DV lottery 2027 photo requirements, and how to make yours for free

These come from the U.S. Department of State photo requirements for Diversity Visa entries. The digital file must be:

• A JPEG file (.jpg), in color.
• Square, 600 × 600 pixels.
• 240 KB or less.
• Head size 50% to 69% of the height, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair.
• Eyes between 56% and 69% of the height from the bottom, as on the official photo template.
• Plain white or off-white background, no shadows, no pattern.
• Taken in the last 6 months, facing the camera, neutral expression, both eyes open.
• No glasses. Religious head coverings are allowed if your whole face is visible.

The DV-2027 entry period has not opened yet. On October 14, 2026, a U.S. federal court ordered the Department of State to announce the entry period by October 29, 2026, open registration by November 1, 2026, and keep it open for at least 30 days. Check dvprogram.state.gov and travel.state.gov for the official dates; this guide is updated when they are announced.

• A $1 registration fee is paid online when you submit the entry. Entry used to be free; the fee applies since September 2025.
• A valid passport is now required. You enter your passport details and upload a JPEG scan of the passport's biographic page and signature page with the entry form. Narrow exemptions exist, for example for stateless people.
• The photo rules have not changed: 600 × 600, 240 KB, the same head size and background rules as before.
• One entry per person. Submitting more than one entry disqualifies you. Your spouse may enter separately and list you.
• Keep your confirmation number. It is the only way to check your result in the Entrant Status Check.

1. 1

   Take the photo

   Stand in front of a plain light wall, face a window in daylight, and have someone take the photo at eye level from about 1 to 1.5 m. Keep your shoulders in the frame and leave space above your head.

2. 2

   Open the DV photo tool

   Add the photo to DV Lottery Photo. Your face and the top of your hair are found, the photo is cropped to 600 × 600 with the head at the right size, and the background is made white.

3. 3

   Check the guides

   The blue lines show your chin and the top of your hair, the green band shows where your eyes must be. Use Head size or the arrows if you want to adjust, and Clean edges to fix any leftover background around your hair.

4. 4

   Download and upload

   Download the JPEG (under 240 KB) and upload it on the official entry form at dvprogram.state.gov.

The passport scan is a separate upload from your photo. Scan or photograph the biographic page (the page with your photo and details) and the signature page flat, in good light, with all four corners visible and no glare on the text.

• It must be a JPEG. If your scanner gives you a PDF, turn it into an image with PDF to JPG.
• Keep it light. A phone photo of a page can be several MB. Compress image reduces it while keeping the text sharp.
• Do not crop out details such as the passport number, dates or the machine-readable lines at the bottom.

• Light: face a window during the day. A ceiling light from above casts shadows under the eyes and the nose.
• Wall: a plain white or light grey wall. The tool makes it pure white, but a busy background is harder to clean around curly or long hair.
• Camera: use the rear camera, not the selfie camera, held by someone else at eye level. Selfies at arm's length distort the face.
• Pose: look straight into the camera, head level, mouth closed, both ears and both eyes visible if possible.
• Clothes: everyday clothes. Avoid white tops on a white background, and no uniforms.
• No filters: turn off beauty modes and portrait blur. Your appearance must not be changed.

Photo problems are among the most common reasons entries are disqualified. Check yours against this list:

• Head too small (a full upper body photo) or too large (only the face).
• Grey, colored or patterned background, or shadows on the wall.
• Glasses, sunglasses, or hair covering the eyes.
• A photo that is not square, not 600 × 600, or over 240 KB.
• An old photo, or the same photo as a previous year's entry.
• A retouched or filtered photo, or one taken from too close.

If your photo is too heavy rather than too large in pixels, the DV tool already saves it under 240 KB. For other forms that ask for a size in KB, Compress image can target an exact size.

The DV lottery entry is done only on dvprogram.state.gov, and the only charge to enter is the $1 registration fee paid there. Agencies that ask for more to enter you, or promise better chances, are not the official program and cannot improve your odds. Keep your confirmation number: it is the only way to check your result.

PDFkind is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State. The photo tool runs in your browser and your photo is never uploaded to us.