Independent reference to official photo rules

Not affiliated with any government. Always confirm with the issuing authority before you apply.

WorldPhotoSpecsOfficial photo rules for every country

Visas and travel authorisations

New Zealand visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Immigration New Zealand for the New Zealand visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

Rate this page

Quick answer

What size is the New Zealand visa photo?

For an online New Zealand visa or NZeTA, upload a JPG or JPEG in 3:4 portrait format, between 900 x 1200 and 2250 x 3000 pixels and 512 KB to 3.14 MB, taken in the last 6 months. Your face should fill 70% to 80% of the image against a plain, neutral background. Immigration New Zealand refuses photos edited with AI or other tools. Paper visa forms take printed colour photos, 35 x 45 mm.

New Zealand visas are decided by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Most applications are made online, and the photo is uploaded as a JPG as part of the application. The same photo standard covers a request for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA).

INZ collects the photo as biometric information: it uses it to set up a record of your identity, to check that identity and to help decide the application. Its system tests each upload and shows an error message when the file does not meet the requirements, and an officer can still ask for a new photo if yours does not clearly show your face. A missing or unsuitable photo can slow the application down or lead to it being declined.

Paper application forms, such as the Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017), still use printed photos. INZ sets them at 35 x 45 mm and puts the remaining instructions on each form.

New Zealand visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration New Zealand:[1]

Print sizeOnline: no print size (3:4 portrait JPG). Paper forms: 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in)
Digital size900 x 1200 to 2250 x 3000 pixels, portrait
Head heightFace covers 70% to 80% of the image, in the middle of the frame
Eye lineIn the top half of the frame (INZ guide for photographers)
BackgroundNeutral and plain, only you in it; INZ photographer guide: plain, light-coloured (not white)
ColourColour, not black and white
Photo ageTaken within the last 6 months
File sizeOnline: 512 KB to 3.14 MB (INZ also writes it as 500 KB to 3 MB)
File formatJPG or JPEG
Print qualityPaper forms: 2 original colour photos per person, full name written on the back of both
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm31.5–36 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 31.5–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: neutral and plain.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

You cannot manipulate or digitally alter your photo using Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other digital editing tools. ... This includes: ... cropping your head and shoulders to place it on a plain background

Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA[1]

with good contrast; the INZ PDF for photographers says

Taking acceptable visa photos: technical requirements for professional photographers[4]

. More important: INZ bans

Taking acceptable visa photos: technical requirements for professional photographers[4]

Key requirements

  • Size and file limits

    The upload must be a JPG or JPEG in portrait with a 3:4 aspect ratio, 900 x 1200 to 2250 x 3000 pixels, and between 512 KB and 3.14 MB. If the system says the picture is not a suitable passport-style portrait, INZ tells you to resize it or take a new one.

  • No AI, filters or retouching

    INZ treats AI-enhanced or altered photos as failing its standard. That covers filters, beauty modes, changes to colour, brightness, contrast or sharpness, skin smoothing, face slimming, reshaping features and digitally removing glasses, jewellery or other objects.

  • No cut-out backgrounds

    Cutting out your head and shoulders and placing them on a plain background is one of the banned edits. Stand in front of a plain, neutral wall instead, about 0.5 m from it, with the photographer 1.5 m in front of you.

  • Face fills most of the frame

    Your face should cover 70% to 80% of the image and sit in the middle. Look straight at the lens with a neutral expression, mouth closed and eyes open, without turning or tilting your head.

  • Ears and face visible

    Hair must not cover your face or ears; the ears must show unless you wear a scarf for religious or medical reasons. The image has to be sharp, with no shadows on your face or the background.

  • No selfies, except in the NZeTA app

    INZ recommends that someone else takes the photo. A selfie is accepted only in the mobile app for an NZeTA; there, stretch your arm out fully, hold the phone at eyebrow height and keep the light source behind the phone.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Turn off any automatic filter or beauty setting on your phone.
  • Use a plain, neutral wall with no objects or other people.
  • Wear plain clothing without pictures or busy patterns.
  • Check the file is a JPG between 512 KB and 3.14 MB.
  • Tuck long hair back so both ears show.
  • Write each person's full name on the back of paper-form photos.

Don't

  • Do not use AI tools to enhance or edit the photo.
  • Do not replace or clean up the background with software.
  • Do not submit a photo of a photo or of your passport.
  • Do not wear sunglasses, tinted lenses or heavy frames.
  • Do not take a selfie unless you apply for an NZeTA in the app.
  • Do not upload a photo older than 6 months.

Sample photos

How a New Zealand visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height 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 allowed in a visa photo. The lenses must be clear, not tinted, the frames must not be so heavy that they cover your face, and there must be no glare or reflection in the picture. Sunglasses are not accepted.

INZ adds that if your glasses keep causing problems, it may be best to take them off. Do not remove them digitally afterwards: deleting glasses or other objects from the image with software is one of the edits INZ lists as unacceptable.

Headwear and religious dress

Remove hats and other head coverings unless you wear them for religious or medical reasons. A permitted covering must leave your mouth and the sides of your face uncovered, so your facial features stay clearly visible.

The ear rule bends for the same reason: INZ normally wants both ears visible, but not when you wear a scarf for religious or medical reasons. Headbands and hats must not be edited out of a photo afterwards; take a new photo instead.

If you apply online, which is the usual route for visas and the only route for an NZeTA, you upload a digital JPG. INZ's file format page says every uploaded image must be a JPEG or JPG, and its error help gives the pixel range of 900 x 1200 to 2250 x 3000. If you use a professional photographer, give them INZ's requirements; INZ says it is more likely to accept a photo taken by a professional.

If you use a paper form, attach printed photos instead, 35 mm wide and 45 mm high. The Visitor Visa Application asks for 2 colour passport-size photographs of each person included, less than six months old, with the person's full name written on the back of both. Its guide adds that the photos must be originals in good quality colour, not black and white.

Where to submit the photo

Online visa applications and NZeTA requests are made through INZ's online systems, and the photo upload is part of the form. The system checks the photo when you submit it and shows an error message that explains what to fix, such as a file that is too big or too small.

With a paper application, the photos are attached to the form in the boxes provided for the principal applicant, a partner and each dependent child, and the form goes to INZ with the passports or travel documents and supporting papers. Each paper form carries its own detailed photo instructions, so check the one you are using.

How to get your New Zealand visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the New Zealand visa: 35 × 45 mm print, 2250 × 3000 px digital file, neutral and plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: size and file limits; no AI, filters or retouching; no cut-out backgrounds; face fills most of the frame.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. If you apply online, which is the usual route for visas and the only route for an NZeTA, you upload a digital JPG. INZ's file format page says every uploaded image must be a JPEG or JPG, and its error help gives the pixel range of 900 x 1200 to 2250 x 3000.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Online visa applications and NZeTA requests are made through INZ's online systems, and the photo upload is part of the form.

Make this photo online

New Zealand visa photo FAQ

For an online application there is no print size: upload a JPG or JPEG in 3:4 portrait, 900 x 1200 to 2250 x 3000 pixels, between 512 KB and 3.14 MB. For a paper application, INZ asks for printed photos 35 mm wide and 45 mm high.

No. INZ says you cannot manipulate or digitally alter the photo with AI or other editing tools. Its list of banned edits includes cutting out your head and shoulders to place them on a plain background, adjusting colour or brightness, and removing objects. An altered photo can delay the application or lead to it being declined.

Not for a visa. INZ only accepts a selfie when you request an NZeTA in the mobile app. For a visa, ask someone to take the photo from 1.5 m away while you stand 0.5 m from a plain background.

INZ's photo page asks for a neutral, plain background with nobody and nothing else in it, and good contrast with your face. Its guide for professional photographers is stricter and asks for a plain, light-coloured background that is not white. A pale grey or cream wall satisfies both.

Yes, normally. INZ says hair must not cover your face or ears and the photo must show your ears, unless you wear a scarf for religious or medical reasons.

Yes. INZ applies one photo standard to visas and NZeTA requests: a recent, unedited 3:4 JPG that clearly identifies you. An NZeTA can only be requested online, and its mobile app is the one place where a selfie is allowed.

It must have been taken within the last 6 months and look like you. The paper visitor visa form repeats the six-month limit for every photo attached, including those of a partner and dependent children.

The usual upload error means the file is too big or too small. INZ's error help asks for 900 x 1200 to 2250 x 3000 pixels, 500 KB to 3 MB and portrait format. Resize the image within those limits or take a new photo, but do not otherwise edit it.

Related photo specifications

Other New Zealand documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

Was this page helpful?

No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this page.

Official sources

  1. Immigration New Zealand. Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Immigration New Zealand. Fixing errors when uploading a photo immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Immigration New Zealand. Uploading documents and photos immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Immigration New Zealand. Taking acceptable visa photos: technical requirements for professional photographers immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Immigration New Zealand. Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017) immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Immigration New Zealand. Visitor Visa Guide (INZ 1018) immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Immigration New Zealand. INZ 1002 Residence Guide (PDF) immigration.govt.nz. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration New Zealand before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

Categories: