What size is the NZ passport photo?

As a digital photo, 900 to 4,500 pixels wide, 1,200 to 6,000 pixels tall. The file: JPEG; 250 KB to 5,000 KB. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026. This page makes a 900 x 1,200 pixel JPEG file.

Can I wear glasses in my NZ passport photo?

Yes, but only with no tint and no glare, and with your eyes clearly visible.

Can I smile in my NZ passport photo?

Neutral, no smiling, mouth closed, eyes open.

Can I wear a head covering in my NZ passport photo?

Religious or medical reasons only; face fully visible.

How recent must my NZ passport photo be?

Taken in the last 6 months. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.

Can I take my NZ passport photo myself?

Not as a selfie: the official rules ask that someone else takes it.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. The photo is read and checked in your browser, and any file is saved on your device. The page tells our server only that a photo was checked, that it passed, or that a file was saved; never the photo, your face or any measurement. It finds where your face is in the photo; it never recognises who you are.

How is the head measured?

The page finds your chin and eyes in the photo and estimates the top of your head from your forehead, since hair hides it: the dashed line shows the estimate. If it is not at the top of your head, move it with Top of head and the checks follow.

Will my photo be accepted?

Only the issuing authority decides. A photo that passes every check here meets the published size, head and background rules as checked on 4 November 2026; you confirm the rest, such as glasses, expression and how recent the photo is.

What does buying your NZ passport photo add?

Your NZ passport photo, €6.99: the exact 900 x 1200 px file, the acceptance report, the Detail check, unlimited retakes and the whole family's photos for this document for 30 days. Pay only once your photo passes. Refund if the authority rejects it. Paid once, with no subscription. In the Detail check our AI model, run in the EU, checks glasses, expression, shadows and more if you choose to send it the photo. Without buying you can check any photo and save a small preview with a watermark.

Passport, visa and ID photos · New Zealand

NZ passport photo: check and make yours

Your NZ passport photo, checked against the official rules, framed and sized, ready to upload. Official size: at least 900 x 1,200 pixels. Background: plain, light-coloured, strong contrast with the face, no shadows or objects. Rules read on passports.govt.nz on 4 November 2026.

Take or choose a photo
We check it against the official rules and frame it
Download the exact file

Take the photo Choose a photo

Free check. Your NZ passport photo, €6.99, only once it passes: the ready file, unlimited retakes for 30 days. Refund if the authority rejects it.

Your photo: 900 x 1200 px

Your photo stays on your device: nothing is uploaded, and no face is recognised.

Before you take it

Stand a step in front of a plain light wall, with nothing behind you.
Face a window or soft light: even light on the face, no shadows on it or behind.
Have someone else take it (no selfies), phone at eye level, about 1.5 m away.
Glasses only with no tint and no glare on them.
A neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open.

Check and make your photo

Drop a photo here, or choose one JPEG, PNG or WebP

The first photo loads the face finder and the background outline from this site, about 15 MB, once.

Guide lines Dashed: top of head. Solid: chin.

The official rules don't allow edited photos, so we only frame and resize yours: never its background.

Adjust the framing

Zoom

Left or right

Down or up

Top of head The top of your head is an estimate: move the dashed line to it.

See every measurement

Check	Measured	Result

Your NZ passport photo

€6.99

The exact 900 x 1200 px file, ready to upload
The acceptance report
Detail check of glasses, expression, shadows and more (opt-in: our AI model, run in the EU)
Unlimited retakes and the whole family's photos for this document, for 30 days
Refund if the authority rejects it

Choose a photo first.

Pay only once your photo passes: the button turns on once it passes every check. One payment, no subscription. Rejected by the authority? Email us the rejection within 30 days and we refund you in full. While you pay, your photo waits in this browser on this device for up to 24 hours: it is never uploaded.

A small copy with a watermark, to look at before you buy. Not a file to send.

Before you download, confirm

Only you can see these: we never judge them from the photo.

Someone else took the photo: it is not a selfie. If I wear glasses, they have no tint and no glare, and my eyes are clearly visible. My expression is as the rules ask (Expression, below). My eyes are open and clearly visible. The light on my face is even, with no shadow on my face or behind me. The photo was taken in the last 6 months.

The face finder and the background outline run in this page from files served by this site (sources and licences). They find where a face is in the photo; they never recognise who it is.

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government.

For a baby or young child: NZ baby passport photo

The rules at a glance

For the New Zealand passport (digital photo), as the official rules state them.

Size: at least 900 x 1,200 pixels
The file we make: 900 x 1,200 pixels
Background: Plain, light-coloured, strong contrast with the face, no shadows or objects.
Glasses: Allowed only with no tint and no glare, your eyes clearly visible
Expression: A neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open.
Taken by: Someone else, not a selfie
Taken: In the last 6 months
Edits: None allowed by the official rules (“Do not edit, apply filters, or use AI tools to modify how you look.”): we only frame and resize.

All the official rules and sources

Digital photo: 900 to 4,500 pixels wide, 1,200 to 6,000 pixels tall
File: JPEG; 250 KB to 5,000 KB
This page makes: A 900 x 1,200 pixel JPEG file
Background: plain, light-coloured, strong contrast with the face, no shadows or objects
Taken by: Someone else, not a selfie
Glasses: Allowed only with no tint and no glare, your eyes clearly visible
Expression: neutral, no smiling, mouth closed, eyes open
Head covering: religious or medical reasons only; face fully visible
Taken: In the last 6 months
Colour: Colour only

3:4 portrait aspect ratio (width:height)
taken by someone else, about 1.5 m away at eye level; selfies rejected
clear gap around the sides and top of the head; shoulders and upper chest included
stand at least half a metre in front of the background
face fully visible, not tilted or turned; hair out of the eyes and away from the face
no tinted or thick-framed glasses; clear gap between eyes and frames; no glare or reflection; no sunglasses
no editing, filters or AI tools; no scans of printed photos

For: online passport application or renewal (digital upload); paper application (photographer prints the photo).

Official source: www.passports.govt.nz, checked on 4 November 2026.

You can use a professional passport photo service or take a photo with your own device.

a colour portrait photo with a 3:4 aspect ratio

a digital photo in .jpg or .jpeg format

between 250KB and 5MB in size

900–4500 pixels wide and 1200–6000 pixels high

less than 6 months old.

The photographer should print the photo for a paper application or email the photo for you to apply online. Scans of printed photos will not be accepted.

Selfies will be rejected.

There must be a clear gap around the sides and top of your head. Your shoulders and upper chest should be included in the photo.

There must be a strong contrast between your face and the background, and no shadows or objects behind your head.

Your mouth must be closed and your eyes open.

You can wear prescription glasses in your photo if they are not tinted or thick-framed. You cannot wear sunglasses.

You can only wear a head covering in your photo for religious or medical reasons. If you do wear a head covering, your face must be fully visible.

Your image must show your natural appearance. Do not edit, apply filters, or use AI tools to modify how you look.

Page last updated: 04 March 2026

Official source: www.passports.govt.nz, checked on 4 November 2026.

You should select 3:4. This is the aspect ratio required for the online passport system

Make sure you do not crop out your hair or your ears.

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government. Rules change: check the official page before you apply.

How to use it

Stand facing the camera in front of a plain, light wall, with even light on your face.
Tap Take the photo and follow the outline and the tips on screen, or choose a photo you have. The page finds your face and frames it to the rules.
Fix anything the page lists, each with its own tip. Adjust the framing if you need to, and move Top of head if the dashed line is not at the top of your head.
Tick what only you can confirm.
Save the file.

Questions

What size is the NZ passport photo?: As a digital photo, 900 to 4,500 pixels wide, 1,200 to 6,000 pixels tall. The file: JPEG; 250 KB to 5,000 KB. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026. This page makes a 900 x 1,200 pixel JPEG file.
What background does the NZ passport photo need?: Plain, light-coloured, strong contrast with the face, no shadows or objects.
Can I wear glasses in my NZ passport photo?: Yes, but only with no tint and no glare, and with your eyes clearly visible.
Can I smile in my NZ passport photo?: Neutral, no smiling, mouth closed, eyes open.
Can I wear a head covering in my NZ passport photo?: Religious or medical reasons only; face fully visible.
How recent must my NZ passport photo be?: Taken in the last 6 months. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.
Can I take my NZ passport photo myself?: Not as a selfie: the official rules ask that someone else takes it.
Is my photo uploaded?: No. The photo is read and checked in your browser, and any file is saved on your device. The page tells our server only that a photo was checked, that it passed, or that a file was saved; never the photo, your face or any measurement. It finds where your face is in the photo; it never recognises who you are.
How is the head measured?: The page finds your chin and eyes in the photo and estimates the top of your head from your forehead, since hair hides it: the dashed line shows the estimate. If it is not at the top of your head, move it with Top of head and the checks follow.
Will my photo be accepted?: Only the issuing authority decides. A photo that passes every check here meets the published size, head and background rules as checked on 4 November 2026; you confirm the rest, such as glasses, expression and how recent the photo is.
What does buying your NZ passport photo add?: Your NZ passport photo, €6.99: the exact 900 x 1200 px file, the acceptance report, the Detail check, unlimited retakes and the whole family's photos for this document for 30 days. Pay only once your photo passes. Refund if the authority rejects it. Paid once, with no subscription. In the Detail check our AI model, run in the EU, checks glasses, expression, shadows and more if you choose to send it the photo. Without buying you can check any photo and save a small preview with a watermark.