This is technical document-preparation guidance, not immigration advice. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) can update its instructions and application screens. Check the current requirements for your visa and upload field; no live application was tested for this guide.

Check the application screen before setting a size target

INZ's published document-format guidance describes supporting documents as PDFs, says to upload one file per document, and warns against password-protected files. It also uses the phrase “compressed files will be rejected.” The page does not state one universal file-size cap for every visa application.

A separate INZ 2021 Resident Visa Refund form says a file must be less than 10 MB. That is a form-specific example—not proof that every Immigration Online field has the same limit. Use a size stated on your current application screen instead of applying the figure across visa types.

The official visa and NZeTA photo guidance gives separate JPEG/JPG, byte-size and pixel-dimension requirements. A photo is not a PDF supporting document and should be prepared under its own instructions.

What the published guidance says

Information about Upload by Format / grouping, Size guidance, Important caveat
Upload	Format / grouping	Size guidance	Important caveat
Supporting document	PDF; one file per document; not password-protected	The format page does not state a universal cap. One specific INZ form says less than 10 MB.	Check the current application field for its actual maximum.
Visa or NZeTA photograph	JPEG/JPG	Published photo guidance: 500 KB to 3 MB, 900×1200 to 2250×3000 pixels	Keep the photo separate and follow the current photo checklist.
Multi-page record	One ordered PDF when it is one document	Follow the field's current limit	Do not split one document into page-by-page uploads if instructions say one file.

These are source-specific rules. The 10 MB example comes from a particular refund form, while the photo sizes come from separate photo guidance. Do not treat either as a universal limit for every visa, form or document slot.

One document means one file

INZ's format guidance describes one file per document. Its example is a four-page bank statement: put the requested pages into one ordered PDF rather than uploading every page separately. That does not mean combining unrelated evidence into one large file. Keep distinct application documents—such as a bank statement, employment letter and travel record—in their own files unless the application explicitly asks for a combined document.

For a statement or other multi-page record:

Download the original PDF from the bank or issuer when available.
Keep the requested date range and pages intact; preserve date order.
Combine pages only when they form one document and the application asks for that document as a single file.
Open the resulting PDF and confirm every page is present and readable.

The PDF merge tool can combine supported PDFs into one file. It does not decide which records belong together or guarantee that INZ will accept a particular bundle.

Treat the password and “compressed file” wording carefully

INZ's format page warns that password-protected files and “compressed files” will be rejected. Its wording is broad; this guide does not assume that it means only ZIP archives, nor does it promise that every size-reduced PDF is acceptable. Before altering a file to reduce its size, check the current instructions for your application or ask INZ what that field accepts. Never upload a ZIP or other archive where the slot requests a PDF.

If a bank statement is protected and you are authorized to prepare it, open it only with its known password and create an allowed working copy. Do not attempt to bypass protection. See how to open a password-protected bank statement for safe, known-password routes.

If the application explicitly allows a size-reduced PDF and shows a cap, the visa-application PDF compressor can create a local copy in your browser. Processing and downloading are free: no account, no signup, no email and no watermark. Keep the original and inspect the entire output. Do not use compression to remove required pages, transactions, dates, signatures or stamps.

Prepare documents and photos separately

Supporting PDFs

Check the exact file type, maximum size, file count and document grouping for each upload field.
Use one ordered PDF for each multi-page document where the one-file rule applies.
Keep unrelated evidence in separate files.
Avoid password protection when the official instructions say protected documents are rejected.
If the application permits a size-reduced PDF, work from a copy and aim below the stated limit rather than exactly at it.
Open the final copy and check names, dates, balances, stamps, signatures and fine print.

Visa and NZeTA photographs

The INZ photo page treats the photograph separately from supporting documents. Its published guidance lists JPEG/JPG, 500 KB to 3 MB and dimensions from 900×1200 to 2250×3000 pixels. Use the current INZ photo instructions for the image's framing, orientation, background and other criteria. Do not convert the photo into a PDF unless the application specifically tells you to; do not shrink it below the photo page's stated dimensions or size range.

Why a file can be rejected even when it is small

A PDF can meet a size target and still fail because it is protected, has the wrong extension, contains several unrelated documents, omits a required page, or is too blurry to read. A photo may be the wrong format, outside the byte or pixel range, or fail a framing requirement. Read the actual error message and compare the file with that specific field's checklist instead of repeatedly compressing it.

If you change a document, retain an untouched original. Review the downloaded copy in a PDF reader at normal size and at higher zoom; check small account figures, names, dates and document references. If a scanned page is already unclear, rescan it rather than making the blur worse through aggressive compression.

Official source references

File formats for uploading documents and photos — Immigration New Zealand — PDF format, one-file-per-document and password/compressed-file wording.
Visa and NZeTA photos — Immigration New Zealand — photo format, file-size range and pixel dimensions.
2021 Resident Visa Refund form — Immigration New Zealand — a form-specific “less than 10 MB” statement; not a universal visa-portal limit.

Before you upload

I checked the current application screen and instructions for my visa type.
Each supporting document is a PDF and one file where the one-document rule applies.
The file is not password-protected if INZ's current instructions prohibit protected files.
I have not assumed that “compressed files” means only archives or that a reduced-size PDF is automatically accepted.
The 10 MB example is not being treated as a universal cap.
The separate visa/NZeTA photo meets the current format, byte-size, pixel and framing requirements.
The final files open, all pages are present and details remain legible; originals are preserved.

Frequently asked questions

What file format does Immigration New Zealand accept for documents?

INZ's published format guidance says supporting documents should be PDF and uploaded as one file per document. Follow the current instructions for the specific field; the visa/NZeTA photo is a separate JPEG/JPG upload.

What is the New Zealand visa file-size limit?

The format page cited here does not give a universal document limit. A separate INZ refund form says less than 10 MB, but that is form-specific. Use the limit on your current application screen.

Can I upload a multi-page bank statement as separate files?

INZ's format guidance says to upload one file per document. For a multi-page statement requested as one document, combine its pages into a single ordered PDF, then check the current field's size and format requirements.

Does “compressed files will be rejected” prohibit a reduced-size PDF?

The wording is broad, and this guide does not infer an exception. Check INZ's current instructions or ask INZ before uploading a size-reduced PDF. A ZIP or archive is not a PDF document.

What are the photo requirements for an NZ visa or NZeTA?

The cited INZ photo guidance lists JPEG/JPG, 500 KB to 3 MB, and 900×1200 to 2250×3000 pixels. Check the current page for framing and other photo rules before uploading.