Is the US 2 × 2 inch photo ICAO-compliant?

The United States follows ICAO's principles at a different size and a 50–69% head band; "ICAO-compliant" on a European or Gulf checklist means the 35 × 45 / 70–80% sheet, and a 2 × 2 will not satisfy it.

Does Singapore's ICA use ICAO?

ICA's passport application page says its requirements are based on ISO and ICAO specifications, but ICA publishes its own thirteen rules rather than the sheet, and gives no head-height percentage.

What does "ICAO-compliant photo" actually mean?

TL;DR A specific sheet, not a vibe: no more than 6 months old; 35–40 mm wide; a close-up of head and top of shoulders so the face takes up 70–80% of the photograph; plain light-coloured background; uniform light, no shadows or flash; glasses only with the eyes clear and no tint; head coverings for religious reasons only with the face clear. Three documents on this site trace to that one sheet — Schengen, the UAE and Brazil.

Where the sheet comes from

The International Civil Aviation Organization sets the standard for machine-readable travel documents (Doc 9303), and its photograph guideline is republished nearly verbatim by authorities that would rather point at it than write their own. The European Commission's Schengen checklist asks for "a photo in compliance with ICAO standards" and links the sheet; the UAE's ICP publishes it as "Personal Photo Specifications"; Brazil's Ministry asks for a "passport-style photo compliant with ICAO requirements".

So when a country says "ICAO", it means these numbers

70–80% is the head-height band. 35–40 mm is the width; 45 mm is the height everyone pairs with it. A spec of yours that disagrees with those is wrong, not merely different — which is how this site caught its own UAE entry (43 × 55, 60–75%) and fixed it.

What ICAO does not settle

The background's exact colour (light, not necessarily white), whether ears must show, and anything about file formats. Those come from the individual authority, and that is where documents that share the ICAO sheet still differ.

Documents that cite ICAO or match it exactly

Document	Size	Head in frame (as we compose it)	Background	Max age	Source
Schengen visa	35 × 45 mm	70–80%	plain light-coloured — light grey or white	6 months	home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
United Arab Emirates visa	35 × 45 mm	70–80%	plain light-coloured, usually white	6 months	icp.gov.ae
Brazil visa	51 × 51 mm	60–75%	plain white	6 months	www.gov.br
Taiwan passport	35 × 45 mm	71–80%	plain white	6 months	www.roc-taiwan.org

A real case

An applicant used one 35 × 45 photo at 75% for a Schengen visa, a UAE visa and a Brazilian visa in the same month. All three accepted it. The three authorities had, in effect, written the same rule by pointing at the same sheet.

Common questions

Is the US 2 × 2 inch photo ICAO-compliant?: The United States follows ICAO's principles at a different size and a 50–69% head band; "ICAO-compliant" on a European or Gulf checklist means the 35 × 45 / 70–80% sheet, and a 2 × 2 will not satisfy it.
Does Singapore's ICA use ICAO?: ICA's passport application page says its requirements are based on ISO and ICAO specifications, but ICA publishes its own thirteen rules rather than the sheet, and gives no head-height percentage.

Sources

Read on the issuing authority's own pages on the dates shown on each document page:

Schengen visa: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu (read 2026-09-06)
United Arab Emirates visa: icp.gov.ae (read 2026-09-06)
Brazil visa: www.gov.br (read 2026-09-06)

SGfoto is independent — not affiliated with or endorsed by any government or issuing authority — and does not guarantee acceptance. Requirements change; the authority's page is the one that counts. Rebuilt 2026-09-06.