Home › Photo rejected reasons
Why Your UAE Photo Was Rejected, and How to Fix It
Most rejections come from a few problems that are quick to fix. Find your error below.
| Problem | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong size | The photo was cropped for another document | Make it again with the photo resizer and pick the right document |
| Resolution too low | The file is not 600 DPI | The resizer sets 600 DPI for you |
| File too big or too small | A phone photo, or too much compression | The portals want 1 MB to 15 MB. The resizer keeps you inside it |
| File type not supported | iPhone photos are saved as HEIC | Convert it with the HEIC to JPG tool |
| Background not accepted | Shadow, texture or a coloured wall | Retake in front of a plain white wall with even light |
| Face not accepted | Filter, smile, tilted head or face too small | Retake with no filter, a neutral face, and your head filling 70 to 80% of the photo |
| Photo too old | It was taken more than 6 months ago | Take a new photo |
Check your size
Not sure you picked the right size? See the visa photo, Emirates ID photo and passport photo pages, or the size chart.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the portal say my resolution is too low?
Your file does not have 600 DPI, or it has too few pixels. Make your photo again with the resizer on the home page and it will be set correctly.
Can a filter get my photo rejected?
Yes. Beauty filters, smoothing and retouching apps are a common reason. Use the plain photo from your camera.
Do I need to retake the photo?
Only if the problem is the background, the light or your face. Wrong size, DPI, file size or file type are fixed by resizing.
My file is too small. What do I do?
The portals want a file between 1 MB and 15 MB. The resizer makes sure your file is inside that range.
Last updated 2026-11.