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Citizenship and naturalisation

New Zealand citizenship application photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Department of Internal Affairs (Te Tari Taiwhenua), Citizenship Office for the New Zealand citizenship application photo, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the New Zealand citizenship application photo?

The Citizenship Office accepts passport-style photos less than 6 months old. Online you need 1 photo saved as a .jpeg file; by post or in person you need 2 identical photos printed on photo-quality paper. Selfies are not accepted. No separate size is stated, so the passport photo requirements apply.

The Citizenship Office, part of the Department of Internal Affairs, accepts passport-style photos with applications for New Zealand citizenship by grant. The rules, published on Govt.nz, describe what the photo must show but give no pixel, file-size or millimetre measurements. They link to the passport photo requirements instead.

You do not need a professional photographer. A friend, colleague or family member can take the photo, as long as it is not a selfie. For a baby, lie them on a plain sheet and take the photo from above, with their face in full view, eyes open and no people or objects in the background.

New Zealand citizenship application photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Department of Internal Affairs (Te Tari Taiwhenua), Citizenship Office:[1]

Print sizeNot stated by the Citizenship Office; follows the passport photo requirements (printed: 35 x 45 mm)
Digital sizeUnder the passport rules: 3:4 JPG, 900 x 1200 to 4500 x 6000 pixels
BackgroundPlain, light background as the passport photo rules ask
Photo ageLess than 6 months old
File sizeUnder the passport rules: 250 KB to 5 MB
File formatJPEG (.jpeg) for online applications
Print qualityPhoto-quality paper (2 identical prints for post or in person)
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: plain.

Key requirements

  • Number of photos

    Online: 1 photo saved as a .jpeg file. By post or in person: 2 identical photos printed on photo-quality paper.

  • Subject and pose

    Only you, showing your head and shoulders, looking directly at the camera.

  • Expression and eyes

    Neutral (not smiling or frowning), mouth closed. Eyes open and clearly visible, not covered by hair or sunglasses.

  • Quality

    Clear, sharp and in focus. Selfies are not accepted because they change the way your face looks.

  • Passport figures

    Govt.nz does not publish its own dimensions for citizenship. It links to the passport photo rules, where DIA asks for a 3:4 colour JPG of 900-4500 pixels wide and 1200-6000 pixels high and 250 KB-5 MB for online use, and two identical 35 x 45 mm prints on a plain light background that is not white for paper applications.

  • Identity referee (online)

    Aged 16 or over, holds a current or expired NZ passport, has known you for at least 1 year or since birth, and is not related to you, part of your extended family or living in the same house. The referee does not sign your photo; you give their full name, date of birth, email, phone number, address and NZ passport number. They may be contacted, and your application may be delayed if DIA cannot reach them.

  • Witness (post or in person)

    Aged 16 or over, holds a current NZ passport (expired is not accepted), has known you for at least 1 year or since birth, and is not related to you, part of your extended family or living in the same house. On the back of one photo the witness writes your full name, their signature and the date, and completes the witness section of your form.

  • Optional online identity check

    If you apply online you can verify your identity by taking a selfie and a short video with a phone, tablet or computer camera. This is optional and separate from the application photo, which still cannot be a selfie.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a passport-style photo less than 6 months old
  • Have someone else take the photo
  • Show only yourself, head and shoulders, looking at the camera
  • Keep prescription glasses on if your eyes are still visible

Don't

  • Submit a selfie
  • Smile or frown
  • Let hair or sunglasses cover your eyes
  • Use a blurry or out-of-focus image

Sample photos

How a New Zealand citizenship application photo photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Prescription glasses are fine if your eyes are still visible. Sunglasses are not accepted.

Babies and children

For a baby, lie them on a plain sheet and take the photo from above, with their face in full view, eyes open and no people or objects in the background.

Online applications need 1 photo saved as a .jpeg file. Postal and in-person applications need 2 identical prints on photo-quality paper.

Where to submit the photo

Online: upload 1 .jpeg photo and digital copies of your documents. In person: by appointment at a public counter in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch. By post: send the form, 2 photos, original documents and payment to DIA in Wellington, with originals in a tracked courier bag.

How to get your New Zealand citizenship application photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the New Zealand citizenship application photo: 35 × 45 mm print, 4500 × 6000 px digital file, plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: number of photos; subject and pose; expression and eyes; quality.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Online applications need 1 photo saved as a .jpeg file. Postal and in-person applications need 2 identical prints on photo-quality paper.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Online: upload 1 .jpeg photo and digital copies of your documents. In person: by appointment at a public counter in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.

New Zealand citizenship application photo FAQ

The Citizenship Office does not state a size of its own. It asks for a passport-style photo that meets the passport photo requirements and links to the passport photo rules. Under those rules, an online photo is a 3:4 JPG of 900 x 1200 to 4500 x 6000 pixels and 250 KB-5 MB, and a printed photo is 35 x 45 mm.

No. Selfies are not accepted because they change the way your face looks. Ask a friend, colleague or family member to take the photo. The optional online identity check does ask for a selfie and a short video, but that is a separate step, not your application photo.

One photo saved as a .jpeg file if you apply online. Two identical photos printed on photo-quality paper if you apply by post or in person.

Only paper applicants need a signed photo. Your witness signs the back of one of your two photos, writing your full name, their signature and the date, and completes the witness section of the form. Online applicants have an identity referee instead, who does not sign anything.

No. A witness for a postal or in-person application must have a current New Zealand passport. An identity referee for an online application can have a current or expired New Zealand passport.

From 28 August 2026, citizenship by grant costs NZD 641 for adults aged 16 and over and NZD 320 for children aged 15 and under.

Related photo specifications

Other New Zealand documents

Citizenship and naturalisation nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Govt.nz. What to get ready before you apply for NZ citizenship govt.nz. Checked 29 October 2026.
  2. Govt.nz. Apply for NZ citizenship govt.nz. Checked 29 October 2026.
  3. Govt.nz. Citizenship fees govt.nz. Checked 29 October 2026.
  4. Department of Internal Affairs (Te Tari Taiwhenua). Passport photos passports.govt.nz. Checked 29 October 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Department of Internal Affairs (Te Tari Taiwhenua), Citizenship Office before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"New Zealand citizenship application photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/new-zealand/citizenship-photo

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