Official requirements
| Photo size | 600 × 600 px JPEG |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 600 × 600 px |
| Head height | 50%–69% of photo height (chin to top of hair) |
| Eye height | 56%–69% from the bottom |
| Background | Plain white |
| File size | max 240 KB |
| Glasses | Not allowed |
| Submission | Online upload · Printed photo |
Rules to follow
- Submit a square color JPEG of exactly 600 × 600 pixels.
- Keep the file at or below 240 KB.
- Your head (chin to top of hair) fills 50–69% of the image height.
- Your eyes sit 56–69% of the image height up from the bottom edge.
- Use a plain white or off-white background.
- Do not wear eyeglasses.
- Use a new photo taken within the last 6 months — never the one from a previous year’s entry.
- Every spouse and child on the entry needs a separate photo with the same specifications.
- Do not edit or manipulate the image in any way.
Why Diversity Visa (DV Lottery) photos get rejected
- Reusing a photo submitted with a prior year’s entry.
- Photo manipulated or retouched.
- Missing photo for a spouse or child listed on the entry.
- Glasses, tinted lenses or sunglasses.
- Wrong pixel size or file over 240 KB.
Our checks catch these before you download — and you see the result before you pay.
Guide DV Lottery photo requirements Everything the green card lottery photo must meet — 600×600 px, 240 KB, white background, no glasses — plus the mistakes that disqualify entries.Questions
Can a bad photo really disqualify my DV entry?
Yes. The State Department says entrants may be found ineligible if any photo on the entry does not meet the specifications or has been manipulated, even after being selected.
Can I use last year’s DV photo again?
No. Submitting the same photo you used in a prior year’s entry makes you ineligible. Take a fresh one each year.
Do I need photos for family members who are already U.S. citizens?
No. A spouse or child who is already a U.S. citizen or permanent resident does not need a photo, though including one is not penalized.
Can I scan an old printed photo instead?
Only if it is a 2 × 2 in print taken within the last six months, scanned at 300 pixels per inch so the result is 600 × 600 pixels.
Sources: U.S. Department of State – DV-2026 Instructions (photo section) · U.S. Department of State – Visa Photo Requirements · U.S. Department of State – Photo Composition Template. PhotoForUSA is an independent service, not affiliated with any government. Rules change — always check the official source before you apply.