What the New Zealand passport is for
The New Zealand passport is the official travel document for New Zealand citizens. It proves your identity and nationality, lets you travel abroad and return home, and works as a trusted form of ID for banking, employment and age checks. Passport holders can also get help from New Zealand embassies and consulates overseas. The passport holds your name, date of birth and photograph, and a microchip stores biometric data such as your facial image, so the photo you supply becomes part of the document for its whole validity.
Paper application or digital application
You can apply for a New Zealand passport online through the official passport website or with a paper application form. The two routes handle the picture differently. A paper application form comes with a printed photo that you send with your documents, while the online route asks for a digital file. This page makes the printed 35×45 mm passport photo for the paper route. It is a colour print and is not meant for a digital upload, so if you apply online, prepare a separate digital image that meets the rules for that route.
Passport photo size explained
The printed NZ passport photo is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, a portrait format. In our template your head takes about 65% of the height from chin to crown, which is roughly 29 mm, and your eyes sit about 55% of the height above the bottom edge. Your head is centred left to right. We prepare the print file at 600 DPI so the print stays sharp when it is cut to size. A selfie that is simply cropped by hand often ends up with the head too small or too large for this frame.
Background and lighting
The background should be plain and light, close to a pale grey, with no shadows, patterns or objects behind you. Even lighting matters as much as the colour: a shadow on one side of the face or a dark patch behind the head makes the picture look uneven. Our AI replaces the background with a clean light grey and evens out the edge around your hair, so you can take the picture against any wall at home.
Before you send your paper application
Check the official passport photo requirements for the latest rules, then print the image on photo paper and cut it to exactly 35×45 mm. Send it with the completed form, your proof of citizenship, your ID and the payment to the address on the form. Fees depend on the passport type and the processing speed, so check the official fee schedule before you pay. After you send everything, you can track your application online, and your new passport arrives by mail.
Passport photo checklist
- Correct size: 35×45 mm, printed in colour.
- Head about 65% of the height, eyes about 55% from the bottom.
- Plain light grey background with no shadows or patterns.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open and looking at the camera.
- Head straight, centred, with your whole face inside the frame.
- A recent, sharp image with no filters or retouching of your features.
Children, renewals and replacements
New Zealand passports are valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children. If you are under 16, a parent or guardian applies for you, and the child still needs a passport photo in the same 35×45 mm size. A renewal follows a process similar to a first application, and each renewal needs a new, recent photo. If your passport is lost or stolen, report it to the New Zealand Passport Office straight away and apply for a replacement with a fresh photo. Other New Zealand documents use their own photo formats, for example the New Zealand visa photo or the Kiwi Access Card photo.
