DV Lottery photo checker: the spec that disqualifies entries

The Diversity Visa (green card lottery) entry photo must be a square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, no more than 240 KB, in sRGB, taken within the last 6 months, on a plain white or off-white background, with no glasses. Your head must fill 50 to 69% of the image height and your eyes must sit 56 to 69% of the image height up from the bottom. Photos are a leading cause of DV entry disqualification, and reusing a photo from a previous year's entry is itself grounds for disqualification, so check every photo against the spec before you submit.

Check your United States visa photo against the official spec → Free check, accepted-or-money-back.

The exact spec, number by number

The DV entry uses the US visa digital photo specification. File: JPEG, perfectly square, at least 600 x 600 pixels and at most 1200 x 1200, no more than 240 KB, in the sRGB color space. Content: taken within the last 6 months, plain white or off-white background, neutral expression, facing the camera, no glasses.

Composition is measured precisely: head height (chin to top of hair) between 50 and 69% of the image height, and eye height between 56 and 69% of the image height measured from the bottom of the photo. A technically valid file with your head too small in the frame is still a failed photo.

The mistakes that disqualify entries

Unlike a rejected passport photo, a bad DV photo does not come back for correction; the entry is simply disqualified when selectees are screened, often after months of waiting. The photo must be recent: reusing the photo from a previous year's entry is itself a disqualification reason, even if that photo was compliant at the time. Take a new photo for each year you enter, including DV-2028.

Family entries multiply the risk. Your spouse and each child listed on the entry need their own compliant photo, and any single non-compliant photo can sink the whole entry. Check every family member's photo against the same spec, including babies.

How to check your photo before you submit

Verify the file first: square, 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, 240 KB or less, JPEG. Then check composition: measure your head height as a fraction of the image height and confirm it lands between 50 and 69%, with your eyes between 56 and 69% of the height from the bottom. The free tool at /tools/compress-passport-photo handles the resize and compression in your browser, and the entry window in early October is short, so get the photos right before it opens rather than scrambling during it.

Frequently asked questions

What are the DV lottery photo requirements?

A square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, under 240 KB, in sRGB, taken within the last 6 months, plain white or off-white background, no glasses, head filling 50 to 69% of the image height, eyes at 56 to 69% of the height from the bottom.

Can I reuse my photo from last year's DV entry?

No. Reusing a photo from a previous year's entry is itself a disqualification reason, even if the photo met the spec at the time. Take a new photo, less than 6 months old, for each year you enter.

Do my spouse and children need their own photos?

Yes. Every family member listed on the entry needs their own compliant photo, including infants, and a single bad photo can disqualify the entire entry.

Will I be told if my DV photo is bad?

No. There is no correction round for the entry photo. A non-compliant photo typically surfaces as a disqualification during selectee screening, months after submission, so the only safe check is the one you do before submitting.

When does the DV-2028 entry window open?

The entry window normally opens in early October and stays open for about a month. Confirm the exact dates on the official dvprogram.state.gov site, and prepare compliant photos for the whole family before it opens.