1. Open the original
Choose a recent photograph with room around your head and shoulders. Read the original file checks before making changes. A file that passes dimensions and size checks still needs visual review.
Free DV entry photo preparation
DV Lottery Photo Checker and Resizer
Check your original file, frame your portrait with head and eye guides, and prepare a 600 × 600 JPEG under 240 KB. Your photo stays in your browser.
Independent tool, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State. No account or watermark. Local face validation begins after you choose a photo.
How to check and prepare your DV photo
2. Frame your portrait
Use automatic guide placement to center and scale the detected face, or drag and zoom the square crop yourself. Keep all important head details inside the photograph.
3. Position the guides
The optional assistant frames the photo and estimates the eye and chin positions. Always place the top of hair or head guide yourself and confirm every position before interpreting the measurements.
4. Prepare and download
Review the expression, background, lighting and sharpness checklist. Prepare a JPEG, check its dimensions and byte size, then download it. The prepared file does not include guide lines or a watermark.
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DV entry photo file requirements
| Property | Target |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 600 × 600 pixels |
| Shape | Square, without stretching |
| File | JPEG, no more than 240 KB |
| Color | 24 bit color in sRGB |
| Compression | Official guidance: no greater than 20:1 |
Sources: Department of State DV photo requirements and digital image specifications. The export uses a conservative 240,000-byte ceiling. Requirements reviewed October 1, 2026. Check the instructions for your entry year before submission.
The encoder selects the highest tested quality within the size limit. Its compression ratio is an estimate based on 600 × 600 × 3 uncompressed bytes. This estimate cannot prove how much an earlier editor compressed your original. JPEG quality percentages are not compression ratios, and padding a file would not restore detail.
Head size and eye position
The official digital composition template places head height, from top of hair to bottom of chin, between 50% and 69% of the image height. Eye level should be between 56% and 69% measured from the bottom. On a 600-pixel image this corresponds to a head height of 300 to 414 pixels and an eye level 336 to 414 pixels above the bottom. See the official composition template.
The tool calculates these proportions from your final guide positions. Optional face landmark detection can estimate the eye and chin guides and flag a visibly tilted eye line. It does not identify you, certify pose or reliably detect the top of hair. Confirm each guide carefully. The eye measurement uses the bottom of the image, even though the adjustment sliders display positions from the top.
What requires your own review
Use a color photo taken within six months, with a neutral expression, open eyes and your face directly toward the camera. Remove glasses and headphones. Choose everyday clothing and a plain white or off-white background with even lighting. Religious head coverings must leave the face visible without shadows. Refer to official guidance for exceptions.
Inspect the eyes and facial details at full size. A blurry or shadowed photo can meet every file requirement and still be unsuitable. Retake the photograph if it is out of focus, heavily compressed or incorrectly lit. Do not rely on EXIF dates to establish recency, and do not reuse a photograph submitted for a previous DV entry. Review the annual DV instructions.
Why there is no background remover
DV instructions warn that manipulated photos may make an applicant ineligible. This editor preserves the photographed background and does not retouch facial features. If the background is unsuitable, take a new photo. Transparent cutouts are rejected instead of being silently placed on white.
Online entry and printed interview photos
This workspace prepares a single digital file for an entry. A print sheet is not the upload file. Official guidance separately describes printed interview photos and scanning an existing 2 × 2 inch photograph at 300 pixels per inch. Use the passport photo maker for print layouts and verify your interview instructions.
Privacy and mobile use
Your photograph is processed locally and is not uploaded to a processing server. After you choose a photo, the MediaPipe runtime and model download and check a resized working copy for one clear face. Automatic framing uses the same local detector against a resized copy of the original so it can recover from an unsuitable crop. Each detector session is released after its result, and the site does not retain facial landmarks. Touch controls and sliders work on mobile. Prepared JPEGs exclude source EXIF and GPS metadata, while an unchanged original download retains its existing metadata.
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Frequently asked questions
Does this checker guarantee acceptance?
No. It checks file properties and calculates measurements from guides you place. It cannot verify identity, recency, prior use, editing history or all visual requirements. The U.S. Department of State determines acceptance. ImgTweak is an independent tool.
Is a DV photo 600x600 or 1200x1200?
The DV entry section of the Department of State photo requirements specifies exactly 600 by 600 pixels. General visa image guidance also discusses other dimensions. This tool prepares the DV entry size of 600 by 600.
Can I use a PNG or a photo from my phone?
You can open JPG, PNG or WebP photographs and export JPEG. Use a sharp original taken against a suitable background. For HEIC, convert it to JPG first. File conversion does not fix an unsuitable photo.
Can I replace the background with white?
This tool preserves the photographed background. DV instructions warn about manipulated photos. Retake the photo against a plain white or off-white background instead of using a background remover or face retouching.
Why does the tool ask me to position guides?
The optional face landmark assistant can estimate the eye and chin positions without identifying you. It cannot reliably find the top of your hair or head, so you must position that guide and confirm every guide. A measurement is only as accurate as the final positions.
Does 300 DPI matter for the online file?
This tool exports pixels for an online entry. Changing a DPI label does not improve detail. The official scanning instructions specify a 2 by 2 inch print scanned at 300 pixels per inch. A printed interview photo is a separate requirement.
Why is a small photo still a problem after resizing?
Enlargement creates more pixels without recovering missing detail. The editor warns when your selected crop contains fewer than 600 source pixels per side. Use a sharper, larger original and avoid excessive zoom.
Are my photos uploaded or stored?
Processing takes place in this browser. The tool does not upload the photograph or save it to an account. Face detector files download after you choose a photo, but your photo and facial landmarks stay on your device. Download your work before leaving or refreshing. Original downloads preserve the original file; prepared JPEGs exclude original EXIF and GPS metadata.
Can I cancel and start again?
Yes. Close the editor to interrupt preparation, then reopen it or choose another photo. There is no persistent retry lock. Refreshing clears the workspace.
Check your photo before submitting
Start with an original photo and review the file requirements and composition.