The single most confusing part: the UAE visa photo and the Emirates ID photo are different sizes. Here are the exact specs — plus free tools to make and resize your photo, privately.
| Document | Portal | Dimensions | File size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates ID | ICP | 35 × 45 mm | max 240 KB | Plain white |
| UAE / Dubai Visa | GDRFA Dubai | 43 × 55 mm | 200–600 KB | Plain white |
| UAE Visa | ICP Smart Services | 1016 × 1300 px | up to 15 MB | Plain white |
| Golden Visa | ICP / GDRFA | same as visa above | 200–600 KB | Plain white |
Portals update specs periodically — always confirm on the exact ICP/GDRFA upload page. When both a mm and pixel size are given, match the one the upload form states.
People assume the Emirates ID and the residence visa use the same photo. They don't — 35×45mm for Emirates ID, 43×55mm for the visa. Using the wrong ratio gets your application rejected. Our photo maker has a separate preset for each.
The ICP portal for Emirates ID strictly rejects any photo over 240KB. A modern phone photo is several MB, so it will be rejected until you compress it. Make the photo at the right size, then compress it under 240KB — both steps run in your browser here, so your biometric photo is never uploaded.
A visa or Emirates ID photo is biometric data. Unlike typing centres and upload-based websites, Convert.AI processes everything on your own device — nothing is transmitted or stored.
Related: UAE photo maker · VFS Global photo · compress to 100KB · all countries
No — visa is 43×55mm (GDRFA), Emirates ID is 35×45mm (ICP). Different sizes.
35×45mm and strictly under 240KB on the ICP portal.
Yes — the photo maker has a separate preset for each document.
Yes — everything runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.