# DV Lottery 2027 Photo Requirements and How to Convert and Resize Your Photo Canonical: https://filevale.com/guides/dv-lottery-2027-photo-requirements-resize-convert/ Updated: 2026-11-05 > Updated November 2026 for DV-2027 entries: turn your photo into a square JPEG under 240 KB. Convert iPhone HEIC, crop, resize and check the size. The DV Lottery entry form asks for a digital photo as a JPEG file of no more than 240 KB, square, in color, between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, against a plain white or off-white background. To get there, convert the photo to JPG, crop it to a square, resize it to 600 x 600 pixels, then check that the file is under 240 KB. With DV-2027 entry guides circulating again in November 2026, including a Law.com guide to the online application form, eligibility, deadlines and fraud warnings, many people are preparing their photo on a phone. iPhone photos are usually HEIC, not JPEG, and often several megabytes, so they need converting and shrinking first. Always check the current photo rules and dates in the official entry instructions from the U.S. Department of State, and never pay a third-party site to enter for you. ## The photo rules in short - **Format:** JPEG (`.jpg`) only. HEIC, PNG and WebP files are not accepted. - **File size:** 240 KB or less. - **Shape and size:** square, at least 600 x 600 and at most 1200 x 1200 pixels. - **Look:** a recent color photo of your face, looking at the camera, on a plain white or off-white background, without eyeglasses. A photo that breaks the rules can get the entry disqualified, so it is worth getting the file right before you start the form. ## Step 1: Convert an iPhone HEIC photo to JPG [Open HEIC to JPG Converter](https://filevale.com/heic-to-jpg/) 1. Open HEIC to JPG in any browser on your iPhone, Android phone, Mac or Windows PC. 2. Add the `.heic` photo, or several if you took a few shots to choose from. 3. Convert and download the JPG files, one by one or together as a ZIP. The photos are converted in your browser and are not uploaded, which matters for a picture that will sit next to your passport details. On iPhone you can also use the free [Filevale app](/guides/best-file-converter-app-for-iphone/), which has the same kind of tools on your device. If your photo is a PNG, WebP or another format, use [Image Converter](/image-converter/) to turn it into a JPG instead. ## Step 2: Crop to a square and resize to 600 x 600 Filevale doesn't crop or resize images, so use the tools already on your device for this step: - **iPhone:** open the photo in Photos, tap **Edit**, then the crop tool, and choose the **Square** aspect ratio. Keep your head centred with some space above it. - **Mac:** open the JPG in **Preview**, crop it to a square, then choose **Tools → Adjust Size** and set the width and height to 600 pixels. - **Windows:** open the JPG in **Paint**, click **Resize**, choose **Pixels**, and set 600 by 600. Crop to a square first with **Select** and **Crop** if the photo isn't square yet. Resize after cropping, never before, or the photo gets stretched. If the photo is already square and at least 600 pixels wide, 600 x 600 is the safest size to aim for. ## Step 3: Get the file under 240 KB [Open Reduce File Size](https://filevale.com/reduce-file-size/) A 600 x 600 JPEG is usually well under 240 KB, but check the size in Finder, File Explorer or the Files app before you upload. If it is still too big, run it through Reduce File Size, which shrinks photos in your browser, then check the size again. Keep the original in case you need to start over. ## Optional: remove location data Phone photos often carry GPS location and camera details. The entry form doesn't need them, and if you plan to share the file elsewhere, [Remove EXIF Data](/remove-exif-data/) deletes the location and camera info first. For more on HEIC, see [how to convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPG](/guides/heic-to-jpg-iphone-photos/), and for other application uploads, [what to do when a visa upload is rejected](/guides/visa-application-upload-rejected-file-too-large/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I just rename a .heic file to .jpg? No. Renaming changes only the name, not the format inside, so the file is still HEIC and the entry form may reject it or show it as broken. Convert it with [HEIC to JPG](/heic-to-jpg/) so the file really is a JPEG. ### Can Filevale resize my photo to 600 x 600 pixels? No. Filevale doesn't resize or crop images. Use Photos on iPhone, Preview on Mac or Paint on Windows for that step, then use Filevale to convert the photo to JPG and shrink the file if needed. ### Can I use a photo from a previous DV Lottery entry? The State Department's instructions ask for a recent photo, and reusing an old one can get the entry disqualified. Take a new photo against a plain light background, then convert, crop and resize it with the steps above.