Updated · how we check
DV lottery photo size
The DV lottery form takes a photo of 600 × 600 px, at most 240 KB, as JPG/JPEG. A file of 240,000 bytes or less passes whether the portal counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes.
DV lottery photo
JPG · under 240 KB (at most 240,000 bytes) · 600x600 px · white background
PixelFit aims at 240,000 bytes or less, so the file passes whether the form counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes.
Fit, background and padding crop to fill · white background
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
DV lottery upload specifications
Values for the US Diversity Visa (DV) Program entry photo, copied from U.S. Department of State: Photo Requirements, Diversity Visa Program entrants (travel.state.gov page as served on adoption.state.gov), checked 31 October 2026; "not stated" means the source gives no figure for it.
| Upload | Pixel size | Print size | File size | Format | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 600 × 600 px | 51 × 51 mm at 300 DPI | at most 240 KB | JPG/JPEG | plain white or off-white |
DV lottery sizes in pixels and millimetres
Print sizes become pixels at a resolution (pixels = mm ÷ 25.4 × DPI); pixel sizes become print sizes the other way round. Computed for the DV lottery uploads at 200 and 300 DPI.
| Upload | Aspect ratio | Megapixels | At 200 DPI | At 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 1:1 (print size) | 0.36 MP at 300 DPI | 402 × 402 px | 602 × 602 px |
What the DV lottery KB limits mean in bytes
The DV lottery photo limit of 240 KB is 245,760 bytes when 1 KB = 1,024 bytes and 240,000 bytes when 1 KB = 1,000 bytes; a file of 240,000 bytes or less passes either way.
Estimated JPG file size for DV lottery uploads
Estimated from sizes measured with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on public-domain sample images (31 October 2026), interpolated to each target size. Your own scan can land 30-50% either side, which is why the tool measures the real file.
| Upload | Pixel size used | Quality 60 | Quality 75 | Quality 85 | Quality 95 | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 600 × 600 px | 35.2 KB | 45.5 KB | 60.4 KB | 108 KB | at most 240 KB |
Will the DV lottery photo fit the limit?
For the DV lottery photo at 600 × 600 px, even quality 95, the highest setting estimated here, stays under 240 KB at about 108 KB.
DV lottery rejection checklist
Upload checks computed from the DV lottery specification; a file that fails any one of them is usually refused at upload or flagged later.
- Photo: File type is JPG/JPEG (a PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still rejected).
- Photo: The DV lottery photo file is no larger than 240 KB (240,000 bytes is safe under both KB definitions).
- Photo: Pixel size is 600 × 600 px.
- Photo: Background: plain white or off-white.
How to resize your photo for DV lottery
-
Take or scan the photo
Use a recent colour photo (background: plain white or off-white). Frame it in the 51 × 51 mm shape.
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Load the preset
Drop the file into the tool at the top of this page. The "DV lottery photo" preset is already set to 600 × 600 px and at most 240 KB, as JPG/JPEG.
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Check the result
Read the before and after sizes: the DV lottery photo must end at or under 240,000 bytes. Download it.
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Upload and preview
Upload the file on the DV lottery form and check the preview before you submit; verify the figures with the official notice first.
What the DV lottery source also says
- The State Department photo tool crops a picture to exactly 600 x 600 pixels; a State Department employee decides whether the photo is acceptable.
- Photo: Square aspect ratio: the height must equal the width.
- Photo: A scanned existing photo must be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), scanned at 300 pixels per inch.
- Photo: Selectees bring two identical 2 x 2 inch prints on photo-quality paper to the interview.
- Photo: The head must fill 50% to 69% of the image height, chin to top of head; eyeglasses are no longer allowed in new visa photos except in rare medical cases.
DV lottery compared with similar forms
Of these 5 forms, the DV lottery photo limit of 240 KB is the most generous, level with US visa; a file made for a stricter form usually passes a more generous one only if it also meets the minimum and the pixel size.
| Form | Photo size | Photo file size | Signature file size |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV lottery (this page) | 600 × 600 px | at most 240 KB | none |
| US visa | 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px | at most 240 KB | none |
| Canada IEC | at least 420 × 540 px | at least 60 KB | none |
| Indonesia e-VOA | no pixel size stated | at most 200 KB | none |
| China visa | 354 × 472 to 420 × 560 px | 40 KB–120 KB | none |
Where the DV lottery figures come from
This page covers DV-2026 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program entries.
The same figures appear in Instructions for the 2026 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2026), plain language instructions and FAQs, also checked on 31 October 2026.
Verify with the official DV lottery notice before you submit: forms change between application cycles and the check on the live portal is final.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Photo Requirements, Diversity Visa Program entrants (travel.state.gov page as served on adoption.state.gov), U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, checked 31 October 2026: adoption.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-inform…
- Measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026, interpolated to each DV lottery target size, on this sample: head-and-shoulders portrait, Pete Souza (Official White House photo), public domain: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama.jpg
- Same figures: Instructions for the 2026 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2026), plain language instructions and FAQs, checked 31 October 2026: childabduction.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Diversity-Visa…
Frequently asked questions
What is the photo size for DV lottery in KB?
The DV lottery photo must be at most 240 KB (keep it at or under 240,000 bytes to be safe), 600 × 600 px, as JPG/JPEG.
What is the signature size for DV lottery?
The DV lottery source sets no separate signature upload; only the photo is uploaded.
How do I resize my photo to 240 KB for DV lottery?
Open the tool on this page with the DV lottery photo preset, drop the file and download the result: it searches JPG quality until the file is under 240 KB; at 600 × 600 px expect about 60.4 KB at quality 85. Nothing is uploaded.
What pixel size should the DV lottery photo be?
600 × 600 px, printed 51 × 51 mm. At 300 DPI that is 602 × 602 px; at 200 DPI 402 × 402 px.
Can I upload a PNG or PDF for the DV lottery photo?
Only JPG/JPEG; PNG, PDF, HEIC are not listed. The tool can turn a PNG, WebP or (in Safari) HEIC file into JPG while it resizes.
Related
Similar forms
- US visa photo size at most 240 KB
- Canada IEC photo size at least 60 KB
- Indonesia e-VOA photo size at most 200 KB
- China visa photo size 40 KB–120 KB
- Rwanda visa photo size at most 500 KB
- Tanzania e-Visa photo size at most 500 KB
Compress to the DV lottery limits
- Compress an image to 240 KB DV lottery photo limit at most 240 KB
Resize to the exact size
- Resize an image to 51×51 mm DV lottery photo
- Resize an image to 600×600 px DV lottery photo
- Image resizer (any size and KB target)
Change the file format
- PNG to JPG DV lottery accepts JPG/JPEG
- WEBP to JPG DV lottery accepts JPG/JPEG
- HEIC to JPG DV lottery accepts JPG/JPEG