Check your DV Lottery photo against the official rules
Put a photo on the frame. The checker measures the head size, the eye level and the background, and reads the file. If a crop is enough, you get a ready 600×600 JPEG.
DV · 600 × 600 px · JPEG · ≤ 240 KB · 24-bit sRGB
- Free. No sign-up.All checks and the automatic fix are free.
- Checked in memory, then deletedYour photo is never stored, logged or shared with third parties.
- Crop only. Never a new pixel.The fix only crops, resizes and re-encodes. If a crop is not enough, it asks for a retake.
Validation Results
Upload and validate a photo to see results
Privacy: your photo is processed in memory and discarded immediately — never stored, logged, or shared with third parties.
This tool provides automated estimates based on DV Lottery guidelines. Always review your final photo before submission.
What the rules measure, and who checks each one
20 published requirements: 5 read from the file, 9 measured from your photo, 6 for you to confirm
This section is in English for now.
The U.S. Department of State publishes these requirements for the online Diversity Visa entry. The checker measures what a machine can measure. The rest is for you to confirm.
- MeasuredFound in the pixels of your photo.
- From the fileRead from the file itself.
- You confirmA machine cannot be sure. You check it.
| Requirement | Official rule | Checked by |
|---|---|---|
| File | ||
| Dimensions | 600 × 600 pixels, square | From the file |
| Format | JPEG | From the file |
| File size | 240 KB or less | From the file |
| Color | 24-bit color, sRGB | From the file |
| Compression | 20:1 or less | From the file |
| Framing | ||
| Head height | 50–69% of the photo height, from the top of the hair to the chin | Measured |
| Eye level | 56–69% of the photo height, from the bottom | Measured |
| Position | Centered, full face, facing the camera | Measured |
| People | Only you in the photo | Measured |
| Photo quality | ||
| Background | Plain white or off-white | Measured |
| Light | Even, with no shadows on the face or the background | Measured |
| Focus | Sharp and clear | Measured |
| Eyes | Open, looking at the camera | Measured |
| Expression | Neutral | Measured |
| You confirm | ||
| Eyeglasses | Not allowed, except when you cannot remove them for medical reasons | You confirmWe flag likely glasses |
| Head covering | Not allowed, except one worn daily for religious reasons | You confirmWe flag likely coverings |
| Clothing | Everyday clothes, no uniform | You confirm |
| Recency | Taken in the last 6 months | You confirmWe read the date when the file has it |
| Unaltered | Not edited, filtered or made with AI | You confirmWe look for traces of editing software |
| New photo | Not used in an earlier entry | You confirm |
The checker also runs its own quality measures, such as brightness, noise and compression artifacts. These are our estimates, not official numbers.
The fix only crops. It never adds a pixel.
What the fix does, what it never does, and an example
This section is in English for now.
When the only problems are the framing and the file, the fix cuts a square around your head at the official proportions. It scales the square down to 600×600 and saves a JPEG of 240 KB or less. That is all it does.
If a crop is not enough, the checker asks you for a retake.
Your photo3024 × 4032 px · 3.1 MB
The fixed file600 × 600 px · 198 KB · JPEG
The fix does
- Crops to the official head size and eye level
- Scales the photo down to 600×600 pixels
- Saves a JPEG of 240 KB or less
The fix never does
- Retouch or smooth your face
- Replace, whiten or blur the background
- Add pixels, stretch or enlarge the photo
- Use AI to change the photo
The official rules say your photo must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance. Background replacement, skin smoothing, beauty filters and AI enhancement are all alterations. Phones can apply some of them without asking, for example in portrait mode. If the background fails, take a new photo against a plain wall. Do not replace the background in an app.
Read the guide to the AI photo ban
Common questions
Photo size, the background, acceptance, the State Department and privacy
This section is in English for now.
Can I upload a photo larger than 600×600 pixels?
Yes. You can upload a larger source for checking and cropping. The DV entry image must be exactly 600×600 pixels, so check the downloaded file before you use it.
Will the tool remove a background or retouch my face?
No. The fix only crops, resizes and re-encodes, and never adds a pixel. It does not retouch faces or replace the background. If a crop is not enough, it asks for a retake. Review the final file before you submit it.
Does a passing result guarantee acceptance?
No. Some requirements cannot be established from pixels alone. Only the U.S. government decides whether a submitted photo is acceptable. The checker does not replace your review of the final file.
Is DV Photo the official State Department tool?
No. DV Photo is an independent checker. It is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State.
Do you keep my photo?
No. Your photo is processed in memory and discarded immediately. It is never stored, logged or shared with third parties.
Guides for the DV photo
Why photos fail, every requirement, photos with a phone, the AI ban and the DV-2028 status
Longer answers: what each rule means, why photos fail, and how to take a good photo with a phone.
- 12 reasons a DV photo gets rejected — and which a crop can fixThe twelve failures that stop a Diversity Visa photo, sorted by what each one costs: a resize, a crop or a new photo.
- DV Lottery photo requirements 2026: every number in one placeDimensions, file size, compression, head height, eye level, background and expression, with the reason each one fails.
- How to take a green card photo with your phoneA plain wall, a window and two metres of space are enough. How to set up the camera, shoot and crop to 600×600.
- AI Photo Ban 2026: why edited passport and DV photos get rejectedWhat counts as AI, why your phone does it without asking, and how to take a compliant DV Lottery photo.
- Has DV-2028 registration opened?Whether registration is open, what changed and what to prepare.
- 12 причин, по которым отклоняют фото на DVЧасть отказов — это проблема файла, и она решается за минуту. Другая часть требует нового снимка. Двенадцать причин, разложенных по цене решения: уменьшить, обрезать или переснять.
- Требования к фото на лотерею DV: все числа в одном местеФорма подачи измеряет снимок, а не намерения. Точный размер, вес файла, степень сжатия, высота головы, уровень глаз, фон и выражение лица — с отказом по каждому пункту и объяснением, почему 600×600 и 600–1200 это не одно и то же.
- Как снять фото на грин-карту телефономХватит однотонной стены, окна и двух метров места. Как настроить камеру, чтобы она перестала улучшать картинку, снять кадр, перенести файл без потерь и обрезать до 600×600.
- Запрет фото с ИИ: почему отклоняют снимки на паспорт и грин‑картуГосдеп больше не принимает фото на документы, если их изменил искусственный интеллект, фильтр или редактор. Сложность в том, что большинство телефонов делают это без спроса. Что считается изменением, как его отключить и как снять чистый кадр.
- Открылась ли регистрация DV-2028?Нет, и DV-2027 тоже. Выдачу виз возобновили 28 августа 2026 года по решению суда, но это другое. Хронология событий, два новых правила подачи и то, что стоит подготовить до открытия окна.
Your photo is processed in memory and discarded immediately — never stored, logged, or shared with third parties.
- No account
- No copy kept after the check
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