New Zealand Passport Photos

New Zealand passport photos must be 35 millimetres wide by 45 millimetres tall (portrait orientation). This is the same physical size as UK and Australian passports. For digital applications, your photo must meet Department of Internal Affairs specifications: typically at least 600 pixels wide by 750 pixels tall in JPEG format.

Your head must be clearly visible and positioned appropriately in the frame with eyes looking directly at the camera. Head positioning should be centred with appropriate spacing. Your expression must be neutral with eyes open. No glasses unless medically necessary, and no hats or head coverings except for genuine religious or cultural reasons with your full face remaining clearly visible.

Background must be plain and neutral: white, light grey, or cream. No patterns, shadows, or visible objects. The background must be uniform with no variations. Your photo should reflect your current appearance. The Department of Internal Affairs does not specify a strict recency requirement, but your photo must accurately represent how you currently look.

Inadequate head size or incorrect positioning causes automatic rejection. The DIA system is particularly sensitive to background inconsistencies, incorrect head proportions, and shadows. Image quality problems including blurriness or pixelation also cause rejection. Home-taken photos are widely accepted in New Zealand and often perform better than booth photos when done correctly using natural light and a plain wall.

New Zealand, UK, and Australian passport photos all use the same 35x45 millimetre format. A photo taken to UK or Australian specifications might also meet New Zealand requirements, but it is worth verifying each country's current specifications first. While physical size is identical, requirements around background preferences and other technical details can vary between countries.