DV Lottery photo requirements (DV-2027)

The file: format, size and dimensions

The DV entry form only takes a digital photo, and the State Department's digital image requirements set out exactly what the file must look like:

Phones rarely save photos in this shape. iPhones save HEIC files, screenshots are PNG, and a normal photo is a 4:3 rectangle several megabytes in size. You need to crop it to a square around your head, resize it to 600 × 600 and save it as a JPEG under the limit. "kB" can mean 1,000 or 1,024 bytes, so keep the file at or under 240,000 bytes to be safe under either reading.

If you have a printed photo instead, the same page allows scanning it: the print must be 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) and scanned at 300 pixels per inch. A photo copied or scanned from a passport, ID card or driving licence is not acceptable.

Head size and position

The photo composition template fixes where your head sits in the square:

• Head height: from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, the head must be 50–69% of the image height. In a 600-pixel photo that is 300 to 414 pixels.
• Eye height: the eyes must sit 56–69% of the way up from the bottom of the image (336 to 414 pixels from the bottom).
• Pose: full face, looking straight at the camera, head centred and not tilted or turned.

The most common mistake is a head that is too small, because the photo was taken from far away and not cropped closely enough. The second is cutting off the top of the hair. Leave a little space above the head and let the crop include your shoulders.

Background, light and expression

According to the State Department's photo requirements, the photo must be:

• taken in front of a plain white or off-white background, with no pattern, objects or other people;
• evenly lit, with no shadows on your face or on the background;
• in focus and properly exposed: not too dark and not washed out;
• taken with a neutral expression and both eyes open; a big smile or an open mouth is a common reason for problems;
• a true likeness: it must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change how you look, so switch off beauty modes, skin smoothing and filters.

Daylight from a window in front of you, standing about half a metre from a white wall, gives soft light and no shadow behind your head.

Glasses, head coverings, headphones and clothing

• Glasses: not allowed in new visa photos except in rare medical cases backed by a medical statement from a health professional. For a DV entry, take them off.
• Head coverings: hats are not allowed. A head covering worn every day for religious reasons is fine, as long as your full face is visible and it doesn't cast shadows on it.
• Headphones and earbuds: headphones, wireless hands-free devices and similar items are not allowed. A hearing aid you normally wear may stay in.
• Clothing: wear what you normally wear day to day. Uniforms are not allowed, except religious clothing worn every day.

Photos for your spouse and children

The DV instructions require you to list your spouse and every unmarried child under 21 on your entry, even if they don't plan to move with you. Each of them needs an individual photo that meets every rule above. Group photos are not accepted, and you can't crop one family picture into several photos.

Babies and toddlers need their own photo too: the same white background, eyes open and nobody else in the picture, so no hands, arms or toys. Laying a baby on a plain white sheet and taking the photo from above often works best.

Photos that can make an entry ineligible

The DV-2026 instructions (republished by the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon) warn that you may be found ineligible if the photos of you or your family don't fully meet the specifications or have been manipulated. They also say that reusing the photo from a previous year's entry makes you ineligible. Avoid:

• the photo you used in an earlier year's entry, even if you still look the same;
• any photo older than 6 months;
• photos copied or scanned from a passport, ID card or driving licence;
• edited photos: filters, beauty modes, "AI enhance", or a face pasted onto a new background;
• blurry, dark or grainy snapshots, and selfies taken at arm's length (they distort the face);
• group photos cut down to one person.

The form can only check the file (its format, size and dimensions), not your face. If you are selected, the photo is reviewed again, and a photo that breaks the rules can cost you the visa even though the form accepted it.

DV-2027: what's new

As of 22 October 2026, DV-2027 registration has not opened (see the U.S. Embassy in Samoa notice). News reports (Visa Lawyer Blog) say a federal court has ordered the State Department to announce the dates and open registration by 1 November 2026, and that DV-2027 adds a $1 registration fee and passport details on the form. Treat these as reports until the official instructions are published.

No change to the photo rules has been reported, and the official DV-2027 instructions haven't been published yet, so this guide follows the latest official rules. Enter only on dvprogram.state.gov; nobody else can submit or "fix" an entry for you.

How to make a compliant DV photo with your phone

1. Stand about half a metre in front of a plain white wall, facing a window or another soft light.
2. Ask someone to take the photo from about 1–1.5 metres away, with the camera at eye level. Take off glasses and earbuds; keep a neutral face and eyes open.
3. Open the DV Lottery Photo tool and add the photo. It finds your face, crops a 600 × 600 square with the head at the right size, and saves a JPEG under 240 kB.
4. Read the checks it shows (head size, background, light, sharpness, glasses, expression) and retake the photo if any of them fail.
5. Download the JPEG and upload it on the official form. Already have a photo? Test it with the DV Photo Checker first.

Everything happens on your phone: the photo is never uploaded to Picsawa.

Checklist before you press Submit

• JPEG, 600 × 600 pixels, at most 240 kB
• Taken in the last 6 months, not the photo from last year's entry
• Head 50–69% of the height, centred, facing the camera
• Plain white or off-white background, no shadows
• Neutral expression, both eyes open, no glasses or headphones
• No filters or retouching
• A separate photo for your spouse and each child