Get your Diversity Visa photo under the size limit
Drop your photo and FitSize gets it under the DV size limit in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded to us.
Instant client-side compression · Up to 2 GB per file · Zero server upload
- Current limit
- 240 KB
- FitSize aims for
- 240 KB
- Last checked
- 30 September 2026
- Read on
- cm.usembassy.gov
The Diversity Visa entry can reject a photo for its size, shape or dimensions, and the size limit is only one of them. It is a small square JPEG, so a normal phone photo is far too large until it has been cropped and resized. This page lists what the instructions require and what a compression tool can and cannot fix.
Why US DV photo has this limit
Why does the DV Lottery reject your photo? The U.S. Department of State requires Diversity Visa entries to weigh under 240 KB at exactly 600x600 pixels. FitSize resizes and compresses your portrait via the W3C WebCodecs API in-browser, meeting official consular standards with zero-byte server upload privacy.
The instructions do not explain the requirement; they state it. The digital image must be a JPEG of 240 kB or less, in a square aspect ratio, 600 x 600 pixels. This page reads them from a US Embassy's copy of the State Department's DV-2026 instructions, so check the current year's instructions before you enter.
Source: cm.usembassy.gov
What FitSize does with your file
Compression alone will not fix this photo: the size limit comes with a fixed shape and fixed dimensions. FitSize aims for the size limit, and you still need to crop to a square and resize to the required pixels first. A photo that is the right shape and pixels but too large is exactly what compression is for.
Your file never leaves your device. It is read and compressed by your browser, and nothing is uploaded to a server.
Three things to watch on US DV photo
- Size is only one of four requirements. The photo must be a JPEG, at most 240 kB, in a square aspect ratio, and 600 x 600 pixels, so meeting the size limit is not enough on its own. Source: cm.usembassy.gov
- Scanning an existing photo has extra rules. If you scan an existing photo it must be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) and scanned at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch, on top of the digital image requirements. Source: cm.usembassy.gov
- Some photos are not accepted at all. Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver's licences or other official documents are not acceptable, and neither are snapshots, magazine photos, low-quality vending machine photos or full-length photographs. Eyeglasses are not allowed. Source: cm.usembassy.gov
FitSize vs traditional cloud converters
| Architecture Feature | FitSize (In-Browser) | Traditional Cloud Converters |
|---|---|---|
| Latency | Instant / 0s queue delay | 15–45s upload queue & network delay |
| Privacy | 0-Byte Server Upload (100% on-device) | Files uploaded & stored on third-party servers |
| Bandwidth | 0 MB upload bandwidth consumed | Full upload and download bandwidth consumed |
| Exact File Size Guarantee | Deterministic bit-budget target | Trial-and-error guesswork re-compression |
Frequently asked questions about US DV photo compression
What are the exact photo specifications for the US Diversity Visa (Green Card Lottery)?
The photo must be exactly 600x600 pixels (square), in JPEG format, with file size equal to or less than 240 KB, using 24-bit sRGB color space and no artificial background editing.
Why do official consular validators reject entry photos?
Photos are rejected for exceeding 240 KB, improper eye height (56–69% of image height), or severe JPEG compression artifacts that obscure facial landmarks.
Is it safe to format lottery entry portraits with FitSize?
Yes. Your biometrics and personal photo remain strictly on your local machine. FitSize compresses and verifies dimensions entirely in-browser with zero server uploads.