United Arab Emirates passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) for the United Arab Emirates passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the United Arab Emirates passport photo?
A UAE passport photo is 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm) on a white background, the size the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) asks for. It must be recent (ICP's guide says no more than 6 months old), meet ICAO standards and not be the picture already in your current passport. Hats and sunglasses are not allowed; medical glasses are, if they leave the eyes uncovered.
Passports for Emirati citizens are issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). In September 2022 ICP began printing a new generation of the passport, whose data page is made of polycarbonate and carries a laser-engraved photograph. ICP says the photo rules did not change with the new design: the picture must still meet the specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and its FAQ gives the size as 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a white background.
Almost every passport application is made online. ICP lists its Smart Services website and the UAEICP app as the channels for a first passport and for a renewal, and you log in with UAE Pass. The head of the family or a legal representative can apply for family members, and adults can apply for themselves. The photo is one of the attached documents, so in practice you supply it as a digital file. The u.ae government portal adds Customer Happiness centres for special cases and the airports of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah for emergencies. Citizens aged 21 and over receive a passport valid for 10 years; younger applicants receive one valid for 5 years.
United Arab Emirates passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP):[1]
| Print size | 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm); ICP's photo guide gives the width as 35 to 40 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No pixel size published: the photo is attached as a file in the ICP app or Smart Services website |
| Head height | Close-up of head and top of shoulders, the face taking up 70 to 80% of the photo |
| Background | White (ICP FAQ and services guide); the photo guide says plain and light-coloured |
| Colour | Colour, colour neutral, with natural skin tones |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months old, and not identical to the photo printed in your current passport |
| Print quality | Sharp focus, high quality, no ink marks or creases; prints on high-quality photo paper |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
A personal photo sized 3.5x4.5 cm with a white background.
Personal photo 4.5*3.5cm size with white background ... Photo width: 35-40mm.
Key requirements
- White background, 3.5 x 4.5 cm
ICP's FAQ asks for a personal photo sized 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a white background, both for a new passport and for a renewal from abroad. Its services guide writes the same size as 4.5*3.5 cm and adds a photo width of 35 to 40 mm.
- A new picture every time
For a renewal, the photo must be recent and must not be identical to the one currently printed in the passport. ICP's photo guide sets the limit at six months old.
- Face the camera squarely
Look straight into the lens with your head upright, not tilted and not turned over one shoulder, so that both edges of the face are clearly visible. The expression should be neutral with the mouth closed.
- Eyes open and visible
Keep both eyes open, with no hair falling across them. ICP's services guide lists open eyes among its passport photo conditions.
- Hands down, no frame
The services guide also says that hands must not appear above shoulder level and that the picture must not contain a frame.
- Even light, no shadows
Light the face evenly. ICP's guide rejects shadows across the face or behind the head, flash reflections on the skin and red eye.
- Only you in the photo
No other people, toys or chair backs may be visible, and the background must not be busy.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a plain white background with nothing else in the frame
- Take a fresh photo for every new passport or renewal
- Look directly at the camera with a neutral expression and closed mouth
- Frame your head and the top of your shoulders so your face fills most of the picture
- Light your face evenly from the front
- Show your full face from chin to forehead if you wear a religious head covering
Don't
- Do not reuse the photo printed in your current passport
- Do not wear a hat, a cap or sunglasses
- Do not let glasses frames, hair or reflections hide your eyes
- Do not raise your hands above shoulder level or add a border
- Do not use a photo that is blurred, pixelated, too dark or washed out
Sample photos
How a United Arab Emirates passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Prescription glasses are allowed in a UAE passport photo; sunglasses are not. ICP's FAQ on its approved photo standards says that only medical glasses are permitted, provided they do not cover the eyes.
The authority's photo guide adds detail: your eyes must show clearly, with no flash reflection on the lenses and no tinted lenses, and the frames must not cover any part of the eyes. If you own glasses with lighter frames, the guide suggests wearing those rather than heavy ones.
Headwear and religious dress
ICP does not allow hats or caps in passport photos. Its photo guide says head coverings "are not permitted except for religious reasons", and that even then your facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of the face, must be clearly shown.
The current ICP pages for the passport do not name the ghutra, agal or shayla, either to allow them or to rule them out. They give one test for a head covering worn for religious reasons: the whole face, from chin to forehead and edge to edge, must stay visible. If you are unsure whether your headdress passes that test, ask ICP before you apply.
Babies and children
A child's passport photo follows the same standards as an adult's, and the child must be alone in the picture, with no toys, chair backs or other people visible. Passports issued to citizens under 21 are valid for five years, and the head of the family or a legal representative applies for them.
Babies are usually covered from birth: u.ae explains that newborn Emiratis receive their passport through the Mabrouk Ma Yak integrated service, together with the birth certificate and the Emirates ID. Because young children change quickly, ICP allows one photo update before the age of five. If a child under 5 looks noticeably different, you can apply for the passport replacement service for a change of personal photograph and attach a recent photo. The new passport is valid for five years from the replacement, and the service can be used only once in the child's first five years.
From the age of 15, a citizen needs a fingerprint and signature registered on the Emirates ID before a passport is issued.
Printed and digital photos
For applications made in the UAE, the photo is a digital file. The ICP app and Smart Services website list a personal photo as the required document, and ICP publishes no pixel dimensions or file size for it. Crop the image to the 3.5 x 4.5 cm shape on a white background before you upload it; a digital photo can be cropped and resized to that shape.
ICP's photo guide also covers prints: they must be printed on high-quality paper at high resolution, in colour on photo-quality paper when taken with a digital camera, and free of ink marks and creases. If you need prints, a digital file can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut to 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
Where to submit the photo
In the UAE, apply through the ICP Smart Services website or the UAEICP app, logged in with UAE Pass. ICP's first-passport service requires that the applicant is already registered in the family records, and its renewal service applies when the passport has expired or has a year or less left. Customer Happiness centres handle special cases, and the airports of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah offer an emergency service. The new passport is delivered by an approved courier, and you show the old passport to the delivery agent.
Citizens abroad whose passport has expired, is about to expire, or was lost or damaged can apply through the UAEICP app and choose a UAE embassy or consulate as the delivery point. For a renewal from abroad, ICP asks for a personal photo sized 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a white background and a letter from the embassy explaining why you are outside the country, and you present the old passport when you collect the new one.
How to get your United Arab Emirates passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United Arab Emirates passport: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: white background, 3.5 x 4.5 cm; a new picture every time; face the camera squarely; eyes open and visible.
- Prepare a print or digital file. For applications made in the UAE, the photo is a digital file. The ICP app and Smart Services website list a personal photo as the required document, and ICP publishes no pixel dimensions or file size for it.
- Submit the photo with your application. In the UAE, apply through the ICP Smart Services website or the UAEICP app, logged in with UAE Pass.
United Arab Emirates passport photo FAQ
ICP asks for 3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, on a white background. Its services guide writes the size as 4.5*3.5 cm, and its photo guide gives the width as 35 to 40 mm. The head and the top of the shoulders should fill the frame, with the face taking up 70 to 80% of the picture.
No. ICP's renewal rules say the photo must be recent and must not be identical to the photograph currently printed in your passport. Its photo guide sets a maximum age of six months, so take a new picture for each application.
Yes, if they are medical glasses that do not cover your eyes. ICP does not allow sunglasses or tinted lenses. Avoid flash reflections on the lenses and frames that hide any part of the eyes; lighter frames are better than heavy ones.
ICP's current photo pages do not mention the ghutra or the shayla by name. They ban hats and caps, and they allow head coverings worn for religious reasons only if the face is fully visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, including both edges of the face.
No broad smile. ICP's photo guide asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed, and its FAQ says the expression must be neutral and the face straight. Look directly at the camera with both eyes open.
ICP's FAQ lists a personal photo sized 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a white background among the documents for renewing from outside the country, along with a letter from the embassy. The application is made through the UAEICP app, and the passport is sent to the UAE embassy you choose.
If your child is under 5 and their features have changed noticeably, apply for the passport replacement service for a change of personal photograph and attach a recent photo. The new passport is valid for five years, and the service can be used once only in the child's first five years.
Related photo specifications
Other United Arab Emirates documents
- Visa photo 40 × 60 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Residence card photo 40 × 60 mm
Passports nearby
- Azerbaijan passport photo 30 × 40 mm
- Bahrain e-passport photo 32.5 × 43 mm
- Bahrain passport photo 40 × 60 mm
- Georgia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Iraq passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Israel passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Jordan passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Lebanon passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Oman passport photo 40 × 60 mm
- Palestine passport photo 30 × 40 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All United Arab Emirates photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). FAQ (passport and approved photo standards) icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Issue New Passport icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Renewal Passport icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Replacement of passport icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Personal Photo Specifications icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). The Evolution of the UAE Passport icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Guide of the Services of ICP (issuance and renewal of passport) icp.gov.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- u.ae, the official portal of the UAE Government. The UAE Passport u.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"United Arab Emirates passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-arab-emirates/passport-photo