Under a U.S. rule that took effect on 10 April 2026, a DV entry must include the main entrant's valid passport details and scans of the passport pages, with a few exceptions. If you don't have a passport yet, start the application with the Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) now — it can take weeks.
What you need
- A valid, unexpired passport
- The passport number, the issuing country and the expiry date, exactly as printed
- A clear scan or photo of the photo (biographic) page
- A scan of the signature page, if your signature is on a different page
Scan rules
- JPEG file, up to 5 MB per page
- The whole page visible, flat, not cut off at the edges
- Sharp enough that every letter and number can be read
- No glare from a lamp or the sun on the plastic page
- A PDF isn't accepted for the official upload
Take the photo in daylight, with the passport flat on a dark table. Hold the phone straight above it.
Dates on your passport
Ethiopian passports print dates in the Gregorian calendar. Enter the expiry date exactly as printed. For your birth date you can use the Ethiopian calendar in our form — we convert it and show you the result before you confirm.
Exemptions
A small number of people are exempt from the passport requirement under the rule. If you think you are one of them, tick the exemption box in the form and explain why. Our team checks every exemption against the official instructions before submission.
If your passport expires soon
If your passport expires before registration opens or before we submit your entry, renew it and send us the new details. We'll put your application on hold until it's updated.
The official instructions for each DV year are the final authority. We check them again when registration opens and tell you if anything changes.