DV lottery photos for adults: the exact-pixel entry
The Diversity Visa entry photo is the most exacting mainstream photo spec the US publishes: not a minimum of 600 x 600 pixels but exactly 600 x 600, uploaded during an entry window that opens for roughly a month each autumn and then closes. An entry disqualified for its photo is simply out for the year, with no appeal and no fee to refund — the entry is free — so the photo deserves more care than the form. These are the adult rules; children have their own trap, covered in the child DV guide.
The exact-pixel file
The DV entry photo must be a JPEG in a square aspect ratio at exactly 600 x 600 pixels, no more than 240 KB, taken within the last six months. This is stricter than the ordinary DS-160 visa upload, which accepts anything from 600 x 600 up to 1200 x 1200 — a file that sails through a regular visa application can be refused by the E-DV form for being 601 pixels wide. Geometry inside the square: head height between 50 and 69 percent of the image, eye height between 56 and 69 percent from the bottom, on a plain white or off-white background.
The appearance rules, including the one people miss
Face the camera directly, neutral expression or natural smile with mouth closed, both eyes open — and no eyeglasses: the State Department's instruction for passport and visa photos alike is to take them off, with medical exceptions documented by a signed statement, and the DV photo follows the visa standard. Head coverings only for religious or medical reasons, and never ones that obscure the face or cast shadows on it. The photo must be unedited; the State Department's instruction not to change photos with software, apps or AI applies here, and consular review at the interview stage compares the entry photo against your face and your other photos.
One compliant photo per family member
The entry requires a photo meeting the full standard for you, your spouse and every child listed — one weak photo contaminates the whole entry, and the entry stands or falls together at the interview. Prepare the set before the window opens: the E-DV site is closed outside the entry period (DV-2026 ran 2 October to 7 November 2024), and the last days of the window are historically congested. Shooting everyone in one session against the same wall takes an hour and removes the scramble.
What the free tool does and does not do
The State Department's photo tool crops any image to a 600 x 600 square — useful, and free. Its own page says a Department employee makes the final decision, and the tool does not judge background, lighting, head size or editing, which are where DV refusals actually happen. Use it for the crop if you like; use a measuring check — ours shows head and eye-line percentages against the 50-69 and 56-69 bands before any payment — for the rules the crop cannot fix, and keep the officer-judgement guide in mind: no tool's pass is an approval.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse last year's DV photo this year?
No. The photo must have been taken within the last six months of the entry, so a photo prepared for last year's window is outside the limit by the time the next one opens. Take a fresh 600 x 600 photo for each year's entry.
Is a scanned print acceptable?
Only a scan of a proper 2 x 2 inch print at 300 pixels per inch; a phone photo of a print is not a scan. A born-digital photo is simpler and safer.
Related documents
Sources
Last updated
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.