Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Emadeddine Khalil, Staff Reporter

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) announced new updates to the requirements for the personal photos of the passport (Emiratis only) and Emirates ID (new/renewal) for citizens and residents in the country. The step aligns with the framework of developing the smart services system to ensure happiness of clients.

The ICP explained that the new requirements for a personal photo that is needed to submit an electronic application come in line with the international standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), stressing that the photoshoped or filtered photos are unaccepted. “The photos should not subject to any modifications,” the ICP reiterated. To enable acceptance of personal photographs via smart systems for all age, groups, the following specifications must be met.

Image must be of high quality, recent, colored, and not older than 6 months (mm 40 – 35). The background must be white, with natural facial expressions (natural, not exaggerated). The head position must be straight, not tilted, and parallel to the photographic lens. The eyes must be open towards the camera and without the use of colored lenses. As for glasses, they are acceptable as long as they do not obscure the eyes and do not reflect light.

The dress code for Emiratis must be national dress or religious belief with a resolution (pixels) of at least 600 dpi without ink traces or shrinkage. The Authority confirmed that the personal photo to all Emirates ID card services and for all age groups is mandatory, with the recent changes it made to the Emirates ID card and the unified form “residence and identity card”.