New Zealand · Passport
New Zealand passport photo
New Zealand publishes one of the clearest file specs anywhere: a 3:4 JPEG between 900 x 1200 and 4500 x 6000 pixels, 250 KB to 5 MB, less than 6 months old, taken by someone else — selfies are rejected. It publishes no head-size figure, so our framing check uses a loose portrait window and the official photo checker on passports.govt.nz is the final word.
The check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file — $4.99, or $6.99 with a 4 × 6 in print sheet.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies.
- Printed size
- No print — digital only
- Digital file
- JPG/JPEG · 900 × 1200 to 4500 × 6000 px · 250 kB min, 5 MB max
- Head size
- 40%–70% of the photo height
- Background
- Plain and light-coloured, contrasting with your face
- Glasses
- Prescription glasses are allowed if not tinted or thick-framed, with a clear gap between your eyes and the frames and no glare or reflection. Sunglasses are not allowed.
- Taken within
- the last 6 months
Not fully verified. The file spec is published in full: 3:4 JPEG, 900–4500 x 1200–6000 px, 250 KB to 5 MB. A head-size figure is not, so the framing window we check against is our loose portrait default — and the official photo checker on passports.govt.nz is the authoritative test.
About background editing. The Passports page rules out filters, digital alteration and AI tools. Background replacement is off by default; leave it off.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.