sides and top of your head. Your shoulders and upper chest should be included in the photo. (no head-height figure is published; ICAO Doc 9303 crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent applied))
- Background
- use a plain, light-coloured background.
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Allowed without glare or tint
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 1500 x 2000 px , under 5120 KB, plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckFile rules: 'a colour portrait photo with a 3:4 aspect ratio', 'a digital photo in .jpg or .jpeg format', 'between 250KB and 5MB in size', '900–4500 pixels wide and 1200–6000 pixels high', 'less than 6 months old.'
- CheckNo selfies: 'Selfies will be rejected. Photos taken too close can distort your face, making your nose and forehead appear larger and your ears less visible.' The photographer should stand 1.5 m away at eye level.
- CheckNo scans: 'Scans of printed photos will not be accepted.' A paper application needs the print from the photo service, not a scan of it.
- CheckFraming: 'There must be a clear gap around the sides and top of your head. Your shoulders and upper chest should be included in the photo.' No mm or percentage is published; the 70-80 % head here is the ICAO reference.
- CheckBackground: 'There must be a strong contrast between your face and the background, and no shadows or objects behind your head.' Stand at least half a metre in front of a plain, light-coloured wall.
- CheckGlasses: 'You can wear prescription glasses in your photo if they are not tinted or thick-framed. You cannot wear sunglasses.' Clear gap between eyes and frames, no glare.
- CheckHead coverings: 'You can only wear a head covering in your photo for religious or medical reasons. If you do wear a head covering, your face must be fully visible.'
- CheckNo retouching: 'Your image must show your natural appearance. Do not edit, apply filters, or use AI tools to modify how you look.' We keep your original background for this spec.
- CheckCheck before you apply: the department's online photo checker tests the technical requirements before you start the application.
Good to know before you pay
Warehouse Stationery, pharmacies and photographers can email you a compliant file; if you already have one, the department's free online photo checker is all you need.
Source and verification
Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-10 at Department of Internal Affairs, Te Tari Taiwhenua (New Zealand Passports), 'Passport photos', with ICAO Doc 9303 for the head band.
You can use a professional passport photo service or take a photo with your own device. Your application may be delayed if your photo doesn't meet the requirements.
a colour portrait photo with a 3:4 aspect ratio
a digital photo in .jpg or .jpeg format
between 250KB and 5MB in size
900–4500 pixels wide and 1200–6000 pixels high
less than 6 months old.
Scans of printed photos will not be accepted.
Selfies will be rejected. Photos taken too close can distort your face, making your nose and forehead appear larger and your ears less visible.
There must be a clear gap around the sides and top of your head. Your shoulders and upper chest should be included in the photo.
There must be a strong contrast between your face and the background, and no shadows or objects behind your head.
use a plain, light-coloured background.
Your mouth must be closed and your eyes open.
You can wear prescription glasses in your photo if they are not tinted or thick-framed. You cannot wear sunglasses.
You can only wear a head covering in your photo for religious or medical reasons. If you do wear a head covering, your face must be fully visible.
Your image must show your natural appearance. Do not edit, apply filters, or use AI tools to modify how you look.
Lay your baby on a plain, light-coloured sheet and take the photo from above. The photo should show the baby's entire face with their eyes open. No other people or objects should be visible.
The crown-to-chin portion of the facial image shall be 70 to 80 per cent of the longest dimension defined for Zone V, maintaining the aspect ratio between the crown-to-chin and ear-to-ear details of the face of the holder.
Quotes 1-16 are from source.url (sources/nz/passports-passport-photos.txt, read live via r.jina.ai on 2026-10-10; the page's apostrophe in doesn't is typographic and its ranges use en dashes). Quote 17 is ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/, Wayback 2024-09-12) and supplies only the head band, which the page does not quantify. digital min/max from quote 5, minKb 250 / maxKb 5120 from quote 4, JPEG from quote 3; target 1500 x 2000 is our 3:4 rendering inside the range. maxPhotoAgeMonths 6 from quote 6; background 'light' from quotes 10-11; glasses from quote 13; headCovering from quote 14; editing from quote 15; child from quote 16 (underAge 1 is our bucket for 'baby', no age is published).
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
