New Zealand Visa & NZeTA Photo Requirements
A New Zealand visa or NZeTA application is online, so what you upload is a digital file, not a printed photo. Immigration New Zealand sets very specific pixel and file-size limits, and — unlike most countries — asks for a light background that is explicitly not white. Verified against the Immigration New Zealand photo guidance, September 2026.
Digital, not paper
The specification here is the one you meet by uploading a file with your online application or NZeTA. It is a different requirement from the printed 35 × 45 mm passport format: here the governing numbers are pixels and file size. (The NZ passport print format is covered on its own page — see the New Zealand passport photo.)
The official digital specification
| Format | JPG or JPEG |
| Dimensions | Between 900 × 1200 px and 2250 × 3000 px |
| File size | Between 500 KB and 3 MB |
| Head length | Fills 75% of the frame |
| Head width | Fills 70% of the frame, with equal space on both sides |
| Eye position | In the top half of the frame; face centred |
| Orientation | Portrait; colour; sRGB colour space |
| Background | A plain, light-coloured background — not white — with light showing around the entire head |
Two thresholds, both of them hard
New Zealand enforces a pixel range (900 × 1200 up to 2250 × 3000) and a file-size range (500 KB to 3 MB) at the same time. A file can be refused for being too small as easily as for being too large, so the goal is to land inside both windows rather than at a single target. If your file is over, re-encode with the image compressor keeping the same pixel dimensions; if the pixels are wrong, resize and crop to 3:4 with the image resizer.
Why the background is "not white"
This is the detail most people get wrong. Immigration New Zealand asks for a plain, light-coloured background that is explicitly not white, with light showing around the whole head. A pure-white wall — the default for most countries — is not the target here; a light but visible tone gives the head a clear edge against the background. Compare how backgrounds differ country to country in the background guide.
Shooting it
- Stand 1 to 1.5 m in front of the background to reduce shadow.
- Be 1 to 1.5 m from the camera so facial features stay clear.
- Portrait orientation, colour, camera set to sRGB to match what monitors and printers reproduce.
- Adjust white balance for artificial light and avoid an unnatural skin colour.
- Do not wear bold clothing patterns, and make sure no headwear covers your face.
- Face the camera with your eyes open and look directly at the lens.
- Be the only face in the photo.
The official guidance we verified does not set a glasses rule, a printed millimetre size, or a baby exception for the online photo — so this page does not state any of those. Follow the Immigration New Zealand upload pages for anything they add. If the portal refuses your file, work through the upload failure fixes.
Frequently asked questions
What size photo does a New Zealand visa or NZeTA need?
A JPG/JPEG between 900 × 1200 px and 2250 × 3000 px, between 500 KB and 3 MB. Both the pixel range and the file-size range must be met at once.
What background colour does the NZ visa photo need?
A plain, light-coloured background that is explicitly not white, with light showing around the entire head.
How big should the head be in the frame?
The length of the head should fill 75% of the frame, and the width 70%, with equal space on both sides. The eyes should sit in the top half of the frame and the face should be centred.
Why was my NZ photo rejected for being too small?
New Zealand enforces a minimum as well as a maximum: the file must be at least 500 KB and at least 900 × 1200 px. A heavily compressed file can be refused for being under those floors — re-export with larger dimensions and a higher quality.
How far should I stand from the camera and background?
1 to 1.5 m in front of the background to reduce shadow, and 1 to 1.5 m from the camera to keep facial features clear.
Does this page cover the NZ passport photo?
No. This is the visa/NZeTA online photo. The printed 35 × 45 mm passport format is on the New Zealand passport photo page.
Set the camera to save JPG and to shoot in colour with sRGB. Check the frame against the full size chart, tighten the file with the compressor, and confirm the finished image with the passport photo checker.