Visa photo requirement check

A rejected photo restarts the clock on your whole application. Run the eight checks before you upload.

Showing requirements for New Zealand — visitor route · back to the checklist

Photo checklist

Taken within the last 6 months
Plain, uniform background with no shadow behind the head
Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes clearly visible
No glasses, or clear lenses with no glare and no thick frames
No head covering except for religious reasons, face fully visible
Full face centred and facing the camera squarely
Even lighting, no red-eye, no filters or retouching
Printed on plain photo paper, or digital file at the required resolution

0 of 8 checks passed. Fix the unticked items before submitting.

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Visa type

Rules applied: New Zealand

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Why visa photos get rejected

The three most common failures are shadow on the background, a head that fills too much or too little of the frame, and a photo that is simply too old. Phone photos usually fail on lighting rather than resolution: a wall lit from one side throws a shadow that automated checks read as a non-uniform background. Stand a metre away from a plain wall with light in front of you, not behind.

Every specification is stored per destination with its source and last-reviewed date. Where a country publishes no exact figure we show the regional norm and label it as an estimate — confirm the requirement on the official immigration site before you submit.