Green Card Lottery Photo DV-2027: Requirements, How to Take It on a Phone and Check It for Free

Under the current instructions (DV-2026; new ones for DV-2027 are not out yet), the photo must be:

• JPEG format, file size no more than 240 KB;
• a 600×600 pixel square, in color (24-bit, sRGB);
• the head from the chin to the top of the hair takes up 50–69% of the height, the eyes are at 56–69% from the bottom;
• facing the camera, neutral expression, both eyes open;
• plain white or off-white background, no shadows;
• taken within the last 6 months, with no retouching or filters.

The DV photo must meet the same standards as a U.S. visa photo.

Exactly 600×600 pixels and no more than 240 KB in JPEG format.

If your photo is larger, you need to crop it to a square so the head takes up 50–69% of the height, and then compress it. Simply shrinking the whole image will not work: the head will be too small. Our photo checker shows what is wrong and can prepare the photo to 600×600 and 240 KB automatically.

No. Since 2016, glasses are banned in U.S. visa photos, and therefore in DV lottery photos too, even with clear lenses.

An exception is possible only for medical reasons with a doctor's note, but for the lottery it is safer to take your glasses off. Also remove headphones and wireless headsets. A head covering is allowed only for religious reasons, and it must not cover your face.

Your expression must be neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open.

A natural, barely visible smile is usually not a problem, but a wide smile showing teeth, squinting eyes or a raised eyebrow is a risk. Look straight at the camera and do not tilt or turn your head.

We do not recommend it. State Department instructions say that photos changed in any way may make you ineligible for a visa.

Replacing the background, smoothing skin, "beauty" filters, changing eye color – all of this counts as editing. You may only crop the image and compress the file. The safest option is to retake the photo against a light wall in even lighting.

Yes, a phone works if you do everything right.

1. Stand 30–50 cm (1–1.5 ft) in front of a plain white or light gray wall.
2. Have another person take the photo from 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) at eye level, without zoom. Selfies distort the face.
3. Use soft daylight from the front, flash off, no shadows on the face or behind the head.
4. Take off glasses, headphones and hats; hair should not cover your eyes or eyebrows.
5. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression.

Then upload the photo to our photo checker: it will crop it to 600×600 and show any errors.

Only if it was taken within the last 6 months and meets all the digital requirements.

Scanning a printed passport photo is not a good idea: scans come out blurry, and the head size is wrong. And using a photo you already submitted to the lottery last year is not allowed: the instructions clearly say this is a reason for DV disqualification.

Both options work. What matters is that the result meets the requirements.

• At a photo studio, ask specifically for a digital "U.S. visa / DV lottery" photo, 600×600, JPEG up to 240 KB, and check the file before you submit: studios also make mistakes with the head size.
• At home on a phone, the result is just as good if you get the lighting and background right, and it is free.

Any photo is worth running through a check before you submit, because the State Department form only checks the file size, not whether the photo meets the requirements.

Every child in the entry, even a newborn, needs their own photo that meets the same requirements.

• You can lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet and take the photo from above.
• No one else should be in the frame: no parent's hands or shoulder, no toys.
• The child's eyes must be open, face toward the camera.

For babies, the rules on facial expression are less strict, but a missing or clearly unacceptable photo of a child is one of the most common reasons for disqualification.

Yes. If you are legally married, you must list your husband or wife, with a photo that meets the same requirements, even if they do not plan to move or you live separately.

A photo is not needed only for family members who are already U.S. citizens or have a Green Card. Read more about who to list in our guide to filling out the entry form.

In our online DV photo checker. It is free, needs no registration and works right in your browser: your photo is not uploaded anywhere.

The tool checks the format, the 600×600 size, the file size up to 240 KB, the head position and size, the background and the lighting. The official State Department tool (Photo Tool on travel.state.gov) only crops the photo, it does not evaluate it. No service can guarantee that your photo will be accepted: the final decision is made by the consular officer.

When you submit, the form only checks the file size and format, so an entry with a bad photo may be accepted.

The problem comes later: if you are selected, the consular officer will compare your photo with the requirements and may find you ineligible for DV. In other words, you lose your win because of the photo. That is why you should check your photo before you submit, not after.