In order to apply for a new residence visa and Emirates ID, or to renew your visa and Emirates ID, you may need to submit a photograph along with the Emirates ID application.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) recently updated the process for submitting residence permits and ID cards electronically, requiring the applicant to also upload a photograph.
As per the reports, photographs may be rejected by the system if they do not meet the requirements.
It is only a question of taking into account the provision of personal photos based on international criteria, standards, and requirements, which are required to be accepted by the smart services system, which is based on electronic image processing, which prevents acceptance of some of them if they do not meet the standards.
In accordance with the guidelines issued by the ICP, the following specifications must be met in order to submit the photograph via smart systems for all age groups:
- Image: (40 – 35 mm in width), high quality, recent, colored, not older than six months.
- Background: white.
- Features: Facial expressions that are neutral (non-exaggerated).
- Head position: A straight line parallel to the lens of the camera, not tilted.
- Eyes: With no colored lenses and open towards the camera.
- Glasses: As long as they do not obscure the eyes or reflect light, they are acceptable.
- Dress code: Similar to the dress on the holder’s passport.
- Head covering: Dressed according to nationality or religious belief is permitted.
- Resolution (pixels): A minimum resolution of 600 dpi without ink traces or shrinkage
Recently, ICP conducted educational workshops with photo studios in the UAE to introduce them to the requirements and standards for Emirates ID photographs.
This was part of the initiative aimed at enhancing customer loyalty by increasing flexibility in capturing photos at photo service providers, in preparation for supporting the steps of the procedures for submitting applications electronically if personal photos are included.