Short answer: A baby or toddler on a Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery entry needs their own photo, with the same technical rules as yours. The DV-2026 instructions say no other person should be in the photo and the child should be looking at the camera with eyes open. The easiest setup is a baby lying on a plain white sheet, photographed from above.
This guide covers who needs a photo, the official rules for babies and toddlers, a step-by-step way to take the photo at home, and the mistakes to check before you upload. The rules quoted here come from the DV-2026 instructions as published by the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon, the latest full DV instructions we could read. When the DV-2027 instructions are published, they control; see our DV-2027 status page.
Does my baby need a photo on the DV entry?
Yes, if the child is eligible to be listed. The instructions ask you to list all living, unmarried children under 21, “regardless of whether they are living with you or intend to accompany or follow to join you,” and to “submit individual photographs of each of your children using the same technical specifications as your own photograph” (DV-2026 instructions). That includes a newborn. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa puts it simply: entries must include all children under 21 “no matter whether they live or plan to immigrate with you.”
Two details matter for families:
- Leaving a child out is risky. The instructions say failure to list all eligible children may make you ineligible, and then your spouse and children are ineligible too (DV-2026 family rules).
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident children are optional. You do not need a photo for a child who is already a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident, and you will not be penalized if you include one (DV-2026 photo rules).
The official rules for a baby or toddler photo
The DV-2026 instructions include a section called “Taking photos of your baby or toddler.” It says: “no other person should be in the photo, and your child should be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open” (baby and toddler section). The rest of the photo rules are the same as for adults:
| Rule | What the instructions say |
|---|---|
| People in the photo | Only the child; no other person |
| Eyes | Open, looking at the camera |
| Pose | Full face, directly facing the camera, neutral expression |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Head size | 50–69% of the image height, chin to top of head |
| Age of photo | Taken within the last 6 months |
| File | JPEG, square, 600×600 pixels, 240 kB or less |
| Edits | No manipulated photos |
Sources: DV-2026 instructions, U.S. Embassy in Cameroon.
The instructions we read do not list an exception for newborns with closed eyes. Some photo websites say young babies may have their eyes closed, but that is not in the DV text, so aim for open eyes.
How to take a DV photo of your baby at home, step by step
- Pick the setup. Lay your baby on their back on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with one. The instructions suggest both because they support the baby’s head and give a plain background (official baby photo tips).
- Use soft, even light. Face a window in daylight. The instructions warn: “Make certain there are no shadows on your baby’s face, especially if you take a picture from above with the baby lying down.”
- Keep your hands out of the photo. No other person may be in the photo, so do not hold the baby’s head in the frame. Practical tip: if you need to steady the baby, keep your hands below the shoulders and crop them out.
- Shoot from straight above or straight ahead. Hold the phone parallel to the baby’s face, at arm’s length, so the face is not tilted or distorted.
- Get the eyes open. Practical tip: take many shots in a row while someone behind you gets the baby’s attention, then pick the one with both eyes open and the face straight.
- Leave space around the head. Do not zoom in. You will crop to a square later, and the head must be 50–69% of the final image height.
- Crop and save the file. Crop to a square, resize to 600×600 pixels, and save as a JPEG of 240 kB or less. Do not stretch the image or change the face.
Toddlers who can sit can be photographed sitting against a plain white wall, the same way as an adult.
Check before you upload
Run through this list for every child’s photo:
- Only the child is in the photo: no hands, arms or shoulders of an adult.
- Eyes open and looking at the camera; face straight on.
- Plain white or off-white background with no pattern, toys or blanket edges.
- No shadow across the face or behind the head.
- The photo is new: taken within the last 6 months, not a photo from last year’s entry.
- The file is a 600×600 JPEG of 240 kB or less.
Our DV photo requirements page quotes the official sentence behind each rule, and our guide to photo size, pixels and common rejection reasons explains the file rules in more detail.
Common mistakes with baby photos
- A parent’s hand or arm in the frame. The rule says no other person should be in the photo.
- Eyes closed or looking away. The instructions ask for eyes open and looking at the camera.
- Shadows from above. A phone held over a lying baby often casts a shadow; move so the light comes from in front.
- Reusing an older photo. Babies change fast. The photo must be taken in the last 6 months, and the instructions say submitting the same photo used with a prior year’s entry will make you ineligible (DV-2026 photo rules).
- Filters or beauty edits. The instructions say entry photos that have been manipulated in any way may make you ineligible.
- One photo for two children. Each child needs an individual photo.
How DV Lottery Photo can help
If you already have a clear photo of your child, DV Lottery Photo can crop and resize it to a 600×600 JPEG under 240 kB and clean up the background, without altering facial features.
You see a free watermarked preview first and pay only after the automatic checks pass. You can also run any finished photo through our free DV photo checker.
You still submit the entry yourself at dvprogram.state.gov, and the State Department makes its own decision on every photo. DV Lottery Photo (dvlotteryphoto.com) is an independent photo service and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State or any government agency. Entering the Diversity Visa Program is free and can only be done at dvprogram.state.gov.