Passport & visa photos / DV lottery photo
DV lottery photo: size, rules, and a photo you can make at home
✓ Checked Oct 2026 against the official pages. See sources
A Diversity Visa (green card lottery) photo is 600 x 600 px JPEG, 240 KB or less. Take one against a plain wall at home and PhotoFit crops it to size, checks it, and gives you a 600 x 600 px file. The preview is free; the final photo is $4.99.
Make your photo
🔒 Your photo never leaves your device. Face detection, cropping, and the checks all run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to us or anyone else.
2. Your photo
Tips for a photo that passes
- Stand 2 to 4 feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall (or hang a white sheet). Step forward from the wall so no shadow falls behind you.
- Have someone else take it from about 4 feet away, camera at eye level. Selfies at arm's length distort your face.
- Face a window or a soft lamp so both sides of your face are evenly lit. No flash.
- Take off glasses and hats. Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed. Leave room above your head and show your shoulders.
- Use the original camera photo, not a screenshot or a photo sent by text.
Not an official acceptance guarantee. These are basic checks; the agency makes the final decision. Things we can't check: glasses glare, hair over the eyes, how recent the photo is, and whether it looks like you.
$4.99 for the clean photo
- The digital file at the official size
- A 4x6 print sheet (when the document needs prints). Print it at any photo kiosk as a 4x6 at 100%, then cut along the lines
- Retakes: one purchase covers up to 3 photos
The preview above is free and watermarked. Secure checkout by Stripe. Your photo stays on this device during checkout.
Printing: choose 4x6 in, "actual size" or 100%, no borders. Check one photo with a ruler before you cut.
Diversity Visa (green card lottery) photo requirements
- Digital file
- DV entry upload: JPEG, exactly 600 x 600 px, 240 KB or less.
- Head size
- 50% to 69% of the image height, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin
- Eye position
- Eye height 56% to 69% of the image height from the bottom
- Background
- Plain white or off-white
- Glasses
- Not allowed (rare medical exceptions)
- Expression
- Neutral, both eyes open
- How recent
- Taken in the last 6 months
Also required
- Each person in the entry needs their own photo
- Full-face view, directly facing the camera
- No glasses
- Do not reuse an old photo: it must reflect how you look now
Good to know
- Only enter at the official site, dvprogram.state.gov. Entry is free.
- Selectees later bring 2 identical 2 x 2 in prints to the interview.
Questions
What size is a dv lottery photo?
600 x 600 px JPEG, 240 KB or less. 50% to 69% of the image height, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin.
Can I take a dv lottery photo at home?
Yes, with a plain white or off-white wall, even light, and someone to take it. PhotoFit crops it to size and checks the basics. It doesn't edit your face or background, because agencies reject edited photos.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. PhotoFit runs in your browser, so the photo stays on your device.
Sources
From the official pages below, last checked Oct 2026. Rules change, so check them before you apply.