United States · DV lottery
DV lottery photo
The entry photo is exactly 600 x 600 pixels, JPEG, no more than 240 kB, taken in the last 6 months — and every person listed on the entry needs their own new photo. Reusing an old entry photo makes you ineligible. Check each one here before you submit.
Requirements verified September 16, 2026 — always confirm with the issuing authorityThe check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file: $4.99.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies, drawn from our United States guide. The official source of each value is listed under the table.
- Printed size
- No print, digital only
- Digital file
- JPEG/JPG · 600 × 600 px exactly · 240 kB max
- Head size
- 50%–69% of the photo height
- Eye line
- 56%–69% up from the bottom
- Background
- Plain white or off-white
- Glasses
- The DV instructions say plainly: do not wear eyeglasses. No medical exception is offered, unlike the US passport rules. Headphones and earbuds are out too.
- Taken within
- the last 6 months
Where these values come from
- Digital file, Background, Glasses, Taken within: checked against U.S. Embassy in Cameroon - Instructions for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2026), including Submitting a Digital Photograph; Federal Register / GovInfo - Visas: Enhancing Vetting and Combatting Fraud in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, final rule, 91 FR (March 11, 2026; re-read October 6, 2026); Federal Register - Diversity Visa Instructions for DV-2026 (published October 1, 2024; no DV-2027 instructions found on October 6, 2026); U.S. Embassy in Samoa - Beware of scams: DV-2027 has not started; U.S. Embassy in Togo - Instructions for Diversity Visa Program, as set out in our DV Lottery Photo Rules: Don't Get Disqualified guide.
- Head size, Eye line: Head height: checked against U.S. Embassy in Cameroon - Instructions for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2026), including Submitting a Digital Photograph; Federal Register / GovInfo - Visas: Enhancing Vetting and Combatting Fraud in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, final rule, 91 FR (March 11, 2026; re-read October 6, 2026); Federal Register - Diversity Visa Instructions for DV-2026 (published October 1, 2024; no DV-2027 instructions found on October 6, 2026); U.S. Embassy in Samoa - Beware of scams: DV-2027 has not started; U.S. Embassy in Togo - Instructions for Diversity Visa Program, as set out in our DV Lottery Photo Rules: Don't Get Disqualified guide. Eye line: checked against U.S. Department of State — Visa Photo Requirements; U.S. Department of State — Digital Image Requirements; U.S. Department of State — Photo Composition Template; U.S. Department of State — Photo Frequently Asked Questions; U.S. Mission Poland — Visa Photo Requirements; U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan — Required Documents; U.S. Department of State — Photo Tool, as set out in our DS-160 Photo Requirements 2026: Exact Specs guide.
About background editing. A photograph manipulated in any way may make you INELIGIBLE for a Diversity Visa. Background replacement counts. We keep it off for this document and recommend never turning it on.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.
What does a failure look like? See our accepted and rejected passport photo examples, with the fix for each one.
Common questions
The digital image must be a JPEG, 600 x 600 pixels, in a square aspect ratio, and 240 kB or smaller. If you scan an existing print instead, it must be a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) photo scanned at 300 pixels per inch.
No. The Department of State's instructions state that submitting the same photograph you submitted with a prior year's entry will make you ineligible for a Diversity Visa. Take a new photo for every entry period.
Yes. You need a recent photo of yourself, your spouse and every derivative child listed on the entry, each meeting the same specifications. Individual photos only; a family or group photo is not acceptable.
Taken within the last six months, to reflect your current appearance. The instructions say not to submit a photograph older than six months, whether it is a new digital capture or a scan of a print.
No. The instructions say plainly: do not wear eyeglasses. Headphones and wireless hands-free devices are also not acceptable. A hearing device you normally wear may be worn.
No. A photograph that has been manipulated in any way may make you ineligible for a Diversity Visa. That includes filters, retouching and replacing the background. Crop and resize only.
In the Department of State's instructions for that program year, published at dvprogram.state.gov. As of October 6, 2026, we could not confirm any DV-2027 entry dates on an official page. The dates change every year and are the one thing you should never take from a third-party site, including this one.
Keep reading
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A baby on a DV lottery entry needs their own photo: same 600x600 JPEG, eyes open, no hands in frame. The rules, the lying-down setup and the edge cases.
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Troubleshooting DV Lottery Photo Rejected? 8 Causes and Fixes
Why a DV lottery photo gets rejected: the file checks, head size, glasses, edits and reused photos, and which mistakes can be fixed before you submit.
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Requirements US Visa and Immigration Photos by Form: 2026 Guide
Which US visa and immigration forms need your photo in 2026: DS-160 uploads, DS-260 prints, DV entries, USCIS forms and biometrics, in one sourced table.
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