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New DV Lottery Rules: Passport and Entry Fee

What changed in DV Lottery registration: most entrants now need a valid passport and a scan of it, the official entry fee, and what stays the same.

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A valid passport at registration

Under a rule the US State Department issued in 2026, most entrants must now enter the details of a valid, unexpired passport when registering and upload a scan of the passport data page.

This means someone without a valid passport at registration time may not be able to enter. The rule has limited exceptions, such as stateless people and some who cannot get a passport from their country, as set out in the official instructions.

The passport scan

You need a clear file of the passport data page in which all the text and the machine-readable lines at the bottom can be read. Check the allowed file type and size in the current year's instructions.

Note that the passport scan and your entry photo are two different things with different rules. Do not reuse your old passport photo as your entry photo: the entry photo must be recent (taken within the last six months).

The official entry fee

The State Department introduced a lottery entry fee of $1, paid electronically on the official site. It is not refundable, even if you are not selected.

This fee has nothing to do with the fees of any independent service, or with the visa fee that selectees pay later.

What has not changed?

The basic rules of the green card lottery are the same:

  • One entry per person per year.
  • Selection is completely random.
  • You must list your spouse and all unmarried children under 21.
  • A recent photo of every person in the required format.
  • Registration only on dvprogram.state.gov.

How to get ready now

If your passport has expired or is about to, renew it before registration opens and keep a clear scan of it.

Prepare a recent photo of yourself and every family member, and check it for free with our tool before you enter.

Questions and answers

Can I enter the DV Lottery without a passport?

Under the new rule most entrants need a valid passport at registration, except in the exempt cases set out in the official instructions.

Is an expired passport accepted?

No. The passport must be valid and unexpired at the time of registration.

Is the entry fee refunded if I am not selected?

No. The official fee is not refundable.

Have the entry photo rules changed?

The basic specifications are the same: a recent, square colour photo on a light background. Check it with our tool before you enter.

Important notice, in plain words

Please read these facts before you start, so you can decide with full information.

  • This website is an independent private service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing the US Government or the US Department of State.

  • The official entry on dvprogram.state.gov costs a $1 US government fee (non-refundable). You can enter yourself directly on the official website and pay only that $1.

  • Our 5.000 JOD fee covers only the help and submitting the entry on your behalf. The $1 government fee is passed through: we pay it for you when we submit and collect it from you, so you pay one total of 5.710 JOD.

  • Nobody, including us, can increase your chance of winning. The selection is entirely random.

  • Only one entry per person per year is allowed. Duplicate entries get you disqualified.

  • Results are published only on the official website. With the confirmation number we give you, you check them yourself.

dvprogram.state.gov — the official DV program website