US visa photo requirements for applicants from Nigeria
US visa applications from Nigeria, processed through Lagos and Abuja, use the standard US photo spec with the DS-160 digital limits: a square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, under 240 KB, unedited. Nigerian passport photos use the 35 x 45 mm standard, so a reused local photo is the wrong shape. On the DV lottery: in recent years natives of Nigeria have not been eligible to enter, though eligibility resets each year and cross-chargeability through a spouse or parent born in an eligible country still applies.
Check your photo right here, free
Measured against the official United States visa spec: head size, eye line, background, brightness and file limits. We never edit your photo.
Click anywhere here, or drag and drop your photo. Use a clear, front-facing photo against a plain white wall in even light. We measure and crop it. We never edit the pixels you submit.
The two-spec problem
Nigerian documents want 35 x 45 mm portrait photos; the US wants a 2 x 2 inch square. Studios often deliver whichever they printed last. Shoot fresh, crop square, and verify the head fills 50 to 69 percent of the frame before uploading.
Beware paid 'photo fixing' services
Services that promise to make any photo pass typically do it by editing, and edited photos are rejected by US authorities as of 2026. A free check that tells you honestly to retake beats a paid edit that gets flagged at the consulate.
Frequently asked questions
Can Nigerians enter the DV green card lottery?
In recent years natives of Nigeria have not been eligible due to immigration volume thresholds, but the eligible-country list is re-announced every year, and eligibility through a spouse's or parent's country of birth is possible. Check the current official instructions.
What size photo do I bring to the Lagos or Abuja interview?
If asked for prints, the US standard 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), from the same session as your DS-160 upload.
Now check your photo against the official spec
Free, in your browser, in under a minute. You pay $9 only if it passes, accepted or your money back.
Check my photo freeRelated guides
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from Mexico
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from Pakistan
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from India
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from the Philippines
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from Colombia
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from Vietnam
- US visa photo requirements for applicants from China
- B-1/B-2 visitor visa photo requirements
- CEAC 'Invalid Image Detected' error: how to actually get your upload through
- Vietnam eVisa: 'Portrait photo was captured from another source' explained
- NZ passport online photo checker keeps rejecting your photo? The real spec
- Egypt eVisa passport image rejected as too large? The 1 MB rule