Eyes open on a light sheet, then a 3:4 JPG that fits the upload rules.
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Baby lying on a plain light sheet, photographed from above, whole face visible and eyes open.
Cropped to 3:4 with space above the head and the shoulders in frame, saved between 250 KB and 5 MB.
No other people or objects allowed. We ask for a reshoot instead of painting a hand out.
1Plain light sheet, good daylight, baby awake and calm – NZ needs eyes open. A second adult can catch their attention. Take a burst.
We check the eyes are open and nothing else is in the frame, plus shadows, tilt and blur, then tidy the background.
3We crop to 3:4 with the head centred and save a JPG within NZ's pixel and file-size limits. You can also run it through the official online photo checker before you upload.
Unlike the UK and US, New Zealand asks for a baby's whole face with their eyes open. Our eyes check stays on for NZ, so you find out before you apply – not after.
The online application wants a 3:4 colour JPG between 900×1200 and 4500×6000 pixels and between 250 KB and 5 MB. Over-compressed files can fall under the minimum, so we check both ends.
NZ Passports says to lay your baby on a plain, light-coloured sheet and take the photo from above. No other people or objects can be visible, so lay them flat rather than holding them up.
NZ asks for your natural appearance – no filters, no edits and no AI tools that change how you look. We clean up the background to a plain light colour, crop and size the photo, and never touch your baby's face, hair or outline.
| Rule | Official requirement |
|---|---|
| Format | Colour digital photo, .jpg or .jpegSource |
| Aspect ratio | 3:4 (portrait)Source |
| Pixel size | 900–4500 px wide, 1200–6000 px highSource |
| File size | 250 KB – 5 MBSource |
| Framing | Head centred with clear space above and at the sides; shoulders and upper chest includedSource |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured, strong contrast; no shadows or objects behind the headSource |
| Babies | Lie on a plain light sheet, photo taken from above; whole face visible with eyes openSource |
| Other people and objects | None visibleSource |
| Selfies | Rejected – someone else must take the photoSource |
| Edits | No filters, edits or AI tools that change how you look; cropping is allowedSource |
| How recent | Less than 6 months oldSource |
NZ Passports lets you take the photo with your own device and upload the file with an online application. For a baby, lay them on a plain light sheet and shoot from above.
The catch is the eyes: New Zealand wants the whole face with eyes open, and nobody else in the photo – so no sleeping newborn and no hand holding the head.
Take a wider shot rather than a close-up (close-ups distort the face), keep the head centred with space above it and the shoulders in frame, and let us crop to 3:4. NZ Passports also has an online photo checker – worth running before you apply.
Parents on NZ forums describe taking dozens of shots to catch a few seconds where a baby is awake, still and looking up. Take a burst, upload the best few, and let the check catch grey sheets, small heads and tilts. We're not part of NZ Passports – it makes the final decision.
