New Zealand passport photo guide

New Zealand child passport photo in 2026: age rules, the no-selfie requirement, and the background that trips everyone up

Every New Zealand child, including newborns, needs their own passport for international travel. The DIA's photo requirements apply at every age, and three NZ-specific rules catch parents who are following general passport photo advice rather than DIA-specific guidance. First: the DIA does not accept selfies for passport photos — the photo must be taken by another person standing approximately 1.5 metres away. This applies to child photos as fully as to adult photos. Second: the background must be plain light grey or off-white, not pure white — the non-white background rule that's unique to New Zealand among major English-speaking markets. Third: prescription glasses are actually permitted in New Zealand passport photos under specific conditions — unlike the US, UK, and Canada where glasses are banned outright. Understanding these three rules before the session saves a retake.

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KeywordNew Zealand child passport photo

UpdatedAug 8, 2026

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The consistent rules: what applies at every age

The DIA's photo specifications apply identically to children and adults for dimensions, background, and head-size proportion. The photo must be 35mm wide by 45mm tall. The face from chin to crown must measure 32 to 36mm within the 45mm frame height. The background must be plain and light-coloured — specifically a light grey or off-white tone, not pure white. The photo must be in colour, in focus, and taken within the last six months. For digital submissions through the govt.nz online portal, the photo must be a JPEG file between 500KB and 10MB, at minimum 413×531 pixels. The built-in DIA photo checker in the online portal evaluates the uploaded image before the application can proceed, providing immediate feedback if something is wrong. No selfies are accepted. The DIA requires another person to take the photo, standing approximately 1.5 metres from the subject. For a child in a car seat or lying on a blanket for the lay-flat method, "another person" means a parent or caregiver operating the camera from the correct distance. For older children who could theoretically take a selfie, it's still not accepted — the selfie prohibition applies at all ages.

The age-graded rules

**For babies under six months:** The DIA acknowledges that maintaining open eyes and direct camera gaze is not always achievable for newborns. Partially open eyes are tolerated for babies under six months. The baby must be the only person in the photo — no parent hands, no supporting arms visible, no toys or pacifiers. The lay-flat method works best: lay the baby face-up on a plain light grey or off-white sheet on the floor, photograph from directly above with the camera parallel to the floor. Any supporting contact from below the sheet stays hidden beneath it. **For infants between six months and one year:** Both eyes must be open. The baby should be looking roughly toward the camera, though perfect direct eye contact at this age is accepted as an aspiration rather than a hard requirement. The no-hands and no-props rule continues to apply. **For toddlers between one and three years:** Both eyes must be open and looking toward the camera. The expression doesn't need to be a formal neutral, but wide open-mouthed expressions or crying faces will be rejected. A relaxed, awake, eyes-open face is the target. The no-toys-visible rule applies. **For children four years and older:** The full adult standard applies. Neutral expression, both eyes open and clearly visible, looking directly at the camera, mouth closed. Children this age can usually produce the required expression with a brief explanation and a moment to settle before the shot.

The background rule: not white

New Zealand's background requirement is the most frequently misunderstood aspect of NZ passport photos for both adults and children. DIA specifies a plain light background that is not pure white — a light grey or off-white tone. This is the reverse of the US requirement (white) and different from the UK's "plain light-coloured" which accepts white as a valid option. The practical reason for this rule is biometric: a light grey background creates better tonal separation between the face and the background for facial recognition processing, compared to a pure white background where very pale skin tones can produce reduced contrast at the face edges. For parents preparing a child's photo at home, this means using a light grey sheet, a pale grey wall, or a very lightly off-white surface rather than a bright white wall or pure white sheet. If the only available option is a pure white surface, a very slightly warm or grey-toned sheet — something that reads as cream or very pale grey rather than stark white — will typically satisfy the requirement. The DIA's own photo checker will flag a background that's too warm or too coloured, but pure white is also worth avoiding.

The glasses rule: actually permitted

Unlike the US, UK, and Canada, New Zealand permits prescription glasses in passport photos under specific conditions. You can wear prescription glasses in your NZ passport photo if they are not tinted and not thick-framed, and there is no glare on the lenses obscuring the eyes. This is a standard available option, not a medical exemption route. For children who wear prescription glasses regularly: they can wear them in the photo as they normally would. If the frames are thin and the lenses are clear with no glare, the photo is compliant. If the frames are thick enough to be described as obscuring the eyes, or if the lenses produce visible glare in the photo, removing the glasses or adjusting the lighting is the appropriate fix. Sunglasses are never accepted, regardless of age or tint level.

The no-selfie rule in practice

The DIA specifically states that selfies are not accepted because they distort facial proportions. The photo must be taken by another person standing approximately 1.5 metres from the subject. For child photos, this is the norm rather than an exception — parents typically take photos of their children rather than the children photographing themselves. The practical application: For a baby in the lay-flat position: the parent operates the camera from directly above, at approximately the correct distance from the baby's face. This is naturally the case for the overhead lay-flat method. For a toddler in a car seat or high chair covered with a sheet: the parent operates the camera from 1.5 metres away at the child's eye level. For an older child: the parent or another adult takes the photo from 1.5 metres, with a second person positioned just behind the camera to attract the child's gaze toward the lens. The "another person" requirement does mean that a parent alone with a young child and no other adult available faces a practical challenge. In this case, a stable surface and timer is one option — but the timer means the parent presses the shutter and steps away, which satisfies the spirit of the requirement even if the parent is technically present in the room. The key requirement is that the photo not be a selfie (phone held at arm's length by the subject).

Where parents get surprised

The background colour is the most common source of surprise. Parents who have gotten passport photos done in other countries — particularly the US or Australia — arrive at the NZ process expecting a white background to be correct and are surprised to find that DIA prefers off-white or light grey. The DIA's photo checker in the online portal will flag a background colour problem early, which is helpful, but getting the background right before the session avoids that feedback loop entirely. The no-selfie rule surprises parents of older children who assumed they could hand the child a phone and have them take a selfie to save time. The rule applies at all ages and the DIA enforces it through the photo checker's assessment of focal length and perspective distortion — photos taken at close selfie range have a characteristic wide-angle distortion that the checker can identify. The glasses situation surprises parents whose children wear prescription glasses. Unlike the US, UK, and Canada where glasses would need to be removed, NZ allows clear, thin-framed glasses without glare. Parents who remove their child's glasses for the photo, based on general passport photo advice, are performing an unnecessary step. Children's passports in New Zealand are valid for five years rather than ten. A passport obtained for a child at age two will expire when the child is seven. This doesn't affect the photo requirements, but it affects how often the process needs to be repeated.

How PassSnap fits

PassSnap's New Zealand Passport photo type applies DIA-compliant 35×45mm crop and 32–36mm face-height guidance, with background guidance calibrated to the light grey/off-white standard rather than the pure white standard used by US and Australian applications. The guided capture's real-time head-size feedback is especially useful for child photos, where the instinct to stand back from the child to get the whole head in the frame often results in a head that's too small in the final crop. The optional AI verify step checks for glasses glare, background uniformity, and facial visibility — all relevant checks for NZ child photos.

Setting up the NZ child passport photo

Time the session around the child's most cooperative window. For babies, this is after a nap and a feed. For toddlers, the same principle applies plus a short, well-timed session of five minutes or less. A session that stretches on past a toddler's cooperative window produces more frustration than usable frames.

For newborns and non-sitting infants, use the lay-flat method: lay a plain light grey or off-white sheet on a clean floor or table, lay the baby face-up on the sheet with the head centred, photograph from directly above with the camera parallel to the floor. Check that no hands, arms, toys, or props are visible in the frame. Shoot in burst mode and choose the best frame from several.

For toddlers in a car seat or similar: cover the car seat entirely with a light grey or off-white sheet — covering all straps, frame, and coloured elements — so only the child's head and upper body are visible. Position the camera at the child's eye level from 1.5 metres away. Have a second person positioned just behind and above the camera to attract the child's gaze.

Use natural, diffused daylight from a front-facing window. Overhead ceiling lights create shadows under the chin and nose that cause rejection. New Zealand's distinctive non-white background requirement interacts with lighting colour temperature — a warm-toned background under warm artificial light may appear more cream than grey, which can push it toward the background check threshold. Natural daylight is the most neutral option.

Confirm the background tone in a test shot before committing to the session. It should read as light grey or off-white, not pure white, not cream, not any colour. Check the test shot at full resolution on a laptop or tablet where the background tone is easier to assess accurately.

FAQ

Does a baby need their own passport for travel to New Zealand?

Yes. Every New Zealand child, including newborns, must have their own passport for international travel. A baby cannot be included on a parent's passport for New Zealand travel. The photo and all other application requirements apply regardless of the child's age.

What background should I use for a New Zealand child passport photo?

The DIA specifies a plain light background that is not pure white — a light grey or off-white tone. This is different from the US requirement (pure white) and the UK requirement (light-coloured including white). A light grey sheet, a pale grey wall, or a very lightly off-white surface are appropriate. A pure white background risks being flagged by the DIA's photo checker.

Can my child wear prescription glasses in their New Zealand passport photo?

Yes. New Zealand permits prescription glasses in passport photos if they are not tinted and not thick-framed, and there is no glare on the lenses obscuring the eyes. This is different from countries like the US, UK, and Canada where glasses are banned outright. If your child normally wears prescription glasses, they can wear them in the photo as they typically would, as long as the lenses are clear and there's no visible glare.