DV lottery entry photo: an exactly 600×600 px JPEG of 240 KB or less
An entry to the Diversity Visa program, often called the green card lottery, needs a digital photo of you, and of your spouse and each child on the entry. The rules are the US visa photo rules, but the file must be exactly 600×600 px, not anywhere up to 1200×1200 px as on the DS-160. CropPass crops your photo to that square, frames your head inside the allowed range and encodes a JPEG under the size limit.
| Size | Exactly 600×600 px |
|---|---|
| Shape | Square (1:1) |
| File size | 54–240 KB (54 KB follows from the 20:1 compression limit) |
| Format | JPEG |
| Head height | 50–69% of the photo height, chin to crown |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows |
| Digital editing | Not allowed · CropPass only crops and resizes |
Last verified 15 October 2026 against the source: travel.state.gov ↗
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Head 50–69% of frame height. 51×51 mm, 600×600 px, white background.
Official requirements ↗How to make your US Diversity Visa (DV lottery) entry photo
- Take or choose a photo. Face the camera in even light, against a wall that fits the background rule: plain white or off-white, no shadows. Upload it as a JPEG, PNG or HEIC file; it stays on your device.
- Line up the frame. CropPass crops to the square shape of the file and marks where your head goes (50–69% of the height). Drag and zoom until your head sits inside the guides.
- Download the file. In the download step, check that "US Diversity Visa lottery entry photo (E-DV upload)" is selected and click "Download US Diversity Visa lottery entry photo (E-DV upload)". CropPass encodes a 600×600 px JPEG (54–240 KB) and shows its final size, ready to upload. The preview is free; downloading needs a pass.
Questions and answers
What size does a DV lottery photo have to be?
A square JPEG of exactly 600×600 pixels, 240 KB or less. If you scan a print instead, it must be a 2×2 in photo scanned at 300 pixels per inch, which also gives 600×600 px. CropPass exports 600×600 px and keeps the file between 54 KB and 240 KB.
Can I reuse the photo from last year’s entry?
No. The State Department’s DV instructions say that submitting the same photo you sent with a prior year’s entry may make you ineligible. Use a photo taken within the last six months, and take a new one for each year you enter.
Do my spouse and children need photos too?
Yes. Each person on the entry needs their own photo that meets the same rules, except a spouse or child who is already a US citizen or permanent resident. Make each file separately: one person per photo, with no one else in the frame.
Can I touch up the photo or wear glasses?
No to both. A photo that has been manipulated can make the entry ineligible, so CropPass only crops and resizes this file and leaves background cleanup off. Take off your glasses before the photo is taken.
More United States photos
- Standard United States photo · 51×51 mm print
- US online passport renewal photo · 1200×1200 px · JPEG · 54 KB–10 MB
- US passport photo for DS-11 and DS-82 (2×2 in print) · 2×2 in (51×51 mm) print
- US visa photo for the DS-160 · 600×600 px · JPEG · 54–240 KB
- Guide: Passport photos and visa photos: how they differ