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Checked against the NZ passport photo rules
Have someone take it on your phone. We check it against the New Zealand passport photo rules and give you the 3:4 digital photo for an online application, plus 35 × 45 mm prints for a paper form. Free to check, $4.99 to download.
or drop a photo anywhere on this page
Head up to 80%Checked for a New Zealand passport
Example photo, AI-generated.
Online or on paper?
Most people apply online, which takes a wider digital photo. A paper form takes prints. You get both from one picture.
3:4 · shoulders in frameNZ passport photo requirements
Most of these are checked on your photo before you pay. We can’t check who took it or when.
| Rule | the Passport Office says | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Digital: 3:4, 900 × 1200 to 4500 × 6000 px, 250 KB–5 MB. Prints: 35 × 45 mm, head at most 80% | CheckedFramed and sized for both from the top of your head and your chin |
| Background | Plain and light-coloured, no shadows; stand at least half a metre in front of it | CheckedColour, shadows, patterns and anything behind you |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed | CheckedSmiles and an open mouth |
| Eyes | Open and clearly visible | CheckedClosed eyes |
| Glasses | Prescription glasses are OK: no tinted lenses, no thick frames, no glare | CheckedGlasses, with a reminder to check for glare |
| Pose | Facing the camera, head straight; nobody else in the photo | CheckedTilt, turn, and other people or hands in the frame |
| Unedited | “Do not edit, apply filters, or use AI tools to modify how you look” | Our promiseWe never change it, unless you choose to replace the background |
| Not a selfie | Selfies are rejected | Up to youWe remind you; we can’t tell who held the phone |
| How recent | Taken in the last 6 months | Up to youWe can’t tell when a photo was taken |
From passports.govt.nz, checked November 2026. The passport office always makes the final call. Compare every passport photo size.
Children and babies
New Zealand asks children and babies for much the same photo as adults. Tell us the photo is of a child or a baby and we check it that way.
A baby’s eyes need to be open, so pick a time when they’re awake and calm.
Children need a closed mouth and open eyes, like adults.
No hands or toys in the photo. Lay your baby on a plain, light sheet.
Taking a baby’s photo? How to take it at home, step by step.
Questions
You can take it at home, but not as a selfie: selfies are rejected. Ask someone to take it from about 1.5 metres away, in front of a plain, light wall. We check the photo before you pay.
For an online application, a JPG in 3:4 shape between 900 × 1200 and 4500 × 6000 pixels, and between 250 KB and 5 MB. A printed photo for a paper form is 35 × 45 mm, with the head at most 80% of the photo.
Head centred, with clear space above and at the sides, and your shoulders and upper chest in the frame. That’s wider than a printed passport photo, so we frame the digital photo separately from the prints.
Yes, if they’re prescription glasses with no tinted lenses, no thick frames and no glare, and the frames don’t cover your eyes. Taking them off is the safer choice.
Plain and light-coloured, with no shadows. Standing at least half a metre in front of the wall keeps your shadow off it.
No. The rules say not to edit it, apply filters or use AI tools to change how you look. We never change your photo unless you choose to replace the background, and we tell you first that it may be rejected.
It must have been taken in the last six months.
Free to check. $4.99 to download both the digital photo and the prints.
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