DV-2027 entry guide
DV-2027 passport requirement: what you need now, and what is not announced yet
Updated Jul 18, 2026
Written and checked by the QueueCheck editorial team. Last checked July 18, 2026. How we verify information
Do not rely on the old rule that every principal entrant had to give a valid passport number when entering the Diversity Visa lottery. The State Department has not published final DV-2027 instructions or opened the DV-2027 entry period. Until it does, nobody can honestly promise the exact fields that will appear in the DV-2027 form.
The most recent full instructions, for DV-2026, tell entrants to write their name exactly as it appears in a passport if they have one. They do not list a passport number as a DV-2026 entry field. That is different from the interview stage: a selectee pursuing a visa needs a passport valid for at least six months beyond the planned U.S. entry date, subject to any applicable exception.
The live number right now
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The passport question has four separate stages
DV-2027 is not open yet. Treat the final DV-2027 instructions as the only authority for the entry form when they arrive.
1. Before the registration period
Right now
The State Department says it is changing parts of the DV-2027 entry process and will announce the registration opening date and selection-result date later. There is no confirmed DV-2027 entry day to use today.
2. The online lottery entry
Free, during the announced window
Use only the official E-DV website after the announced opening. The official entry page says one entry is allowed per person and late or paper entries are not accepted. Check the final DV-2027 instructions line by line instead of reusing an old form checklist.
3. Your confirmation number
Immediately after entry
Save the confirmation number and screen yourself. Entrant Status Check is the only official selection notice. A consultant, email, WhatsApp message, or social-media post cannot tell you that you won.
4. If selected: application and interview
After selection
Selection is not a visa. A selectee completes the DS-260, proves the education or qualifying work-experience rule, and prepares civil documents. At the interview stage, the State Department says every applicant needs a passport valid six months beyond intended U.S. entry, subject to applicable exceptions.
Why search results still say a passport was required
Older DV instructions required the principal entrant to provide a valid, unexpired passport number. Those old PDFs, videos, and agent checklists remain online. They are not DV-2027 instructions.
A passport can still be sensible to obtain or renew now. It helps keep your name details consistent and is needed later if you pursue an immigrant visa. But preparation is not the same as a published DV-2027 entry requirement. Do not pay an agent who claims a passport number is definitely required before the official instructions say so.
What to prepare now without guessing
Prepare a recent digital photo that meets U.S. visa-photo standards, confirm the spelling and date of birth you will use, list your spouse and qualifying unmarried children under 21, and check country-of-birth eligibility. Country of eligibility is usually about where you were born, not where you live or your current nationality.
If you have a passport, check its name spelling and expiry date. If you do not have one, do not invent a number or use another person's passport. Wait for the DV-2027 instructions, while starting a normal passport application if local renewal queues are long and you would need a passport for a later interview.
The separate issue: Diversity Visa issuance is paused
The State Department's December 2025 guidance says diversity immigrant visa issuances are paused while it reviews screening and vetting. That notice concerns applicants who reached the visa stage. It does not publish final DV-2027 entry fields, reopen an entry window, or make a passport rumour an official requirement.
Watch the official DV instructions and visa-news pages. A future notice can change registration dates, entry instructions, or issuance guidance. This guide describes the official position now, not a promise about a future form.
Avoid these costly DV-2027 mistakes
An agent says the entry is open now
Do not pay or submit anything until the State Department announces the DV-2027 period and the official E-DV site is open. The entry itself is free, and a preparer cannot create an earlier legal entry window.
A website demands a passport number before official instructions exist
Stop. Use the State Department's DV instructions page to find the official E-DV site and read the final DV-2027 fields there. A private website can collect your data without being the government entry system.
Your passport expires soon
Renew it if you can do so normally, especially where renewal takes months. The reason is later travel and identity preparation, not an unconfirmed claim that a DV-2027 passport number is compulsory at entry.
Someone else enters for you
Get the confirmation number immediately. Do not submit a second entry. More than one entry for a person in one registration period leads to disqualification.
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Official numbers cannot show what applicants actually experience month by month. Sharing your application and decision dates helps the next reader see the real pace. Under a minute, dates only, nothing personal.
Share my US Green Card datesQuestions people actually ask
Is a passport required for DV-2027 entry?
The final DV-2027 instructions have not been published, so no final official answer exists yet. The most recent DV-2026 instructions did not list a passport number as an entry field, although they told entrants to write their name as it appears in a passport if they have one.
Do I need a passport if I win the Diversity Visa lottery?
Yes, in practical terms. The State Department interview checklist requires a passport valid for six months beyond the intended U.S. entry date for each applicant, subject to applicable exceptions. Selection is not a visa, but do not leave passport renewal until the last minute.
When does DV-2027 registration open?
The State Department has not announced the start date. Its November 2025 notice says it will announce the registration period and selection-result date as soon as practicable. Ignore claimed dates unless they appear on the official DV instructions page.
Can an agent submit my DV entry for me?
Someone can help, but the State Department strongly encourages entrants to complete the form themselves. If anyone assists, sit with them, check every answer, keep your own confirmation number, and never let them submit an extra entry for you.
Does the current issuance pause answer the DV-2027 passport question?
No. The issuance guidance concerns people at the visa stage. It does not give the final registration fields for DV-2027. Treat entry timing, entry requirements, selection, and visa issuance as separate questions.