United States Diversity Visa lottery photo
United States other document photo: 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 in). The head must measure 25-35 mm from the chin to the top of the head. A file uploaded online must be 600 x 600 px. The photo must have been taken in the last 6 months. Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, checked September 2, 2026.
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The original background remains because this authority does not allow replacement. Use a photo already taken against the required plain background.
The requirements
| Print size | 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 in) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 600 x 600 px |
| File size | 234 KB |
| File formats | JPEG |
| Resolution | 300dpi |
| Head height, chin to crown | 25-35 mm |
| Background | Plain white or off-white background |
| Glasses | Not allowed. Remove them for the photo. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Photo age | 6 months |
| Also required |
|
How to apply: United States
The Diversity Visa lottery, often called the green card lottery, is entered online on the State Department's E-DV website, and the photo is part of the entry. It is uploaded as a JPEG file of exactly 600 x 600 pixels, square, and no larger than 240000 bytes. That single size is the one difference from a US visa upload, which accepts a range of pixel sizes.
The photo rules themselves are the US visa rules: a colour photo taken within the last 6 months, a plain white or off-white background, a neutral expression with both eyes open, no glasses, and the head 25 to 35 mm tall on a 2 x 2 inch frame. The State Department disqualifies an entry whose photo does not meet these rules, and it also disqualifies an entry that reuses the photo from an earlier year or submits a manipulated photo.
Each person needs their own photo: the entrant, and every spouse and child listed on the entry. The Department reissues the instructions and announces the entry period each year, and it warns that the only place to enter is its own E-DV website. Check the current year's instructions on travel.state.gov before you prepare the photos, and treat any site that charges to enter for you with caution.
Why photos get rejected here
Reusing last year's photo
A photo already submitted with an earlier year's entry makes the new entry ineligible. Take a new photo for every entry period.
Wrong file size or shape
The upload must be a square JPEG of exactly 600 x 600 pixels and no larger than 240000 bytes. A rectangular crop or a phone photo at full resolution is refused.
Glasses in the photo
Glasses are not allowed in the entry photo. Take them off before the photo is taken.
A manipulated photo
Editing that changes your appearance, including filters and retouching, disqualifies the entry. Cropping the original photo to the required square is fine.
One photo for the whole family
Every person on the entry needs a separate photo. A group photo, or a photo cut out of one, is not accepted.
A shadow or a coloured background
The background must be plain white or off-white with no shadow on it or on the face.
What helps
Make the file from the original
Crop the original camera photo to a square and export it once at 600 x 600 pixels. Sending the photo through a messaging app first changes its size and quality.
Photograph each family member separately
Plan one short session and take a separate photo of every person on the entry, including babies, against the same wall.
Keep the prints for later
Selectees bring two identical 2 x 2 inch prints to the interview, so keep the original photo or print it on photo paper when the time comes.
Check the size of the head
The head from chin to crown must be 25 to 35 mm on the 2 x 2 inch frame, or about half to two thirds of the image height. Stand far enough from the camera that the shoulders show.
Babies and young children
A baby must be alone in the photo, facing the camera with eyes open. Lay the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet, and check that no shadow falls on the face and no hand or toy is in the frame.
How to take a baby's passport photo at home
Glasses
Glasses are not allowed in the entry photo. Hearing devices and similar items may be worn.
Passport photo glasses rules by country
Head covering
A hat or head covering that hides the hair or hairline is refused unless it is worn daily for a religious purpose, and it must not cast a shadow on the face.
Applying online
The entry is online only, on the State Department's E-DV website. Upload a square JPEG of exactly 600 x 600 pixels, no larger than 240000 bytes, for every person on the entry.
Questions about United States photos
Can I use my US visa photo for the DV entry?
The composition rules are the same, but the DV entry needs a square JPEG of exactly 600 x 600 pixels, and a photo used in an earlier year's entry makes the new entry ineligible.
Do my children need their own photos?
Yes. The entrant and every spouse and child listed on the entry each need a separate photo.
Can I smile or wear glasses?
Keep a neutral expression with both eyes open, and take your glasses off. Glasses are not allowed in the entry photo.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
Editor: Mehmet Apaydın (Xenit)How we check our numbers