Upload Photo
Drop in the candidate photo to check format, 1:1 shape and the 240 KB limit.
Auto-Fix
Center-crop to square, resize to 600 x 600 px on white and re-encode under 240 KB.
Download & Submit
Save the accepted file for your DV-2027 entry.
Official DV Lottery (Green Card Lottery) photo specs 2026
- Size: square, minimum 600 × 600 px (we export exactly 600 × 600, the safest Green Card Lottery photo size)
- Format: JPEG only, 240 KB or smaller, 24-bit color sRGB. PNG, HEIC and WebP are auto-rejected by the E-DV portal
- Taken within the last 6 months, and never reuse a prior DV entry photo. Duplicates are detected and disqualified.
- Plain white or off-white, evenly lit, with no shadows, patterns or objects.
- Chin to crown must fill 50–69% of the image height, with the eyes at 56–69% up from the bottom edge.
- Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed. No selfies, no tilt.
- Glasses, hats, uniforms, shadows, retouching, beauty filters and AI edits are all banned, explicitly by the U.S. Department of State.
How the DV photo checker works
Upload a photo and the Diversity Visa photo checker reads its real file type, byte size and pixel dimensions in your browser. It verifies JPEG format, the 240 KB limit, square 1:1 shape and the 600 px minimum, and samples the image corners for background brightness. Anything software can't see (photo age, glasses, expression, shadows, retouching) is covered by the manual checklist below.
If a check fails, Auto-fix center-crops to square, resizes to exactly 600 × 600 px on a white base and re-encodes as JPEG, stepping quality down only as far as needed to stay under 240 KB. That is the exact Green Card Lottery photo format the E-DV portal at dvprogram.state.gov accepts.
For background replacement or precise head-size framing (50–69% head height), use the background eraser or photo resizer first, then re-check here before submitting your DV-2027 entry.
Why a bad photo disqualifies your Green Card Lottery entry
Roughly 20 million people enter the US Diversity Visa Lottery each year for about 55,000 visas. A non-compliant photo is one of the most common silent disqualifiers: the E-DV upload validates file format (JPEG, square, 600 px, 240 KB) but does NOT fully validate content at upload time. Wrong background, wrong head size, glasses, shadows or AI retouching can pass upload and still get your entry thrown out later at the Kentucky Consular Center with no notification and no appeal. Entrant Status Check shows only “Not Selected”, with nothing pointing at the photo. Running this free DV Lottery photo check before you submit takes seconds and costs nothing.
7 DV Lottery photo mistakes that cause rejection
These are the errors US State Department reviewers flag most often. Check every one before you submit your Diversity Visa entry:
- Wrong dimensions or file size: anything that is not square 600 × 600 px JPEG under 240 KB is auto-rejected by the portal. Phone photos are usually 3–8 MB PNG/HEIC, so run Auto-fix to convert them.
- Reusing an old photo: any photo used in a previous DV year, or older than 6 months, means automatic disqualification, because facial-recognition duplicate detection applies.
- Colored walls, doors, shadows and patterns all fail. Stand 1–2 meters from a plain white wall in soft daylight.
- Glasses are banned (medical exception only with documentation), head coverings only for daily religious observance with the full face visible, and no shadows on the face or background.
- The head must fill 50–69% of the frame with the eyes at 56–69% from the bottom. Arm's-length selfies distort the face, so have someone else take the photo at eye level.
- Keep a neutral expression with the mouth closed and both eyes open, facing the camera straight on. No smiling and no tilted head.
- Filters and AI edits: beauty mode, skin smoothing, portrait bokeh, background-replacement artifacts and AI enhancement are explicitly prohibited since the January 2026 State Department update. Crop and resize only, and never beautify.
How to take a compliant DV photo with your phone
You do not need a photo studio. Stand in bright, even daylight facing a window (no direct sun, no overhead shadows), with a plain white wall or taped-up white sheet behind you. Have someone hold the phone at eye level about 2 meters away. Rear camera, no flash, no portrait mode, no filter. Wear everyday clothes (avoid white tops that blend into the background), remove glasses, keep hair off the face, and take several shots. Pick the sharpest frame with a neutral expression, then upload it above to verify the 600x600 JPEG and 240 KB limits before submitting to the E-DV portal.
Spouse, children and passport photos
Every person on your DV entry (you, your spouse and each unmarried child under 21) needs a separate compliant photo with the same 600x600px JPEG rules, each taken within the last 6 months. For babies, lay them on a plain white sheet in daylight, photograph from above with no hands, toys or pacifiers visible and both eyes open. A US passport photo meets the same face and background rules but has a different digital format, so do not upload a scanned print as-is: re-check and re-export it here to 600 × 600 px JPEG under 240 KB. Always verify each family member's file individually, because one bad photo can sink the whole entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the exact DV Lottery photo requirements for 2026 (DV-2027)?
Square JPEG photo, minimum 600x600px, 240KB or smaller, taken within the last 6 months, plain white or off-white background, head filling 50–69% of the frame with eyes at 56–69% from the bottom, neutral expression with eyes open and mouth closed, no glasses, no shadows and no retouching or AI edits. The E-DV portal at dvprogram.state.gov auto-rejects files that miss the technical specs, and content failures disqualify you later with no appeal.
Is the Green Card Lottery photo the same as the Diversity Visa photo?
Yes. Green Card Lottery, Diversity Visa Lottery and DV Lottery all mean the same US State Department program and the same photo: 600x600px square JPEG under 240KB, white background, neutral expression. After selection, the immigrant-visa interview uses printed 2x2 inch (51x51mm) photos instead.
Can I use the same photo as last year?
No. Reuse of a previous DV entry photo causes automatic disqualification. The State Department detects duplicates. Take a fresh photo within the last 6 months for every entry year, for every family member.
My photo is PNG or bigger than 240KB. Will it be rejected?
Yes, the portal only accepts JPEG under 240KB. Upload your photo above and use Auto-fix, which center-crops to square, resizes to exactly 600x600px and re-encodes as JPEG tuned to stay under 240KB.
Can I take the DV photo with my phone at home?
Yes. Stand 1–2 meters from a plain white wall in bright, even daylight (no flash shadows), have someone hold the phone at eye level, keep a neutral expression and remove glasses. Avoid selfies, because arm's-length shots distort head size. Then check and fix the file here before submitting.
What head size does the DV Lottery require?
Your head measured chin to crown (including hair) must fill 50–69% of the image height, with eyes positioned 56–69% up from the bottom edge. Too small or too large fails review even if the upload succeeds, so frame tightly and face the camera straight on.
Can I use my US passport photo for the DV Lottery?
Only if it was taken within the last 6 months and you convert it to the DV digital format: square 600x600px JPEG under 240KB. A scanned 2x2 inch print usually needs re-cropping and compression. Upload it above to re-check and re-export.
Do my spouse and children need separate DV photos?
Yes. Each person listed on the entry, meaning a spouse or every unmarried child under 21, needs their own compliant 600x600px JPEG meeting the same background, recency and pose rules. Verify each file individually; and one non-compliant family photo can disqualify the entry.
Are filters, background erasers or AI edits allowed?
No. Since the January 2026 update, the State Department explicitly prohibits photos modified with computer software, phone-app filters or AI, including skin smoothing and artificial background replacement with visible artifacts. Crop, resize and compress only. If your background is not plain white, retake the photo rather than painting it.
Does this tool upload my photo anywhere?
No. All checking and fixing runs locally in your browser via the Canvas API. Your photo never leaves your device, which makes it safe for identity documents.