Free Emirates ID Photo Online — Make a 35×40 mm ICP Photo

Need an Emirates ID photo? Upload a recent portrait and IDPhotoBy sizes and crops it to 35×40 mm, your face filling 70–80% of the frame on a plain, light background, with the Emirates ID / residence visa for UAE ICA document already selected. It is free — no payment required.

Whether you search for an Emirates ID card photo or a photo for Emirates ID, this page prepares the same thing: the personal photo for the unified Emirates ID and residence-permit application that residents submit online through ICP Smart Services. It does not replace the passport, the medical exam, or any other document the application requires alongside the photo — see below for what the full application needs.

The Emirates ID / residence-visa personal photo follows the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)'s own ICAO-based photo specification. Check your photo against this list:

• Width 35–40 mm, with your head and the top of your shoulders framed so your face takes up 70–80% of the photo.
• Recent — taken within the last 6 months.
• Plain, light-coloured background, with even, shadow-free, flash-free lighting and no red-eye.
• Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible — not covered by hair.
• Facing the camera square-on — not tilted, not over one shoulder — with both edges of your face visible.
• Glasses are allowed if your eyes are clearly visible, there is no flash reflection on the lenses, the lenses are not tinted, and the frames do not cover any part of your eyes.
• Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, and even then your facial features from the bottom of your chin to the top of your forehead, and both edges of your face, must stay clearly visible.
• Sharp, high quality, with no ink marks or creases, natural skin tones, and appropriate brightness and contrast.
• Only you in the frame — no chairs, toys, or other people visible.

IDPhotoBy prepares your Emirates ID photo at 35×40 mm. The ICP's own photo specification sets the width at 35–40 mm and requires your face — head plus the top of your shoulders — to fill 70–80% of the frame; on a 40 mm-tall photo that works out to a head height, measured chin to crown, of about 28–32 mm (ideally around 30 mm). You do not need to measure or calculate any of this — upload a photo and IDPhotoBy positions and crops it to fit.

For residents, the Emirates ID and the residence permit are issued together through one unified ICP application — not two separate ones. The application requires your passport and a personal photo, and is gated on getting a 'Fit' result from the required medical exam. It is completed online through ICP Smart Services, signed in with a UAE Pass login.

The personal photo itself must comply with the standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) — the same standard behind every requirement on this page. IDPhotoBy prepares only the photo; it does not handle the passport, the medical exam booking, or the UAE Pass sign-in itself.

• Upload a recent, well-lit portrait taken with a smartphone or digital camera, using the tool on this page — the Emirates ID / residence visa for UAE ICA document is already selected.
• IDPhotoBy resizes and crops your photo to 35×40 mm with your face at 70–80% of the frame, and checks that your background is plain and light.
• Preview the result — check your face size and position, the background, and that your eyes are clearly visible.
• Download the finished photo, free, ready to attach to your ICP Smart Services application.

There is no app to download — the free Emirates ID photo maker runs online in your browser, and doubles as a size checker if you already have a photo you want to verify.

Use this page as your Emirates ID photo check before you submit: IDPhotoBy sizes and crops the photo you upload to 35×40 mm and checks that your background is plain and light. It does not retouch, beautify, or otherwise edit your face — and it does not advertise changing your background as a feature. We also make no acceptance promise: no online tool can guarantee ICP will accept your application photo, and ICP makes the final decision. What you get is a correctly sized, correctly cropped photo, free, with nothing to buy.

• The wrong size. The photo must be 35×40 mm, with your face filling 70–80% of the frame.
• Smiling or an open mouth. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed, looking straight at the camera.
• A background that isn't plain and light. Shadows, patterns, or a busy background behind you are common rejection reasons.
• Hair covering your eyes, or glasses with glare, tinted lenses, or heavy frames that cover part of your eyes.
• An out-of-date photo. The photo must be no more than 6 months old.
• Non-religious headwear. Head coverings are only permitted for religious reasons, and your face from chin to forehead must still be clearly visible.

Requirements can change — check the official ICP Smart Services application before submitting; it is the final authority.