UAE visa photo (ICP) photo requirements

UAE visit, tourist and residence visas are applied for through ICP or GDRFA smart services, usually by a sponsor, hotel, airline or typing centre, and they ask for a digital photo in the UAE's 43×55 mm format on a plain white background with a neutral expression. The photo is used for the entry permit and, for residents, the Emirates ID, so a clear, well-lit face on white is what the system checks.

Make and check a UAE visa photo Free checker; files from A$6.99.

Can I take it myself? Yes

Yes. The portals accept any clear photo in the right proportions; the typing centre or sponsor uploads it for you. The 43×55 mm format differs from both 35×45 mm and 2×2 inch, so a passport photo is the wrong shape. A white background by any means is accepted by the UAE portals, so a white replacement is offered as an opt-in for this document. Because the ICP specification page could not be re-checked, confirm the size with whoever is lodging the application.

How to take the photo

1. Use a white wall or sheet, stand half a metre from it and light from the front so there is no shadow behind you.
2. Someone else takes the photo from 1.5 metres at eye level with shoulders in frame; the tool crops to 43×55 mm.
3. Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, hair off the face. Glasses only without glare; religious head coverings are accepted if the face is fully visible.
4. Wear a coloured top so the shoulders separate from the white background.
5. Export with the ICP preset and send the file to the sponsor, airline or typing centre, or upload it yourself in the smart services portal.

Why UAE visa photos get rejected

1. Wrong proportions (passport-style crop). Use the 43×55 mm preset.
2. Background not white. Retake against white or use the permitted replacement for this document.
3. Shadow behind the head. Light from the front, step away from the wall.
4. Glare on glasses. Remove them.
5. Low resolution or screenshot. Use the original photo file.
6. White clothing. Change into a darker top.

Infants and children

Children on a family visa need their own photo. Lay the baby on a white sheet and shoot from above with the face fully visible, nothing in the mouth and no hands in frame. The portals are lenient about infant expression.

Step by step: ICP / GDRFA smart services

1. Your sponsor, employer, hotel or airline typically lodges the visit visa; send them the ICP JPEG from this tool with your passport scan.
2. If you apply yourself through the ICP smart services app or portal, upload the photo at the applicant step.
3. The entry permit is emailed as a PDF to print or show at the airport.

Open ICP / GDRFA smart services

What it costs

Typing centres in the UAE charge AED 20–40 for photos; abroad a shop charges A$17–25 or £10–16, usually in the wrong size. Our Single licence is A$6.99 (charged in your currency) for the 43×55 mm file for 30 days.