DV Lottery photo requirements: every number in one place
The entry form measures your photo, not your intentions. Here is every parameter, the value it expects, and the failure it produces.
On this page
The number most people get wrong
Search for DV photo requirements and you will find two different answers: exactly 600×600 pixels and 600×600 to 1200×1200 pixels. Both numbers are real. They belong to different documents.
| Where you see it | What it applies to |
|---|---|
| 600×600 to 1200×1200 | The general U.S. visa photo specification, including scanned prints |
| Exactly 600×600 | The digital image you upload with a Diversity Visa entry |
For a DV entry, submit exactly 600×600. It satisfies both documents and it is what the entry form expects. A 1200×1200 file is not safer for being larger.
File and format
| Parameter | Requirement | Why it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 600×600 pixels, square | Any other size, or width not equal to height |
| File format | JPEG | PNG, HEIC and WebP are not accepted |
| File size | 240 KB or less | A full-resolution phone photo is 3–8 MB |
| Compression | Ratio of 20:1 or lower | Squeezing a large photo under 240 KB creates visible blocks |
| Colour | 24-bit colour, sRGB | Greyscale and unusual colour profiles |
The compression trap
Two files can both be 240 KB and only one is acceptable. If you start from a 12-megapixel photo and force it under the limit, the compression ratio goes far past 20:1 and the face breaks into blocks. Resize first, then compress. Resizing to 600×600 removes most of the data before compression has to.
Where your head goes
Two measurements decide the framing. Both are percentages of the image height, so they do not depend on your build or the camera.
| Parameter | Requirement | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Head height | 50–69% of image height | Top of the hair down to the bottom of the chin |
| Eye level | 56–69% of image height | The line through both pupils, measured up from the bottom edge |
| Centring | Head centred horizontally | Offset of the face centre from the middle of the frame |
| Head tilt | Level | Angle of the line between the eyes |
Head height is the requirement people miss most often. A photo taken at arm's length usually lands above 69%. A photo cropped from a group shot usually lands below 50%.
Face and expression
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| People in frame | One person only, no other faces, no hands |
| Eyes | Both open, looking straight at the lens |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed. A smile showing teeth fails |
| Glasses | None. This applies even without glare |
| Headgear | None, unless you wear it daily for religious reasons |
Background and light
| Parameter | Requirement | Common failure |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Plain white or off-white | Patterned wallpaper, a door frame, a curtain |
| Background shadow | None | Standing too close to the wall |
| Face lighting | Even across both sides | A single window to one side |
| Exposure | Face neither blown out nor dark | Flash straight into the face |
| Sharpness | Face in focus | Motion blur, a smudged lens |
| Noise | Low | Shooting in a dim room |
Provenance
These three are about the history of the file, not the picture in it. They are the ones a photo editor cannot help with.
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Recency | Taken within the last 6 months |
| No alteration | No AI, filters, retouching or background replacement |
| Reuse | Not the photo you submitted in a previous year |
On alteration, see our separate guide to the AI photo ban. It is the newest rule and the one that catches people who did nothing wrong on purpose.
Official requirement and measured threshold are not the same thing
"Plain light background" is the official wording. A checker has to turn that into a number: how uniform, measured where. The parameters above are the official requirements. The exact tolerance any tool applies to each one is its own engineering choice, so two checkers can disagree at the edges. Where a measurement sits near a limit, retake rather than argue.
Check every parameter in one pass
DV Photo checks 32 points based on the published DV photo requirements. It measures 20 of them from the image itself and 8 from the file and its metadata, and tells you which one fails and by how much. The other 4 are reminders you verify yourself. It never retouches your face or replaces the background. Auto-fix only crops, resizes and re-encodes the file, and never adds a pixel: if a crop is not enough, it asks you to retake the photo. All 32 checks and the automatic fix are free and need no sign-up.
Check my photoHow to check each one yourself
- Dimensions and file size — your operating system's file information panel shows both.
- Head height — open the photo, measure the chin-to-hair distance against the full height. Anything near half is right.
- Eye level — the pupils should sit a little above the middle of the frame, not on it.
- Background — look at the corners. If they differ in tone, the light is uneven.
- Date — the file information panel shows when the photo was taken.
Questions people ask
Is 600×600 or 1200×1200 correct?
Use exactly 600×600 for a Diversity Visa entry. The 600–1200 range belongs to the general visa photo specification, not to the DV digital upload.
Can I submit a PNG?
No. The entry requires JPEG. Converting a PNG to JPEG is a format change, not an edit of the picture, so it is acceptable.
How is head height measured?
From the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, as a percentage of the full image height. It must land between 50% and 69%.
Can I wear glasses if I need them to see?
No. Glasses are not accepted in the photo. Take them off for the shot.
Does the six-month rule apply to the entry photo?
Yes. The photo must have been taken within the six months before you submit it.