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DV Lottery Photo Requirements
Your Diversity Visa Lottery photo must be a recent color image that clearly reflects your current appearance. It must be sharp, evenly lit, and taken against a plain white or off-white background.
Face the camera directly with your full face visible, both eyes open, and a neutral facial expression. The image should reproduce natural skin tones accurately and contain no distracting shadows on your face or background.
The head measurement runs from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, including the hair.
If medically necessary, no glare, no shadows, and frames must not cover the eyes.
For an online DV Lottery entry, the uploaded image must meet these technical requirements:
Different DV stages have different photo requirements.
Upload a 600 × 600-pixel JPEG image that is no larger than 240 KB. This is the format used when completing the electronic DV entry.
The original printed photograph must be 2 × 2 inches, or 51 × 51 mm, and scanned at 300 pixels per inch. The final uploaded file must still meet the JPEG, square-dimension, and file-size requirements.
Applicants selected for further processing must bring two identical printed photos to the visa interview. Each photo must measure 2 × 2 inches and be printed on photo-quality paper.
No. Take a new photograph for every DV Lottery entry.
Submitting the same image used in a previous year’s entry may make you ineligible, even when your appearance has not changed. The photograph must have been taken within the previous six months.
Do not use:
Yes. The entrant, spouse, and every eligible child included in the entry generally need separate photographs that meet the same technical and composition requirements.
An individual photo must be submitted for each qualifying child. A spouse or child who is already a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident does not generally require a photograph.
Position the camera at eye level and look directly into the lens. Keep enough distance between yourself and the wall to prevent a visible shadow behind your head.
Use soft, even lighting from the front. Avoid strong overhead lighting, direct flash, or light coming from only one side.
Take the photograph in normal everyday clothing. Uniforms should not be worn, except religious clothing worn daily. Remove glasses, hats, headphones, wireless devices, and other accessories that could obscure your face. Religious head coverings are permitted when worn daily, but the full face must remain visible and the covering must not cast shadows.
Upload the original camera image rather than a screenshot or an image downloaded from social media.
A DV photo may be unsuitable when:
The photo tool can resize and prepare an image, but final acceptance is determined by the U.S. authorities reviewing the entry or application.
A baby or child must be the only person visible in the photograph. A parent’s hand, arm, or other support must not appear in the frame.
Place the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet and photograph the child from directly above. Another option is to cover a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet. Ensure that the child’s face is clearly visible and that no shadows fall across it.
The digital photo must be exactly 600 × 600 pixels.
The JPEG file must be 240 KB or less.
No. The online DV entry requires a JPEG or JPG file.
Use a neutral facial expression with both eyes open and look directly at the camera.
Glasses are not normally permitted. Rare medical exceptions require appropriate medical documentation.
The finished background must be plain white or off-white, but editing must not change your face, skin texture, head shape, or other identifying features. Avoid artificial-looking edges around the hair and shoulders.
Only when it was taken within the previous six months, has not been used in an earlier DV entry, and meets every current DV requirement. A photograph copied or scanned directly from a passport or another identity document is not acceptable.