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Guide

New Zealand passport photo rejected? What to check and how to fix it

As of November 3, 2026, New Zealand Passports takes the online application photo as a colour .jpg or .jpeg portrait in a 3:4 ratio, 900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high, between 250 KB and 5 MB and less than 6 months old, on a plain, light-coloured background with a clear gap around the head. Selfies and scans of printed photos are not accepted, editing and AI tools are banned, and a photo that misses the requirements can delay the application. SelfieToPassport turns a phone photo into a 1500 x 2000 pixel JPEG between 250 KB and 5 MB, with a free preview and $6.95 for the file.

Updated Rules checked against passports.govt.nzHow we check

Make my photo · free preview, $6.95

The short version

  1. SelfieToPassport: a 1500 x 2000 px New Zealand passport JPEG from a phone photo, free preview, $6.95.
  2. Make the photo a 3:4 colour portrait, 900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high.
  3. Save it as a .jpg or .jpeg between 250 KB and 5 MB.
  4. Have someone else take it: selfies are rejected, and so are scans of printed photos.
  5. Leave a clear gap above and beside the head, with the shoulders and upper chest in the frame.
  6. Use a plain, light-coloured background with strong contrast and no shadows.
  7. Do not edit, filter or use AI tools to change how you look.
  8. Use a photo less than 6 months old.

The file rules for the online New Zealand passport photo

The online application looks at the shape, the pixel size and the file weight. A 3:4 portrait between 900 x 1200 and 4500 x 6000 pixels, saved as .jpg or .jpeg between 250 KB and 5 MB, meets all three.

Heavy compression can push a file under the 250 KB floor, and an iPhone photo saved as HEIC is the wrong format even when the size is right.

The rules

  • New Zealand Passports wants a colour portrait photo in a 3:4 aspect ratio, taller than it is wide. passports.govt.nz
  • The digital New Zealand passport photo must measure 900 to 4500 pixels across and 1200 to 6000 pixels top to bottom. passports.govt.nz
  • A New Zealand passport photo file has to weigh between 250 KB and 5 MB. passports.govt.nz
  • Only .jpg and .jpeg files are accepted for the New Zealand passport photo. passports.govt.nz
  • The photo on a New Zealand passport application must be less than 6 months old. passports.govt.nz

Who takes the photo

You can use a professional passport photo service or your own device, but someone else has to take the picture: selfies are rejected.

For an online application, a photographer emails you the file. A scan of a printed photo is not accepted.

The rules

  • Applicants for a New Zealand passport can go to a professional passport photo service or take the photo on their own device. passports.govt.nz
  • For an online New Zealand passport application, a photographer emails the photo, and a scan of a printed photo is refused. passports.govt.nz
  • A selfie is rejected for a New Zealand passport, so another person has to take the picture. passports.govt.nz

Framing and head size

Leave space above and beside the head, and include the shoulders and upper chest. If a close shot distorts your face, New Zealand Passports suggests stepping back for a wider photo and cropping it to the correct head size before you submit.

The rules

  • A New Zealand passport photo leaves a clear gap above and beside the head and includes the shoulders and upper chest. passports.govt.nz
  • If a home photo looks distorted, New Zealand Passports suggests stepping back for a wider shot with the shoulders, then cropping it to the correct head size. passports.govt.nz
  • In a New Zealand passport photo the face is fully visible and level, never tilted or turned, with the hair kept away from the eyes and face. passports.govt.nz

Background, glasses and editing

A plain, light-coloured wall with no shadows or objects behind your head gives the contrast the rules ask for. Prescription glasses can stay if they are not tinted or thick-framed; sunglasses cannot.

Cropping is part of the official advice; editing is not. No filters and no AI tools that change how you look.

The rules

  • New Zealand passport photos are taken against a plain, light-coloured background. passports.govt.nz
  • The face must stand out strongly from the background of a New Zealand passport photo, with no shadow or object behind the head. passports.govt.nz
  • Prescription glasses are fine in a New Zealand passport photo unless they are tinted or thick-framed; sunglasses are never allowed. passports.govt.nz
  • New Zealand Passports allows a head covering only for religious or medical reasons, and the face has to stay fully visible. passports.govt.nz
  • Editing, filters and AI tools that change how the applicant looks are banned from a New Zealand passport photo. passports.govt.nz

Babies, and what happens if the photo fails

A baby is photographed from above, lying on a plain, light-coloured sheet, with the whole face showing and the eyes open. For everyone, a photo that does not meet the requirements can delay the application.

The rules

  • A baby’s New Zealand passport photo is taken from above with the baby lying on a plain, light-coloured sheet, showing the whole face with eyes open. passports.govt.nz
  • A New Zealand passport application can be delayed when the photo does not meet the requirements. passports.govt.nz

How to fix the photo

SelfieToPassport crops and resizes the photo in your browser and saves it as a JPEG. It does not retouch the face, apply filters or change the background, and you see the result in a free preview before you pay $6.95.

  1. Retake the photo with someone else holding the camera, against a plain, light-coloured wall, with no shadows behind your head.
  2. Take a wider shot that includes your shoulders and upper chest.
  3. Crop it to 3:4 with a clear gap above and beside the head.
  4. Resize to 1500 x 2000 pixels and save as a JPEG.
  5. Check that the file is between 250 KB and 5 MB.
  6. Upload it in the online passport application.

FAQ

What size is a New Zealand passport photo for an online application?

A 3:4 colour portrait, 900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high, saved as a .jpg or .jpeg between 250 KB and 5 MB. Source: official page "Passport photos | New Zealand Passports", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Can I take my New Zealand passport photo as a selfie?

No. Selfies are rejected. You can use your own device, but someone else has to take the photo. Source: official page "Passport photos | New Zealand Passports", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Can I scan a printed photo for an online New Zealand passport application?

No. Scans of printed photos are not accepted; a photographer should email you the digital file. Source: official page "Passport photos | New Zealand Passports", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Can I wear glasses in a New Zealand passport photo?

Prescription glasses, yes, if they are not tinted or thick-framed. Sunglasses, no. Source: official page "Passport photos | New Zealand Passports", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.

Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.