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.
Sources last checked September 19, 2026. Some values are not fully verified: see below.The check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file: $4.99.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies, drawn from our New Zealand guide. The official source of each value is listed under the table.
- 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
Where these values come from
- Digital file, Head size, Background, Glasses, Taken within: checked against New Zealand Passports (Department of Internal Affairs) - Passport photos, updated 4 March 2026; New Zealand Passports - What you need for your application; New Zealand Passports - How to take a passport photo, iPhone guide (transcript); New Zealand Passports - Online photo checker, terms and conditions; IRCC - Canadian passport photo requirements (online renewal specifications); Australian Passport Office - Passport photos, as set out in our New Zealand Passport Photo: Online Upload Rules guide. Head size not published; our loose portrait window.
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.
What does a failure look like? See our accepted and rejected passport photo examples, with the fix for each one.
Common questions
For the online application it is a digital colour photo with a 3:4 aspect ratio, 900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high, between 250 KB and 5 MB, in .jpg or .jpeg format. The page gives no size in millimetres and no head-size measurement.
Yes, with someone else holding the camera. The Department of Internal Affairs page says you can use a passport photo service or take a photo with your own device, but says selfies will be rejected because photos taken too close distort your face. It advises the photographer to stand 1.5 metres away at eye level.
Less than 6 months old, according to the passport photos page, which was last updated on 4 March 2026. The page does not say how the age is measured, so treat the date the photo was taken as the date that counts and retake anything close to the limit.
Prescription glasses are allowed if they are not tinted or thick-framed. There must be a clear gap between your eyes and the frames, and no glare or reflection on the lenses. Sunglasses are not allowed. The page tells you to remove tinted or thick-framed glasses.
Yes. The passport service links to an online photo checker that tells you whether a photo is suitable for upload and gives reasons if it is not. Its terms say the photo is kept for 14 days, and that a photo which passes may fail if altered afterwards. A staff member still assesses it manually.
No. The page says scans of printed photos will not be accepted. If you use a professional service, the photographer should print the photo for a paper application or email you the digital file for an online one.
Keep reading
Requirements New Zealand Passport Photo: Online Upload Rules
New Zealand passport photo rules from passports.govt.nz: 3:4 JPEG, 250 KB to 5 MB, under 6 months old, no selfies, plus what the site never states.
Read the guide
Requirements Canada Passport Photo: 50x70mm and the Stamp
Canada passport photo rules: 50 x 70 mm, face 31-36 mm, two prints, and the studio stamp on the back that no app can replace. Verified on canada.ca.
Read the guide
Requirements Australia Passport Photo Requirements Explained
Australian passport photo rules: two prints, 35-40 x 45-50 mm, face 32-36 mm, 200 gsm dye-sublimation paper, and why the APO warns off photo apps.
Read the guide