My passport photos were rejected as I had a flash from the camera on my shiny forehead hehe

It's no different here in the UK, or for applications for US visas. Children's photos are hardest to get right. It's bureaucracy gone mad, and it's gone global. I'll be interested to see if the High Commission in London is as strict next Kiwi passport renewal time.

I had a (UK) passport app rejected by the UK Post Office 'check and send' service (which costs an extra £7 to use) after a clerk reckoned the photos were no good and the signature too close to the border (it too is laser-scanned in here), so sent the application in direct to the passport office unchanged, and got my shiny new passport back the next week, saving that £7...

I think this is the reason for strict photo guidelines http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/new-zealand/3124246/Passport-controls-without-people-introduced

Dont like the Passport requirements?

STAY HOME THEN!

And...these requirements are NOT just 'US' requirements. At least 20 other countries have just as restrict passport photo requirements

Pack of bloody whingers

#Nicole 112,

Yes but that is not the point, have you even been reading people's complaints. You would have a point if people were taking their own photo's but they are not!! The problem is that everyone gets their photo's taken at DIA approved agents and they are still rejected and the fact NOBODY AT DIA will confirm the photo's before you hand them in- if the rules are so hard then DIA should employ a person at their offices to confirm the photo's when you go and hand them in. This cost me $150 and there was absolutely nothing else I could have done just another example of bureaucratic inaction and blaming everyone because they did not bother to check with the places that do the photo's beforehand.

why is everyone getting their knickers in a twist over this? these are international rules and if you want to travel, you have to adhere to them and that's all there is to it.

It's all a lottery, they don't even follow their own guidelines.

I had my photo taken by a qualified photographer about a month ago. He used the correct template supplied by Internal Affairs and all the dimensions were perfect. Mouth closed, looking straight ahead, eyes open, ears visible, hair not touching the edges and clear of the face, open space above the head, shoulders slightly visible, no Flash and a blank backdrop. Still the photo got sent back, the reason supplied being the head was too big. Rubbish!

I went back to the photographer and we re-checked the photo against the template... yup it was still perfect. What are you supposed to do?

So I called Internal Affairs to clarify, and polite person on the other end of the phone couldn't offer any helpful information other than to take another photo and try again.

I have since submitted a smaller version of the photo and travel in two weeks time, so fingers crossed this time it'll get pulled out of the hat as a successful photo.

People need to remember that passports are needed for a reason- so instead of whining that the red tape is hindering their holiday in Hawaii maybe they should just suck it up and be pleased that they have less liklihood of being the victim of identity theft etc. And in terms of babies could it not be that the passport photo is not to stop infant terrorists but to help stop children being kidnapped and taken out of the country? Sure it may be frustrating but rather 60 shots of a baby than your baby being taken overseas by some crazy ex partner or stranger. If you want to go overseas then you need to comply with the requirements and restrictions- there is simply no pleasing some people if you were the victim of identity theft etc you would complain about the slack haven for criminals that NZ apparently is according to stuff readers and get on the phone to Garth McVicar and the SST and then you moan and complain that you need to pay for the pleasure of overseas travel. Well there are worse things in life than having to reapply for your passport photo! Typical stuff readers blaming "the bureaucrats" and whining about banal and mundane issues.

I am so glad our passports are for 5 years, i'm 29 and my passport expires in a year, I was 20 when my photo was taken and have changed alot. I have done my OE and lots of travelling and HATE my passport photo! Especially if we change our hair colour we get put over hot coals to prove it is you. Coming back into NZ and USA were the 2 hardest countries to convince them it was me and not a drug smuggler but just walked in and out of Thailand, Oz numerous times and all over Europe without any problems. I would of happily paid for a new passport to avoid this!

Well, what a fuss about nothing. It is an international requirement now that passport photo's be taken like this,so get over it people cause moaning about it isn't going to do anything. I had mine redone about 2 yrs ago, no hair on face, looking straight at the camera with lips closed and it was perfect for my passport, albeit it actually doesn't look anything much like me with my hair worn as I like it etc!!!!! I'm convinced the officials who are demanding this just want us to look as near to dead as possible on our passports so they won't have as much trouble identifying our bodies should we die overseas.