US Diversity Visa (DV Lottery) Entry Photo: size and requirements
The US Diversity Visa (DV Lottery) Entry Photo size is 600 x 600 pixels for online upload (minimum 600 x 600, maximum 600 x 600), file under 240 KB. Plain white or off-white background; head 50 to 69 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against U.S. Department of State.
For the digital photo uploaded with an Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) entry for the applicant, spouse and each child. Not for the later DS-260 interview, where two printed 2 x 2 inch photos are needed, and not for a passport.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 600 x 600 pixels for online upload (minimum 600 x 600, maximum 600 x 600), file under 240 KB
- Head height
- Head 50 to 69 percent of the photo height (head between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) [sic: 1 inch is 25 mm] or 50% and 69% of the image's total height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head; eye height 56% to 69% of the image's height)
- Eye line
- 56 to 69 percent from the bottom of the photo
- Background
- plain white or off-white background
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 600 x 600 px , under 240 KB, plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe DV entry wants exactly 600 x 600 pixels, not the 600 to 1200 range the State Department's Photo Composition Template allows for other digital visa photos. We render exactly 600 x 600 and keep the file under 240 KB.
- CheckEvery family member on the entry (you, your spouse and each child) needs their own photo that meets the rules.
- CheckIf you scan an existing print, the State Department says it must be a 2 x 2 inch photo scanned at 300 pixels per inch. A phone photo of a print is not a scan.
- CheckDespite what some apps claim, there is no 'under 6 may smile' rule for DV entries. Keep the child's mouth closed and eyes open.
Known portal issues
- Note
Your face is not the correct size or properly centered
Start from the uncropped original, with head, shoulders and some space above the head in frame. Read the fix - Note
The E-DV entry site is closed
Prepare the 600 x 600 pixel photos for every family member before the entry period opens. Read the fix - NoteThe State Department's free photo tool only crops. Its own page says a Department employee makes the final decision, so a tool 'pass' is not an approval.
Good to know before you pay
The State Department's free photo tool crops any image to a 600 x 600 square. It does not fix the background, lighting or head size, which is what the DV photo validator and the consular officer check.
Source and verification
Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-07 (archived copy dated 2025-09-18) at U.S. Department of State.
If you are entering the Diversity Visa (DV) Program online, you must upload your digital image as part of your entry.
In a square aspect ratio (height must equal width)
600x600 pixels in dimension
Equal to or less than 240 kB (kilobytes) in file size
Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
Photos must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way.
Each DV applicant will need to bring two (2) identical photos to the interview.
When taking a photo of your baby or toddler, no other person should be in the photo, and your child should be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open.
The eye height (measured from the bottom of the image to the level of the eyes) should be between 56% and 69% of the image's height.
Minimum acceptable dimensions are 600 pixels (width) x 600 pixels (height). Maximum acceptable dimensions are 1200 pixels (width) x 1200 pixels (height).
Read from the Internet Archive snapshot of 2025-09-18 of the visa photo requirements page, section 'Additional Requirements for the Diversity Visa (DV) Program'. The eye-line (56 to 69%) and the 600 to 1200 pixel range for other digital visa photos are quoted from the Photo Composition Template page (us-visas/.../photo-composition-template.html, Internet Archive snapshot nearest 2025-09-15). The page's own '22 mm' for 1 inch is wrong (1 inch is 25 mm; the passport photos page says 25 to 35 mm); the quote is kept verbatim. The DV-2026 Program Instructions PDF could not be text-extracted, so no claim is made from it; the child note is from the visa page's 'baby or toddler' tips, which state no age.
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.
Frequently asked questions
