New Zealand Passport Photo Size & Requirements
New Zealand asks for a 900 × 1200 pixel photo for digital upload. Crop and check yours below — the photo never leaves your device.
Source: official New Zealand guidance, checked 2026-08-26.
No New Zealand rule is recorded here for whether edited photos are accepted, head height and eye line, plus 3 more, so this tool cannot check them. Check the official guidance.
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Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.
These are automated checks, not an approval. The issuing authority decides whether your photo is accepted.
New Zealand passport photo requirements
- Photo size
- 900 × 1200 pixels, for digital upload
- Head height
- Not published by this authority
- Eye line
- Not published by this authority
- Resolution
- Not published by this authority
- Background
- plain, light-coloured, with strong contrast to the face and no shadows or objects behind the head
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed — no smiling
- Glasses
- Allowed if the eyes are clear, with no glare or tint
- Ears
- Not published by this authority
- Head coverings
- hats, hoods, headbands and head coverings must be removed except for religious or medical reasons
- Photo you took yourself
- Accepted
- Edited photos
- Not published by this authority
Taken from the official New Zealand guidance, last checked . Where a row says the authority publishes nothing, that is what it means — not that anything goes.
Common reasons New Zealand passport photos get rejected
A background that is not plain
New Zealand asks for plain, light-coloured, with strong contrast to the face and no shadows or objects behind the head. Patterned wallpaper, door frames and furniture edges are common causes.
Smiling
New Zealand requires a neutral expression with the mouth closed. A closed-mouth smile still counts as an expression here.
Glare or heavy frames on glasses
Glasses are allowed, but reflections on the lenses and frames crossing the eyes are both rejection reasons. Removing them avoids the risk entirely.
Shadows on the face or behind the head
Standing close to a wall throws a shadow onto it, and overhead lighting casts shadows into the eye sockets. Move away from the wall and face a window.
A blurry or low-resolution photo
Cropping tightly into a small photo is the usual cause. Start from a full-resolution photo taken a couple of metres away rather than enlarging a small one.
Something else in the frame
Another person, a hand steadying a child, a chair back, a toy, headphones, or a face covering. Authorities list these individually because they see them constantly — the photo must show you alone, with your whole face visible.
A photo that is too old
Most authorities require a photo taken within the last six months, and one that still looks like you.
New Zealand passport photo questions
- What size is a New Zealand passport photo?
- 900 × 1200 pixels. New Zealand publishes a size for digital upload rather than a printed size.
- Can you smile in a New Zealand passport photo?
- No. New Zealand requires a neutral expression with your mouth closed.
- Can you wear glasses in a New Zealand passport photo?
- Glasses are allowed, provided your eyes are clearly visible with no glare and the frames do not cover them. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are not accepted.
- What background does a New Zealand passport photo need?
- plain, light-coloured, with strong contrast to the face and no shadows or objects behind the head.
- Can I wear a head covering in a New Zealand passport photo?
- Hats, hoods, headbands and head coverings must be removed except for religious or medical reasons.
- What does New Zealand not specify?
- No published rule was found for whether edited photos are accepted, head height, eye line, print resolution, an exact background colour and whether ears must be visible. That does not mean anything is acceptable — it means the authority has not stated a figure, so check its own guidance and err on the cautious side.
- Where do these New Zealand requirements come from?
- They were read from the official guidance at https://www.passports.govt.nz/passport-photos, last checked on 2026-08-26. Requirements change, so confirm against that page before you apply.
These are automated checks, not an approval. New Zealand’s issuing authority decides whether your photo is accepted. This site is not affiliated with any government.