United States DV lottery Photo Requirements

• Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance

• Printed in color

• The background should be white or off-white

• The head size should be between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the image's height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.

• A full-face view taken directly in front of the camera

• Open both eyes and maintain a neutral facial expression

• Dressed in daily clothing

• Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.

• Do not wear hats or head coverings that obscure your hair, unless you do so daily for religious reasons.The head covering must not cast shadows on your face, and your entire face must be visible.

• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.

• Glasses are not allowed in new visa photos, except in rare situations when they cannot be removed for medical reasons; e.g., the applicant has recently had ocular surgery and the glasses are necessary to protect the applicant's eyes.In these cases, a medical statement should be provided by a health practitioner.If the eyeglasses are accepted for medical reasons:

  • Spectacle frames should not cover the eye(s).

  • Eyeglasses should not have glare that obscures the eye(s).

  • There must not be shadows or refraction from the eyeglasses that obscures the eye(s). 

• Hearing aids and similar articles may be worn in your picture if you wear them normally.

It is not acceptable to use photos copied from driver's licenses or other official documents.

In addition, Diversity Lottery Green Card photo has to meet the following requirements:

When you apply for the Diversity Visa (DV) Program online,

.Your digital image must be:

• In JPEG (.jpg) file format

• Equal to or less than 240 kB (kilobytes) in file size

• In a square aspect ratio (height must equal width)

• 600x600 pixels in dimension

If you want to scan an existing,in addition to the digital image requirements, your existing photo must be:

• 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)

• Scanned at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (12 pixels per millimeter)

If you are selected,

Two (2) identical photos must be brought to the interview by each DV applicant.Your photos must be:

• A photo-quality print

• 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size

Take the photo yourself

You may take the photo yourself. Photos must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way. 

Common Reasons DV Lottery Photos Get Rejected

A photo may be rejected if it doesn’t meet one or more of the official requirements. The most common issues include:

• The image is not exactly 600 × 600 pixels
• The file size is over 240 KB
• The photo is not in JPEG format
• The picture is older than six months
• The head is too large, too small, or not properly centered
• The face is turned, tilted, or not looking straight at the camera
• The background is not plain white or off-white
• There are visible shadows on the face or background
• Glasses are worn in the photo
• The image is blurry, grainy, or pixelated
• The photo has been digitally edited in a way that changes appearance
• The same photo was reused from a previous application and no longer reflects current appearance
• The image was taken from an ID card, passport, or other document
• The photo is a scan or picture of a printed photo
• Another person or object appears in the frame

Review your finished file carefully before submitting your entry.

DV Lottery Photos for Your Spouse and Children

Each person listed in your Diversity Visa entry needs their own recent photo that meets the official requirements.

This includes:

• The main applicant
• The applicant’s spouse
• All eligible children included in the application

Make sure you don’t reuse the same photo for different people, even if they were taken at the same time.

Each image should be uploaded and checked separately before submission.

DV Lottery Baby Photo Requirements

Babies and young children must be photographed on their own, with no one else visible in the frame.

The photo should not include:

• A parent’s hands or arms
• Toys or props
• Chair backs or support objects
• Blankets with patterns or distractions

A simple way to take the photo is to lay the baby on a plain white or light-colored sheet, or place them in a car seat covered with a plain cloth.

Try to have the baby facing the camera as naturally as possible. Eyes open is preferred, but for very young infants this is not always required.

If anything is visible in the frame that shouldn’t be there, don’t try to edit it out—just take a new photo instead.

How Our DV Lottery Photo Tool Works

The DV Lottery photo tool at 123PassportPhoto.com automatically formats your portrait according to official Diversity Visa photo requirements. It crops and resizes your image to 600 × 600 pixels, replaces the background with a plain white or off-white color, and prepares the final photo as an sRGB JPEG file within the required file-size limit.

Choose your service

Select the country/region and photo type you need.

Upload your photo

Take a clear selfie or portrait and upload it to 123PassportPhoto.com.

Process your photo

Your photo is automatically cropped, resized, and adjusted to meet DV Lottery specifications.

Download your photo

Download your entry-ready 600 × 600-pixel DV Lottery photo and use it for your application.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size should a DV Lottery photo be? 

The digital image must be exactly 600 pixels wide and 600 pixels high. It must have a square 1:1 aspect ratio.

 What is the maximum DV Lottery photo file size? 

The JPEG image must not exceed 240 KB.

Can I use a passport photo for the DV Lottery? 

You may be able to use a recent passport-style photo if it meets all current Diversity Visa digital-image requirements, including the 600 × 600-pixel dimensions and 240 KB file-size limit. Do not assume that every passport photo is automatically suitable.

Can I use a selfie?

A selfie is not recommended because close camera positioning can distort your face and make correct alignment difficult. 

A better approach is to ask another person to photograph you from several feet away with the camera held at eye level.

Can I smile in my DV Lottery photo? 

Use a neutral facial expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open. Avoid a broad or exaggerated smile.

Can I wear glasses? 

Eyeglasses are generally not permitted. Rare medical exceptions may apply when the glasses cannot be removed.

Can I reuse last year’s DV Lottery photo? 

Use a new photo taken within the last six months. Your image should accurately reflect your current appearance.

Does every family member need a photo? 

Yes. Each eligible person included in the entry needs an individual photo that meets the requirements.