How to Change Your Emirates ID Photo (2026): Photo Size, Requirements, Fee & Steps
Want a new photo on your Emirates ID? You can't swap the picture on the card you already have — ICP prints you a new card with your new photo. Online, the photo update goes through the same replacement application used for a lost or damaged Emirates ID: you simply choose the photo update option and upload a recent photo while applying. The government fee is AED 456 (up to AED 486 through a typing centre or service provider), the new card is normally delivered in about 2–3 working days, and it keeps your current expiry date. You don't need to visit a centre unless you also change your signature. This guide covers the Emirates ID photo size and requirements, documents, fees, every step, and the cheaper moment to change your photo: renewal.
🔄 Can you change the photo on your Emirates ID?
Yes. You can change your Emirates ID photo at any time while your card is valid — you don't have to wait for it to expire. The photo is printed on the card, so it can't be edited on the old card; ICP issues a newly printed card with your new photo instead. Typical reasons to update it:
- Your appearance has changed — a beard, a new hairstyle, glasses, weight loss or gain.
- The photo was taken when you were a child or many years ago.
- The old photo is blurry, too dark or simply not one you're happy with.
- You want ID checks at banks, hotels, hospitals and airports to go smoothly, with a photo that clearly looks like you today.
🧭 A photo update follows the same procedure as replacing a lost Emirates ID
When you apply online, a photo change for a valid card is handled as a replacement. You use the same replacement application as for a lost or damaged card, with the same documents and the same fee — and during the application you choose the photo update option and upload your new photo. The result is a newly printed card that keeps your original expiry date.
Losing a card and changing a photo are handled the same way, so everything in our lost Emirates ID replacement guide — documents, fees, delivery — applies here too.
📸 Emirates ID photo requirements and size
The most common reason an application is sent back is the photo. You upload it digitally, and it must meet ICP's photo guidelines, which follow the international ICAO standard — the same standard used for passport photos worldwide:
What size should the Emirates ID photo be?
There is no photo size to worry about any more. In the past a printed photo was pasted on the application form, so its size mattered. Today the photo is uploaded digitally with the application, so what counts is the quality — a clear, high-resolution colour photo that meets the requirements above. A photo studio in the UAE can take one in minutes and send you the digital file; just ask for an Emirates ID photo.
What is an ICAO photo?
ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, sets the worldwide standard for passport and ID photos: a recent colour photo, a plain light background, the full face straight to the camera, a neutral expression, even light and no editing. ICP's Emirates ID photo guidelines follow this standard and ask for a white background, so a passport-style photo on a white background is what you need.
Can I smile in my Emirates ID photo?
Keep a natural, neutral expression with your mouth closed. A big smile can get the photo rejected, because the face must look the way it does in everyday ID checks.
Photo requirements for women
A headscarf or other head covering worn for religious reasons is allowed, as long as the whole face is visible from the forehead to the chin. Keep a natural look: the photo should show you as you normally appear, without beauty filters or heavy retouching.
📄 Documents required for an Emirates ID photo change
The same short list as for a lost-card replacement:
- 1Your new photo — meeting the requirements above
- 2Passport copy
- 3UAE residence visa copy
- 4Copy of your current Emirates ID — helpful, not compulsory
No police report and no other certificate is needed for a photo change.
🗺️ How to change your Emirates ID photo: step by step
A photo update is done online from start to finish. The tag on each step shows who handles it.
💰 Emirates ID photo change fee
Because a photo update is a replacement, it costs the same as replacing a lost or damaged card — the same flat amount whether your card is valid for two years or ten. These are the figures in the FamilyVisa.ae calculator:
Under the ICP fee guidelines, a typing centre, Amer centre or service provider may add a service charge of up to AED 30. Fees checked on 8 October 2026; government fees can change without notice, and the live calculator is the final reference before payment. For every other Emirates ID fee, see our Emirates ID cost guide.
🔁 Card expiring soon? Change your photo at renewal instead
If your Emirates ID expires within the next six months, you don't need a separate photo change. ICP's renewal service asks for a recent personal photo that is different from the one on your current card, so the renewed card comes with your new photo anyway — and you skip the AED 456 replacement fee. For residents, the Emirates ID is renewed together with the residence visa.
🗓️ What changes on the new card?
A photo update is a replacement, not a renewal. This is what changes and what stays the same:
| On the new card | What happens |
|---|---|
| Photo | New — the photo you uploaded |
| Issue date | New — the date the new card is issued |
| Expiry date | Unchanged — the same as your old card |
| Emirates ID number | Unchanged |
| Residence visa | Unchanged — a photo update does not extend it |
| Old card | Inactive — it no longer passes electronic verification |
Once the new card is issued, use only the new one: banks, telecom companies and couriers read the chip, and the old card shows as inactive even though it looks fine.
✍️ Can I change my signature at the same time?
Yes, but a signature update works differently from a photo update. Choosing the signature update option means visiting the designated service centre in person to give your new signature. If you only change the photo, the whole process stays online, from application to delivery.
👨👩👧 Changing your child's Emirates ID photo
Children's faces change quickly, so updating a child's photo is one of the most common requests. The parent, sponsor or legal guardian applies through the same replacement application with the photo update option, with the child's passport and visa copy and a recent photo. The fee is the same AED 456 per card, and the process stays online, just like an adult's.
🏢 Where can you apply?
❌ Why Emirates ID photos get rejected
- A background that isn't plain white, poor contrast (for example white clothes against the white background), or shadows on the face or wall.
- Any editing — filters, beauty retouching or a changed background — or a photo cropped from a selfie or group picture.
- A blurry, dark or low-resolution image.
- Head tilted, eyes closed, a big smile, or glasses with glare.
- An old photo — or, at renewal, the same photo that is already on your card.
📝 Quick recap
- You can change your Emirates ID photo at any time; ICP prints a new card with the new photo.
- It uses the same replacement application as a lost or damaged card — you choose the photo update option and upload the photo.
- AED 456 when you apply yourself; up to AED 486 through a typing centre, Amer centre or service provider.
- About 2–3 working days including delivery; you must be inside the UAE when you apply.
- New photo and issue date, same expiry date and ID number; the old card becomes inactive.
- Card expiring within six months? Renew instead — renewal requires a new photo anyway.
🔗 Related guides
- Lost, stolen or damaged Emirates ID: replacement cost and steps
- Emirates ID replacement service
- Emirates ID renewal service
- Emirates ID cost 2026: all fees and fines
- Emirates ID 2026: application, renewal, fees and replacement
- Family visa renewal in Dubai (2026): cost, documents and steps
❓ Frequently asked questions
1. Can I change the photo on my Emirates ID?
Yes. You can update your Emirates ID photo at any time while the card is valid. The photo can't be edited on the card you already have, so ICP issues a new card with your new photo through the replacement application, where you choose the photo update option.
2. How do I change my Emirates ID photo online?
Log in to the ICP website or the UAEICP app with UAE Pass, start the Emirates ID replacement application and choose the photo update option. Upload your new photo with your passport and visa copy, add a UAE delivery address and pay AED 456. The new card is delivered in about 2–3 working days.
3. How much does it cost to change the photo on an Emirates ID?
The same as a replacement: AED 456 in government fees (AED 300 replacement fee plus AED 156 ICP service fees) when you apply yourself. A typing centre, Amer centre or service provider may add up to AED 30, so the standard total is up to AED 486.
4. Is changing the Emirates ID photo the same as replacing a lost card?
Yes. Online, a photo update uses the same replacement application, documents and fee as a lost or damaged Emirates ID; you simply choose the photo update option during the application.
5. How long does an Emirates ID photo change take?
About 2–3 working days in total, including approval, printing and normal delivery. If you need the card the same day it is printed, same-day delivery costs AED 100, paid to the courier.
6. Can I change my Emirates ID photo before it expires?
Yes. You don't have to wait for the card to expire. If it expires within the next six months, renewing usually makes more sense, because the renewal application asks for a new photo anyway.
7. Do I need to visit a centre to change my Emirates ID photo?
No. A photo-only update is done online, from the application to delivery. You only need to visit a service centre if you also choose to update your signature.
8. What are the Emirates ID photo requirements?
A recent, good-quality digital colour photo that meets the ICAO standard: a plain white background with good contrast, your full face visible with the head straight, a neutral expression and eyes open, and no editing. Glasses are fine without glare; filters, retouching and coloured contact lenses are not accepted. A head covering is allowed for religious reasons or national dress.
9. What size should the Emirates ID photo be?
There is no fixed size any more. The photo is uploaded digitally with the application — it is not printed and pasted on a form as in the past — so what matters is the quality: a clear, high-resolution colour photo with a white background, your full face visible and no editing, following the ICAO photo standard.
10. Does the Emirates ID photo have to meet ICAO standards?
Yes. ICP's photo guidelines follow the ICAO standard used for passport photos worldwide: a recent colour photo, a plain white background, the full face straight to the camera, a neutral expression, even light and no editing.
11. Can I smile in my Emirates ID photo?
Keep a natural, neutral expression with your mouth closed. An exaggerated expression or a big smile can get the photo rejected.
12. Can I wear glasses in my Emirates ID photo?
Yes, as long as your eyes are clearly visible and the lenses don't reflect light. Coloured contact lenses are not allowed.
13. Can women wear a hijab or makeup in the Emirates ID photo?
Yes. A hijab or other head covering worn for religious reasons is allowed, as long as the whole face is visible. ICP's guidelines don't ban makeup, but the photo must look natural and must not be digitally edited, so natural-looking makeup is the safe choice.
14. Will my Emirates ID number or expiry date change?
No. The new card keeps the same Emirates ID number and the same expiry date. Only the photo and the issue date change, and the old card becomes inactive.
15. Does changing my Emirates ID photo extend my visa?
No. A photo update is a replacement, not a renewal. Your residence visa and the card's expiry date stay exactly the same.
16. Can I change my Emirates ID photo from outside the UAE?
No. Your immigration status must show that you are inside the UAE when you apply, so submit the application after you return.
17. Can I change my child's Emirates ID photo?
Yes. The parent, sponsor or legal guardian applies through the same replacement application with the photo update option, using the child's passport and visa copy and a recent photo. The fee is AED 456 per card.
18. Can I use the same photo when I renew my Emirates ID?
No. ICP's renewal service asks for a recent photo that is different from the one on your current card, so a renewed card always comes with an updated photo.
19. Can I change my signature at the same time as my photo?
Yes, but a signature update means visiting the designated service centre in person to give your new signature. A photo-only update stays fully online.
20. Why was my Emirates ID photo rejected?
The usual reasons are a background that isn't white, shadows, filters or edits, a blurry or dark image, a tilted head, closed eyes, a big smile, glasses with glare, or an old photo. Retake it at a photo studio and tell them it is for the Emirates ID.
21. What happens to my old Emirates ID after the photo change?
It becomes inactive and no longer passes electronic verification at banks, telecom companies and couriers. Once the new card is issued, use only the new one.
Last reviewed 8 October 2026. Government fees are the figures shown by the FamilyVisa.ae calculator on that date and can change without notice; the live calculator remains the final pricing reference before payment. Photo requirements are based on ICP's published guidelines. FamilyVisa.ae is operated by 800 DOCS LLC, a DET-licensed UAE visa services company in Dubai.
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