Photos stay on your deviceالعربية

Emirates ID photo size and requirements

Print size
35 × 45 mm
Online upload
827 × 1063 px
Background
White
Format
JPEG

An Emirates ID photo is 35 × 45 mm in colour on a plain white background, to the ICAO standard, with your face taking up 70–80% of the photo. The same photo is used for UAE residence and the UAE passport.

Print size35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm)
Online upload827 × 1063 px · JPEGICP publishes no value; VisaSize uses 827 × 1063 px
File sizenot specified by ICP
BackgroundWhite
Head size70–80% (chin to top of hair)ICP does not say where to measure from, so VisaSize measures from the chin to the top of the hair. This keeps your whole head in the photo.

Checked 13 October 2026Source: ICP: Issuance of a new ID card

Make your Emirates ID photoStep 1 of 4 · Your photo
Drop a photo hereor

Best result: stand against a plain light wall, face a window, look straight at the camera.

Processed on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

For a renewal the photo must be new: ICP does not accept the same photo that is printed on your current card.

Accepted and rejected

Correct
Grey background
Head too small
Shadow

How to take it at home

  1. 01Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, facing a window.
  2. 02Hold the phone at eye level, or ask someone to take it.
  3. 03Upload it above. We crop it to the spec and whiten the background.
  4. 04Download the online file, or the print sheet for a photo shop or typing centre.

The rules

  • Recent colour photo, taken in the last 6 months.
  • Plain white background, no shadows.
  • Face straight to the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed.
  • Eyes open and clearly visible; no hair across the eyes.
  • No hats or sunglasses. Medical glasses only if the frames do not cover the eyes and there is no glare.
  • Head cover only for religious reasons, with the face shown from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face.
  • Only you in the photo: no other people, chair backs or objects.
  • Even light: no shadows on the face, no flash reflection, no red eye.
  • For an Emirates ID renewal the photo must be new: not the same photo as on your current card.

Good to know

  • The same 35 × 45 mm white-background photo is used for Emirates ID, residence visa services, the UAE passport and the Family Book.
  • Entry permits (tourist, visit, work and others) use a 4 × 6 cm photo instead.
  • ICP publishes no pixel size or file-size limit for photo uploads. VisaSize exports at 600 dpi as a high-quality file.
  • 43 × 55 mm and 300 × 369 px are numbers from photo-tool websites. They do not appear in any ICP or GDRFA source.
  • ICP's older photo leaflet says "light-coloured" background. ICP's current service pages, its FAQ, u.ae and GDRFA all say white, so VisaSize uses white only.

Questions people ask

How to change emirates id photo?

You change the photo by renewing or replacing the card through ICP (online, the UAEICP app or a typing centre) and uploading a new photo. It must be recent, 35 × 45 mm on a white background, and not the same photo as on your current card.

How to change photo in emirates id?

Apply to renew or replace the Emirates ID with ICP and attach a new photo that meets the ICP specification. You cannot reuse the photo printed on your current card.

Sources

ICP: Issuance of a new ID cardThe personal photograph must comply with the standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

ICP Services Guide (English, version 4): ID card p.151, renewal p.164, passport and Family Book sectionsPersonal photo (4.5x3.5 cm) with white background

ICP Personal Photo Specifications (ICAO)35–40mm in width … your face takes up 70–80% of the photograph

ICP: ID card renewal

Checked: 13 October 2026

VisaSize is not affiliated with ICP or any government. Made to the published specification of ICP. The authority makes the final decision.