United Arab Emirates passport photo
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The requirements
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height, chin to crown | 70-80%ICAO 9303 general rule, not published by the authority The authority publishes no head height. This band is the generic ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 portrait rule, head 70-80% of the image height, which is also what every authority in this data set that publishes a percentage gives. |
| Background | Plain white background, no shadows or reflections |
| Glasses | Only with a medical reason, usually with a doctor's note. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Ears | No |
| Also required |
|
ICP publishes the size only as 3.5x4.5 cm, which is written here as 35x45 mm. No head height, eye line or pixel rules are published, so those fields are omitted. The page bans hats and sunglasses but says nothing about religious or national head coverings, so no headCovering value is set; the wording is quoted verbatim in rules.other instead. Applications are filed through the ICP smart app or website and biometrics are captured at an ICP happiness centre when needed.
Applying in United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has a rule we have not found anywhere else, and it is the one to plan around: the photograph must not be identical to the picture currently printed on your passport or your identity card. A renewal is therefore not a matter of resubmitting the file you used last time. You need a new photograph, and the system is checking that you have taken one, which turns an ordinary renewal into a small errand that people routinely do not expect.
Uploads are accepted through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship smart services, and the required document list for a passport is short enough to be striking: a personal photo. The published specification is a 35 by 45 picture on a white background, ICAO compliant, taken no more than six months ago, with the face filling about 70 to 80 percent of the frame. Fees as of September 2026 are AED 10 for the application, AED 40 for five years or AED 90 for ten, and AED 15 for delivery, with a stated completion time of two days.
Two honest caveats. The Authority's two official sources disagree about the background: its ICAO booklet asks for a plain light-coloured background and illustrates it with light blue and grey, while the frequently asked questions and the residence visa guidance both say white. We advise white, because it satisfies the stricter of the two. And the Dubai residency authority publishes no photo specification at all on its own site, so the federal rules are what we can cite.
Why photos get rejected here
Submitting the photo already on your document
The photograph must not be identical to the one currently printed on your passport or identity card. Reusing the file from your last renewal is the most likely way to fail here, and it is a rule almost no other country applies.
Shadows, flash reflection or red eye
The Authority's booklet devotes the largest group of its rejected examples to lighting: shadow across the face, reflection from a flash, red eye, and images that are too dark or too light. All of them follow from where the light was standing.
Framing too close, too far or tilted
The second largest group of rejected examples is composition: too close, too far, not centred, shot in a portrait style rather than as a document photo, or with the head tilted. The face has to fill about 70 to 80 percent of the frame.
Glasses covering the eyes or reflecting
The booklet permits glasses subject to conditions: no flash reflection, no tinted lenses, no heavy frames and nothing covering any part of the eyes. The frequently asked questions are stricter and allow medical glasses only, so the two official sources differ.
Another person or an object in the frame
The subject must be alone. The rejected examples name chair backs, toys and other people, which is aimed squarely at photographs of small children taken while somebody holds them steady.
What helps
Take a new photo for every renewal
Because the picture must differ from the one on your current document, keeping a favourite file and reusing it is exactly the wrong strategy here. Photograph again each time.
Use a white background
Two official sources disagree, the booklet saying plain light-coloured and the frequently asked questions saying white. White satisfies both readings, so it is the safe choice.
Ignore the pixel figures circulating online
The Authority publishes no pixel dimension, no resolution in dots per inch and no file size limit anywhere. Figures such as 4.3 by 5.5 centimetres, 300 DPI, 15 KB to 1 MB or 826 by 1063 pixels come from commercial photo tools, not from the government.
Expect a two day completion time
The passport service page states a completion duration of two days as of September 2026, with fees of AED 10 plus AED 40 for five years or AED 90 for ten, plus AED 15 delivery. Renewal is priced the same way.
Fingerprints are collected separately
Fingerprints and signature are captured at Customer Happiness Centres from the age of 15, so an upload does not remove every in-person step for older applicants.
Babies and young children
The Authority's booklet addresses infants through its rejected examples rather than through a separate rule: another person visible in the frame, and a mouth held open by a toy held too close. Both describe the same situation, which is an adult trying to keep a small child still and in shot. The requirement that the subject is alone is not relaxed. Photograph the child lying on their back on a plain white surface from directly above, with nothing else in frame. We did not find a published relaxation of the expression or gaze rules for infants, so we are not claiming one.
Glasses
The two official sources differ, and the difference is worth knowing before you decide. The Authority's ICAO booklet permits glasses on conditions: no flash reflection off the lenses, no tinted lenses, no heavy frames, and frames that do not cover any part of the eyes. The frequently asked questions are narrower and say only medical glasses are permitted, provided they do not cover the eyes. Removing them satisfies both readings, and it removes the reflection problem, which is caused by the lighting rather than by the eyewear.
Head covering
The booklet states that head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, and that where one is worn the facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown. Its acceptable example is a headscarf with the face fully visible; its rejected examples are a hat, a cap and a covered face. There is no requirement to wear national dress. We did not find a published requirement for a written declaration, so we are not stating that one is needed.
Applying online
Uploads are accepted, and for a passport the required document list is a personal photo. What the Authority does not publish is any technical limit on the file: no pixel dimensions, no resolution in dots per inch, and no maximum size. The specification it does publish is dimensional and compositional. The Dubai residency authority publishes no photo specification on its own site, so the federal rules are the ones to work from.
Questions about United Arab Emirates photos
Can I reuse the photo from my current passport?
No. The photograph must not be identical to the one already printed on your passport or identity card, so a renewal needs a new picture. This is unusual and it catches people who kept the old file.
Should the background be white or light coloured?
Two official sources disagree. The Authority's ICAO booklet says plain light coloured and illustrates it with blue and grey, while the frequently asked questions and the residence visa guidance say white. Use white, which satisfies both.
What pixel size and file size does the upload need?
The Authority publishes none. No pixel dimension, no resolution and no file size limit appears on any official page we could find, which means the figures circulating on photo tool sites are not government requirements.
Are glasses allowed?
The two official sources differ. The ICAO booklet allows them with no reflection, no tint, no heavy frames and nothing covering the eyes. The frequently asked questions allow medical glasses only. Removing them satisfies both.
How much does a passport cost and how long does it take?
As of September 2026 the service page lists AED 10 for the application plus AED 40 for five years validity or AED 90 for ten, plus AED 15 for delivery, with a completion duration of two days. Ten year validity applies from age 21.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
Reviewed by Editorial teamHow we check our numbers