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UAE Residence Permit Photo (ICP residency upload, ICAO standard): size and requirements

The UAE Residence Permit Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches), or 827 x 1063 pixels for online upload (minimum 413 x 531). The photo must be recent, with a white background and high quality (ICP approved photo standards from the FAQ; the residency card states no photo rule); head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Last verified 2026-10-08 against Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), 'Issuing Residency Permit' and 'New Identity Card Issuance' service cards and ICP FAQ.

For the personal photo attached to a new UAE residence permit (employment, family sponsorship, student, investor, Golden or Blue Residence) filed by the sponsor or applicant through ICP Smart Services or the ICP UAE app. Not for the Emirates ID card that is issued with the permit (separate page), not for a visit visa, and not for Dubai permits filed through GDRFA.

Make this photo for $6.99Read the full rules
Dubai skyline with the Burj Khalifa seen from the Ras Al Khor wetlands
VerifiedRead from the official pageLast checked 2026-10-08Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), 'Issuing Residency Permit' and 'New Identity Card Issuance' service cards and ICP FAQ

Requirements at a glance

Size
35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches), or 827 x 1063 pixels for online upload (minimum 413 x 531)
Head height
Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (According to ICAO standards, photos must fully comply with these requirements (ICP FAQ general photo standard; the residency card itself states no photo rule, the sentence 'The personal photograph must comply with the standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).' is on the New Identity Card card issued with the permit; no size published; ICP's 3.5 x 4.5 cm passport frame and ICAO crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent applied))
Background
the photo must be recent, with a white background and high quality (ICP approved photo standards from the FAQ; the residency card states no photo rule)
Expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
Glasses
Allowed without glare or tint
Head covering
Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
We deliver
827 x 1063 px (600 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet

What trips people up

  • Check
    Every residency category on the ICP card lists 'Passport Personal Photo' among its documents, but the card states no photo standard; the ICAO rule, 'The personal photograph must comply with the standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).', is on the New Identity Card card for the Emirates ID issued with the permit, and the FAQ's general standard applies.
  • Check
    The Emirates ID issued alongside the permit is granted only after the medical test: its card says 'Completing the service requires obtaining the necessary approvals and passing the medical examination with a 'Fit' result'. The photo is uploaded at filing, before that.
  • Check
    In the Work Bundle (MoHRE employment residency) the photo is part of the biometric step ('Biometric data registration (fingerprint and photo)') handled through the unified platform, so the face image is captured there, not uploaded; for sponsor-filed categories the sponsor uploads it.
  • Check
    The Emirates ID issued with the permit uses the same ICAO photo standard and must not repeat the photo already printed on a previous card.
  • Check
    ICP publishes no pixel or KB limit; our 827 x 1063 px JPEG is a 600 dpi rendering of the 3.5 x 4.5 cm passport size.

Known portal issues

  • Note

    UAE Pass login required

    Set up UAE Pass before starting, or ask the sponsor or head of family to file. Read the fix
  • Note
    Documents are attached only 'in case data retrieval through integration fails'; health insurance and a passport valid for at least six months are required.

Good to know before you pay

Your employer or sponsor usually files the permit and will ask for a plain white-background photo file; any recent ICAO-compliant photo meets ICP's published rule.

Source and verification

VerifiedLast checked 2026-10-08Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), 'Issuing Residency Permit' and 'New Identity Card Issuance' service cards and ICP FAQ

Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-08 at Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), 'Issuing Residency Permit' and 'New Identity Card Issuance' service cards and ICP FAQ.

  • The personal photograph must comply with the standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
  • Completing the service requires obtaining the necessary approvals and passing the medical examination with a 'Fit' result
  • Passport valid for no less than 6 months
  • Attach the required documents in case data retrieval through integration fails
  • Biometric data registration (fingerprint and photo)
  • According to ICAO standards, photos must fully comply with these requirements, which include: the photo must be recent, with a white background and high quality, showing clear facial features and eyes without visual distortions such as shadows or reflections.
  • Wearing hats or sunglasses is not allowed, and only medical glasses are permitted, provided they do not cover the eyes.

Quotes 1-2 are from the 'New Identity Card Issuance' card (sources/ae/icp-service-new-identity-card.txt), the card for the Emirates ID that is issued with the permit ('Dependency on Other Service Issuing Residency Permit'); quote 1 also appears on the Issue New Passport and Renewal Passport cards. The 'Issuing Residency Permit' card at source.url (sources/ae/icp-service-issuing-residency-permit.txt) contains neither sentence and states no photo standard at all: it lists 'Passport Personal Photo' among the documents of every category and nothing more. Quotes 3-4 are from that residency card (passport validity and the document-attachment step). Quotes 5-7 are from the ICP English FAQ (sources/ae/icp-faq-en.txt: the Work Bundle service list, repeated for domestic workers and for employees, and the approved photo standards). eligibility.officialWording and head.statedAs therefore use the FAQ's general standard, not the ID-card sentence. Confidence 'official' because ICP publishes the English text itself. No size, head, pixel or KB rule is published for the residency photo: physical 3.5 x 4.5 cm is ICP's passport size applied by inference, head band 0.7-0.8 is the ICAO default (sources/icao/), digital 827 x 1063 px JPEG is our 600 dpi rendering and 'jpeg' our choice; background 'white' comes from the FAQ's general standard, not from the residency card. glasses, headCovering, mouthClosed as on ae/passport. eligibility.onlinePhotosAccepted 'yes' is kept because the type has no mixed value; it holds for sponsor-filed categories, while for the Work Bundle the FAQ lists 'Biometric data registration (fingerprint and photo)' as a step, i.e. the face image is captured at biometrics (stated in the recommendation and gotcha 3). maxPhotoAgeMonths, printsRequired and child left undefined. GDRFA Dubai not read.

We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.

Frequently asked questions

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