Check or type the two machine-readable lines
The two lines with the <<< signs at the bottom of your photo page, 44 characters each.
Exactly as you will type them on the entry form
The free check counts the problems in your photo and answers. The $5 full review marks each one on your photo and tells you exactly how to fix it, with your passport, family and document checks in one printable report.
Start the free check →What the entry form asks about your passport
The current regulation, 22 CFR 42.33, requires the entry to include the number of your valid, unexpired passport, your name, the country or authority that issued it and its expiry date, unless a limited legal exemption applies. It also requires a scan of the passport’s biographic and signature page: a JPEG (JFIF) file of 5 MB or less; PDF files are not accepted.
What this check does
- Reads the two machine-readable lines and verifies all five check digits.
- Confirms the document is a passport, shows the issuing country to select on the form and checks the expiry date.
- Compares the last name, first and middle names, date of birth and sex you will type with your passport, character by character.
- Checks that your scan is a real JPEG of 5 MB or less, and saves an upright JPEG copy on your device if it is not.
It cannot authenticate a passport or confirm that the page shows your signature: tick the box once you have checked it yourself.
Questions
Do I need a passport to enter the DV lottery?
Yes. Under the current regulation (22 CFR 42.33) the entry asks for your valid, unexpired passport’s number, your name, the issuing country or authority and the expiry date, unless a limited legal exemption applies.
What passport scan does the entry form need?
A scan of the biographic and signature page of your valid, unexpired passport, as a JPEG (JFIF) file of 5 MB or less. PDF files are not accepted.
What are the two lines with <<< at the bottom of my passport?
They are the machine-readable zone. They repeat your name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, sex and expiry date, with check digits that reveal reading or typing mistakes. The tool reads them to compare with what you type.
Is my passport uploaded or saved?
No. Your passport is read inside your browser. The image, the passport number and the machine-readable lines are never uploaded, saved or sent to AI.
My name has accents or another alphabet. How do I type it?
The entry form must be completed in the Roman alphabet, with your name exactly as it appears in your passport. The machine-readable lines show how your passport spells it without accents (for example Ü may appear as UE).