Originally published at https://www.photogovs.com/blog/dv-lottery-photo-rejected
A DV lottery photo is usually rejected because it is not exactly 600×600 pixels, is over 240 KB, is not a JPEG, has a non-white background, or shows glasses or editing. You cannot correct a submitted entry, so prepare a compliant, recent photo before the next registration period opens on dvprogram.state.gov.
This guide restates the published Department of State rules for Diversity Visa (DV) digital entry photos, lists the rejection causes we see most often, and shows how to prepare a 600×600 JPEG with PhotoGov before you enter. It is not immigration advice. PhotoGov does not file DV entries for you, and meeting the file rules does not guarantee that the Department of State will accept your photo or your entry.
Is DV-2028 open?
Important
Entry dates for DV-2028 had not been announced as of October 2026. The Department of State publishes each year’s instructions and dates on travel.state.gov. Enter only at dvprogram.state.gov when that year’s registration opens. PhotoGov is a photo preparation tool only—we do not register DV entries, check eligibility, or submit applications on your behalf.
Use the wait for official dates to get the photograph right. A wrong file can waste a year of eligibility because you cannot fix a photo after you submit. When instructions appear, read them on travel.state.gov and enter only through the official DV site.
The official DV photo spec
For online DV entries, the Department of State’s photo page and the DV program instructions require a digital image that is JPEG, square, exactly 600×600 pixels, and no larger than 240 KB. DV entry photos must also meet the same quality and composition standards as U.S. visa photos: colour, recent likeness, plain white or off-white background, and a head size within the published range.
DV digital entry photo checklist (published rules)
| Requirement | What the Department of State expects |
|---|---|
| File format | JPEG (.jpg) |
| File size | ≤ 240 KB |
| Aspect ratio | Square (height equals width) |
| Pixel size | Exactly 600 × 600 pixels |
| Colour | Colour image; 24-bit sRGB (common camera output) |
| Recency | Taken within the last six months; current appearance |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Head size | Head height 50–69% of the image height (chin to top of head) |
| Glasses | Not allowed in visa / DV photos |
| Editing | Do not manipulate or digitally alter appearance |
Composition details also matter. Face the camera directly, keep a neutral expression with both eyes open, and wear everyday clothing—not a uniform (religious clothing worn daily is an exception). Do not submit a photo of a driver’s licence or passport page. Official examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos are linked from travel.state.gov.
If you scan a printed photo instead of shooting digitally, the paper print must itself meet the 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) visa-photo rules and be scanned at about 300 pixels per inch before you produce the 600×600 JPEG. Scanning an old ID photo is still risky: age, glare and soft focus often fail the six-month and quality rules.
Why DV photos get rejected
Most DV photo failures are technical. The portal expects a precise file. A phone selfie that “looks fine” can still fail every rule below.
- Wrong dimensions: not exactly 600×600 pixels (too small, too large, or not square).
- File over 240 KB: high-quality phone exports and studio JPEGs often exceed the cap.
- Wrong format: PNG, HEIC, WebP or PDF instead of JPEG (.jpg).
- Head too large or too small: outside the 50–69% head-height window in the composition template.
- Background not white or off-white: grey walls, outdoor scenes, patterns, or shadows behind the head.
- Eyeglasses: frames, tint or glare—glasses are not allowed in visa photos.
- Retouching or beauty filters: instructions warn that manipulated photos may make you ineligible.
- Reusing last year’s DV photo: same-photo reuse across years is explicitly discouraged and may make you ineligible.
- Scanned ID or passport photos: low quality, wrong crop, or not a recent live portrait.
Any one of these can invalidate an entry photograph. Fix the file before you open the DV form—not after you hit submit.
Can you fix a rejected DV entry?
No. Official DV instructions state that you cannot change or correct a submitted entry. If you discover a bad photograph after submission, you cannot upload a replacement for that same entry.
Submitting more than one entry for the same person in the same DV year can cancel all of that person’s entries. Do not try to “re-enter with a better photo” for the same program year. The only safe path is to prepare a compliant, recent photo before you enter once at dvprogram.state.gov.
Important
If your entry is already submitted with a non-compliant photo, treat that year’s digital entry photograph as locked. Use this guide to prepare a correct file for a future registration period when it opens—not to create a duplicate entry now.
Make a compliant photo with PhotoGov
PhotoGov’s DV Lottery Photo preset targets the published digital entry size: 51×51 mm reference (600×600 px at 300 DPI), white background, JPEG, max 240 KB. The goal is correct crop and file size—not changing your facial features. Official guidance forbids digitally altering appearance; do not use beauty filters or tools that reshape the face.
- Open the DV Lottery Photo requirements page and start from that preset (or choose DV Lottery Photo in Create).
- Upload a clear, recent front-facing portrait taken in soft light against a plain wall. Leave space above the head; remove glasses.
- Crop and export to exactly 600×600 pixels with a plain white background.
- Check the downloaded JPEG file size. It must be 240 KB or less. Re-export with slightly lower JPEG quality if needed—do not crush the face into blockiness.
- Confirm the head fills roughly half to two-thirds of the frame height, then keep the file ready for dvprogram.state.gov when registration opens.
Before you upload on the official site, open the file properties: confirm JPEG, 600×600, and ≤240 KB. Compare your framing to the Department of State photo composition template. PhotoGov’s document page also reminds you to check the official rules before submitting.
Prepare a square DV Lottery JPEG at 600×600 pixels and under 240 KB—then verify it against travel.state.gov before you enter.
Open DV Lottery photo requirements
Selected later? Interview photos
If you are selected and invited to a Diversity Visa interview, the digital entry file is not the end of the photo story. Each DV applicant must bring two identical printed photos to the interview. Those prints follow the standard U.S. visa 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) paper rules—plain white or off-white background, recent colour likeness, and the same composition standards.
Plan for a fresh printed pair when you prepare interview documents. You can start from the US visa photo requirements page for the 2×2 inch print pathway, still following the latest instructions on travel.state.gov.
- DV Lottery photo requirementsPrimary digital entry preset: 600×600 px, ≤240 KB JPEG
- US visa photo (2×2 inch)Interview print pathway after selection
- US green card photoRelated square US immigration format
- US passport photoSame 2×2 inch idea; different application channel
- All document formats49 passport, visa and ID presets across 17 countries/regions
- Create a photoOpen the tool and pick the DV Lottery Photo preset
Checklist before you enter
- JPEG (.jpg), square, exactly 600×600 pixels, ≤240 KB.
- Taken within six months; not last year’s DV upload.
- Plain white or off-white background; no shadows or patterns.
- No eyeglasses; eyes open; neutral expression; no beauty filters.
- Head height about 50–69% of the frame; face centred.
- You will enter once only at dvprogram.state.gov after official dates are published.
Bottom line: DV entry photos fail most often on exact pixels, kilobytes, JPEG type, background, glasses or editing—and you cannot correct a submitted entry. Prepare a compliant recent photo early, wait for official DV-2028 dates on travel.state.gov, and enter only at dvprogram.state.gov. PhotoGov helps with the file; the Department of State decides acceptance.
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