Emirates Passport Size Photo

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
What is the required passport photo size in the UAE?
The Federal Authority accepts only those photos that fit the standard of 40x60 mm.
What is the required digital ID photo size in UAE?
If you upload a digital photo file at the ICA service, its resolution should be within the 300-600 dpi range.
What is the required UAE passport photo background?
The area behind the person must be white or off-white (light grey), with no shadows or items seen in the frame. Learn how to change a passport photo background automatically.

What are other essential passport photo requirements in UAE?
  • There are strict requirements for facial expression. Keep your mouth closed, avoid smiling or frowning;
  • Black-and-white images are not accepted. They must be colored and high-quality without the shifted focus, blurred areas, or aspect ratio deviations;
  • The image doesn’t feature your chest or anything below it. Only the top of the shoulders and the face must be depicted, with 6 mm to separate the upper edge and your head. The head itself must be about 34 mm in height. Some white space should be added to the sides to form borders around the person. This rule doesn’t apply to the bottom, there should be no space left;
  • There are no dark over-lit areas. The lighting is balanced and doesn’t compromise the quality of the picture;
  • Hair locks should not get in the way and cover any parts of the face. Wearing a beard is allowed if it’s your usual outlook;
  • The eyes must look directly at the camera, with the face forward and the head untitled.

What to wear for a UAE passport photo?
Hijabs, kippahs, and other religious headwear items are allowed if they don’t hide your face (the oval should be fully visible).

Wearing white tops is forbidden due to the required color of the background. White on white will make you blend in, causing trouble when identifying you with such an image.

Can I wear glasses in the UAE passport photo?
There are no restrictions about submitting pictures with people wearing glasses. The only requirement is that lenses should not cause glare, and the rims should not hide your eyes.

How do I make a passport-size photo by myself?
It’s not recommended to edit the image on your own. There are too many things to keep in mind to avoid compromising the quality. Any mistake can slow down the application process or lead to its rejection. Instead, apply to the online photo tool. One of the most popular ones is Visafoto. These are the guidelines on how to proceed:

  • Take a picture at any background at home (better something of the light color to create a sharper contrast). The camera from your smartphone will do great for this purpose;
  • Fix it 1,5-3 meters away and make a portrait. The lower torso and legs are not necessary for the frame. Focus the phone on the chest and the head. A selfie stick or tripod are the best tools to take the right shot. If you don’t have any of those, you can always ask someone to help;
  • Set up against the window and use the sunlight to create the proper lighting. But always watch out for shadows. They can’t be on your face, background, or anywhere in the picture;
  • Apply as little makeup as possible to look natural
  • Men are advised to have their hair cut a week before the photo session to create a sharper outlook
  • Upload the JPEG file to Visafoto.com. It’ll process the image and make it fit the requirements. Namely, it crops the photo, checks the center adjustment, fixes the background, and presents the results in 2 formats. The first digital picture is for online applications. The second templates consist of 4 compiled photos for printing.

What are the UAE baby passport photo requirements?
Technical photo specifications for babies have almost no difference from the ones for adults. Infants are allowed to open their mouths in the image. But a baby should not be sleeping at the moment of taking the shot, with the eyes looking at the smartphone. Take off any headwear and make sure toys are removed from the picture.

Holding the baby when tanking a shot is not convenient: the camera will inevitably catch a parent in the frame, which is forbidden. Instead, settle the kid in the child seat or lay it down on the bed with its face up. Stand above and take a set of images to choose the most appropriate one. Then upload it to the online editing tool to make it 100% compatible with the technical specifications.