What size is a UAE visa photo — 43 × 55 mm or 35 × 45 mm?
TL;DR 35–40 mm wide, face at 70–80% of the frame, no more than 6 months old — the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security publishes an ICAO photo specification. The 43 × 55 mm with "head filling 80%" that most guides give is not on it, and this site carried that wrong figure too until 6 September 2026.
What the ICP sheet says
"Personal Photo Specifications", a PDF on icp.gov.ae, is the ICAO photograph guideline almost word for word: no more than 6 months old; 35–40 mm in width; close-up of head and top of shoulders so that the face takes up 70–80% of the photograph; colour neutral; eyes open, no hair across them; facing square on; plain light-coloured background; uniform lighting, no shadows or flash reflections; glasses only with the eyes clearly visible and no tint; head coverings only for religious reasons with chin to forehead and both edges of the face showing; nobody else in the picture.
Where 43 × 55 came from
It circulates with a companion figure — 300 × 369 pixels at 600 DPI — that does not describe a 43 × 55 mm photo at all (43 mm at 600 DPI is about 1016 pixels). A page carrying both is not describing anything an authority published. "Head must fill 80%" states the ICAO band's ceiling as if it were the target.
Three documents that all point to the same ICAO sheet
| Document | Size | Head in frame (as we compose it) | Background | Max age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates visa | 35 × 45 mm | 70–80% | plain light-coloured, usually white | 6 months | icp.gov.ae |
| Schengen visa | 35 × 45 mm | 70–80% | plain light-coloured — light grey or white | 6 months | home-affairs.ec.europa.eu |
| Brazil visa | 51 × 51 mm | 60–75% | plain white | 6 months | www.gov.br |
A real case
Two applicants for the same Dubai visa, same sponsor: one submitted 43 × 55 from a guide, one 35 × 45 from the ICAO sheet. Both were accepted — which is exactly why the wrong figure survives. The sheet is still the rule; the leniency is the sponsor's.
Common questions
- Is 2 × 2 inches accepted?
- Some guides say so. The ICP sheet gives 35–40 mm wide; a 51 mm square is outside it. This site outputs 35 × 45.
- Does the UAE passport use the same sheet?
- The ICP sheet is titled for personal photos generally; the UAE passport is not carried on this site.
Related documents
- United Arab Emirates visa — 35 × 45 mm
- Schengen visa — 35 × 45 mm
Sources
Read on the issuing authority's own pages on the dates shown on each document page:
- United Arab Emirates visa: icp.gov.ae (read 2026-09-06)
- Schengen visa: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu (read 2026-09-06)
SGfoto is independent — not affiliated with or endorsed by any government or issuing authority — and does not guarantee acceptance. Requirements change; the authority's page is the one that counts. Rebuilt 2026-09-16.