Free Photo Contests 2026: Photography Competitions With Free Entry
36 photography contests with free entry, 34 of them currently open or upcoming. For every contest we document the AI policy, RAW requirement, and deadline from cited sources. Sorted by status and nearest deadline.
Last verified:
Open or upcoming right now: World Sports Photography Awards 2027, Swiss Press Photo 2027, Sony World Photography Awards 2027, LCE Photographer of the Year 2027, Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition 2027, CEWE Photo Award 2027, Allard Prize Photography Competition 2027, Earth Photo 2027, World Press Photo Contest 2027, Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2027, Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest 2027 (13th edition), Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award 2027, Bayeux-Calvados-Normandy Award for War Correspondents 2027 (34th edition), ConservationMag Photography Awards 2027, Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2028, Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2027, GDT Naturfotograf des Jahres 2027, Global Peace Photo Award 2027, Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) 2027, Hasselblad Masters 2028, Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2027 (LOBA), National Geographic Pictures of the Year 2026, National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition 2027, Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2027, Nikon Film and Photo Contest 2026-2027, Objektiv Pressefotopreis 2028, PhotoVogue Global Open Call 2027, Smithsonian Magazine 24th Annual Photo Contest, Visa pour l'Image - Perpignan 2027 (39th edition), Weather Photographer of the Year 2027 (RMetS), Wiki Loves Africa 2027, Wiki Loves Earth 2027, Wiki Loves Folklore 2027, and Wiki Loves Monuments 2027.
From Germany, Austria and Switzerland the list holds 6 free contests: Swiss Press Photo 2027, Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2028, Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2027, GDT Naturfotograf des Jahres 2027, Global Peace Photo Award 2027, Objektiv Pressefotopreis 2028. Open or upcoming right now: Swiss Press Photo 2027, Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2028, Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2027, GDT Naturfotograf des Jahres 2027, Global Peace Photo Award 2027, and Objektiv Pressefotopreis 2028. All contests from Germany · Austria · Switzerland
Free to enter does not mean casual about authenticity: 31 of these contests restrict AI images and 18 can ask for your RAW file. Check the rules before you submit. All deadlines by month · Contests that ban AI
World Sports Photography Awards 2027
- Deadline
- Nov 23, 2026
- Entry
- Free
Swiss Press Photo 2027
- Deadline
- Jan 3, 2027
- Entry
- Free
Sony World Photography Awards 2027
- Deadline
- Jan 12, 2027
- Entry
- Free
LCE Photographer of the Year 2027
- Deadline
- Jan 20, 2027
- Entry
- Free
Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition 2027
- Deadline
- May 1, 2027
- Entry
- Free
CEWE Photo Award 2027
- Deadline
- May 31, 2027
- Entry
- Free
Allard Prize Photography Competition 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Earth Photo 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
World Press Photo Contest 2027
- Deadline
- Jan 13, 2027
- Entry
- Free
Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest 2027 (13th edition)
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Bayeux-Calvados-Normandy Award for War Correspondents 2027 (34th edition)
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
ConservationMag Photography Awards 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2028
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
GDT Naturfotograf des Jahres 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Global Peace Photo Award 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Hasselblad Masters 2028
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2027 (LOBA)
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
National Geographic Pictures of the Year 2026
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Nikon Film and Photo Contest 2026-2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Objektiv Pressefotopreis 2028
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
PhotoVogue Global Open Call 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Smithsonian Magazine 24th Annual Photo Contest
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Visa pour l'Image - Perpignan 2027 (39th edition)
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Weather Photographer of the Year 2027 (RMetS)
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Wiki Loves Africa 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Wiki Loves Earth 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Wiki Loves Folklore 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
Wiki Loves Monuments 2027
- Deadline
- —
- Entry
- Free
World Photographic Cup 2027
- Deadline
- Oct 29, 2026
- Entry
- Free
Environmental Photography Award 2027 (Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation)
- Deadline
- Nov 1, 2026
- Entry
- Free
Frequently asked questions
- Which photo contests are free to enter in 2026?
- We currently track 36 contests with no entry fee, from major names to niche competitions. 34 are open or upcoming. The list above is sorted by status and deadline and is updated against the official rules.
- Do free photo contests allow AI images?
- Mostly not. 31 of the 36 free contests in our database ban AI-generated images or restrict them to separate categories. Each contest page states the AI policy with a source citation.
- Which free photo contests are there in Germany, Austria and Switzerland?
- 6 of the listed contests are run from Germany, Austria or Switzerland: Swiss Press Photo 2027, Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2028, Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2027, GDT Naturfotograf des Jahres 2027, Global Peace Photo Award 2027, and Objektiv Pressefotopreis 2028. Open or upcoming right now: Swiss Press Photo 2027, Deutscher Jugendfotopreis 2028, Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2027, GDT Naturfotograf des Jahres 2027, Global Peace Photo Award 2027, and Objektiv Pressefotopreis 2028.
- Do free contests require RAW files?
- 18 of the listed contests require the RAW file or can request it from finalists. Keep the RAW of every submission; it is your strongest evidence of authenticity if questions come up.