I was not one of those people who grumbled when the life of a New Zealand passport was reduced from ten to five years. It didn't seem a big deal at the time. But now, having just renewed my passport, the prospect of doing it all over again in five years doesn't appeal.
Rather than use the old-fashioned manual system, I decided to apply for a passport online. First I went to a photography shop to have a snap taken. "Maybe smile with your eyes," said the friendly operator who must have thought I looked too stern. She emailed me the shot a few minutes later.
Unfortunately the photograph wasn't acceptable: "The photo you want to upload does not meet our criteria." The two reasons given were: "Background not plain" and "Shadow on eyes". The photographer adjusted the image and emailed it to me. It still wasn't right. This time the complaint was only about the background which, by the way, was plain.
The photographer adjusted the image again, and again it wasn't acceptable. The background was still wrong and the shadows under the eyes were back. By this time, with three virtually identical shots with three similar names on my system, I was no longer sure exactly which one I was uploading anyway. Not that it really mattered. None of them were right.
The next day I was in the city with my husband when he decided to have our daughter's passport photograph taken at a Queen Street camera shop. I took the opportunity to get my own photograph taken again. It was emailed to me and I can't describe how relieved I was when it met the Department of Internal Affairs' online criteria.
The next step outlined was to identify someone who could vouch for me. Specifically, I need to ask "your referee for their name and passport number exactly as it appears on their most recent New Zealand Passport". So I emailed the friend I always use for this purpose to get the details and seek her permission which was swiftly granted.
