United Arab Emirates · Visa
UAE visa photo
The UAE has no single photo rule: ICP and GDRFA Dubai publish different wording, and ICP's own guide prints two sizes. What the ICP brochure does state is a face at 70 to 80 percent of the photo, a 35 to 40 mm width, a plain light background and an age under 6 months. We render 35 x 45 mm and check those — your service page wins if it differs.
Sources last checked September 19, 2026. Some values are not fully verified: see below.The check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file: $4.99, or $6.99 with a 4 × 6 in print sheet.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies, drawn from our United Arab Emirates guide. The official source of each value is listed under the table.
- Printed size
- 1 × 35 × 45 mm
- Print rules
- The ICP services guide gives 3.5 x 4.5 cm for passport services and writes a unitless '4/6' for visa and residence entries; the photo brochure adds a 35–40 mm width and asks for high-resolution printing on photo-quality paper.
- Digital file
- No online upload spec published
- Head size
- 70%–80% of the photo height
- Background
- White — the ICP brochure also accepts light-coloured
- Glasses
- Allowed if the eyes are clearly visible with no flash reflection and no tinted lenses; frames must cover no part of the eyes.
- Taken within
- the last 6 months
Where these values come from
- Printed size, Print rules, Head size, Background, Glasses, Taken within: checked against Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) - Personal Photo Specifications (PDF); ICP - Services guide 2024 (PDF); GDRFA Dubai - Visa Issuance (Virtual Work); GDRFA Dubai - Issuing an entry visa for residence without work, Family Sponsorship; GDRFA Dubai - Issuance of a Residency visa (service category), as set out in our UAE Visa Photo Requirements: ICP and GDRFA Rules 2026 guide.
Not fully verified. ICP's own documents disagree on size: 3.5 x 4.5 cm for passport services, a unitless '4/6' for visa and residence entries. We render 35 x 45 mm, which matches the ICP brochure's 35–40 mm width and 70–80% face rule. If your own service page or upload screen shows a different size, that page wins.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.
What does a failure look like? See our accepted and rejected passport photo examples, with the fix for each one.
Common questions
The ICP services guide gives 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a white background for passport services, and the same guide's entry-visa and residence entries say a white background and a size written 4/6 with no unit. The ICP photo brochure adds a width of 35 to 40 mm. GDRFA Dubai's page names a white background but no size.
White is what the ICP services guide and the GDRFA Dubai pages we read ask for. The separate ICP personal-photo brochure says a plain light-coloured background instead. Because the wording differs, use a plain white background with no shadows, and follow the exact instruction shown on the application screen you are using.
The ICP brochure allows glasses if the eyes are clearly visible, with no flash reflection, no tinted lenses and frames that cover no part of the eyes. Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, and the face from chin to forehead and both edges must show. It does not mention a size limit for the covering.
We could not find one. The ICP services guide, the ICP brochure and the GDRFA Dubai pages we read give no file format, pixel size or kilobyte limit for an upload. If the upload screen states a limit, that screen is the authority. We do not publish a figure we cannot source.
The sources we read do not say either way. They say the photo must be recent, meet ICAO specifications, and be in sharp focus without shadows, flash reflections or red eye. A phone photo taken by someone else against a plain wall can meet those points, but the ICP brochure also mentions high-resolution printing, so ask the service centre if unsure.
The ICP services guide says the photo should be recent. The ICP personal-photo brochure is more specific: no more than 6 months old. The GDRFA Dubai pages we read say recent, or just a personal photo. Use one taken in the last few weeks so the question never comes up.
Keep reading
Requirements UAE Visa Photo Requirements: ICP and GDRFA Rules 2026
UAE visa and residency photo rules from ICP and GDRFA Dubai: 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, width 35 to 40 mm, plus what neither publishes about uploads.
Read the guide
Requirements India Passport Photo Size and Rules for 2026
India passport photo requirements from Passport Seva's own instruction booklet: 4.5 x 3.5 cm, plain white background, and when you need no photo at all.
Read the guide