United Arab Emirates Visa photo requirements

United Arab Emirates visa photo requirements, in plain English

The UAE's photo standard is set by the ICP — the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security — and it follows ICAO (international travel-document) conventions. The rules below come straight from the ICP's official Personal Photo Specifications guide and its public FAQ.

Size, head height, and position

Use a recent colour photo, no more than 6 months old, sized 3.5×4.5 cm. It should be a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders so that your face takes up 70–80% of the photograph, centred and in sharp focus. The photo must conform to ICAO specifications.

Expression — neutral, mouth closed

Show a neutral expression with your mouth closed, looking directly at the camera. Unlike the US passport, smiling is not accepted. You must also appear alone — no chair backs, toys, or other people in the frame.

Glasses — medical only

The UAE is more permissive than some countries here: medical (prescription) glasses are allowed, but sunglasses and tinted or dark lenses are not. If you wear glasses:

• Your eyes must show clearly, with no flash reflection off the lenses.
• The frames must not cover any part of your eyes.
• Lighter frames are preferred over heavy ones.

Head coverings and hats

Hats and caps are not allowed. Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons — and even then your facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of your face, must be clearly shown.

Lighting, shadows, and red-eye

Use uniform lighting with appropriate brightness and contrast. The photo should be colour-neutral with natural skin tones — not too dark, too light, washed out, or unnaturally coloured. There must be no shadows behind the head or across the face, no flash reflections on the skin, and no red eye.

Background

A plain white background. The ICP FAQ requires a white background, and the photo guide calls for a plain, light-coloured, uncluttered backdrop — no busy or patterned background. Snapassport standardizes your background to the compliant colour automatically, so a slightly off-colour or busy wall is corrected for you.

Gaze and obstruction

Face square on to the camera — not turned over one shoulder (portrait style) and not tilted — with both edges of your face clearly visible. Your eyes must be open and clearly visible with no hair across them, and your face must not be covered.

Infants

The ICP guide applies the same rules to infants: the child must be shown alone (no chair backs, toys, or other people), with the mouth closed and looking at the camera. There is no separately relaxed infant standard in the official guide.