Open the scan or photo, set Maximum size to the limit the portal states (1 MB is the default here, with steps from 100 KB to 5 MB), and check the copy’s size before you download. Compression happens in your browser, so the document is not uploaded; if the limit is out of reach, the tool tells you the smallest size it managed.
Fit a scan under the limit
- Open the photo or PDF of your licence, passport or Medicare card. If the form wants both sides in one file, add the back.
- Crop away the table around the document and rotate it upright; less background means fewer bytes.
- Under Format, choose JPG or PDF, then set Maximum size to the portal’s limit.
- Read the copy’s size next to Download, then zoom into the downloaded file and check the numbers before you upload it.
The steps are 100, 150, 200, 300 and 500 KB, then 1, 2 and 5 MB, or no limit. Sizes here count 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes, so when a portal gives a figure between two steps, choose the step below it.
Limits you will meet
ImmiAccount. Home Affairs accepts documents other than digital photographs of up to 5 MB each, in formats that include PDF, JPG and PNG, and up to 60 documents per person on most visa and citizenship applications. It does not accept encrypted or secured PDFs. A PDF from this tool carries no password, and 5 MB, 2 MB or 1 MB all fit.
100-point checks and other portals. Each organisation sets its own size, and some ask for both sides of every document, as the federal ROVER portal does. Read the upload page rather than guessing; the 1 MB default here is a starting point, not a rule.
How the tool keeps it readable
It lowers JPEG quality first at full resolution, and only reduces the resolution when quality alone cannot reach the target. On a passport, check that the two machine-readable lines at the bottom stay sharp; on a licence or Medicare card, check the card number and expiry date. When the smallest step blurs them, pick the next size up or crop tighter.
What changes in the file
The exported copy leaves out location and other camera data, and your original file is not touched. A PDF from the tool holds one image per page, so selectable text, form fields and digital signatures are lost; keep the original when those matter. Only the first ten pages of a PDF are used.
For a printable A4 sheet with both sides at real size, use the photo to PDF converter first, then compress. To mark or trim a copy before shrinking it, see Watermark and Hide details.
Common questions
What file size does ImmiAccount accept for a passport scan?
Home Affairs says documents other than digital photographs can be up to 5 MB each, in formats including PDF, JPG and PNG, and that ImmiAccount does not accept encrypted or secured PDFs. Any Maximum size of 5 MB or below fits.
Why can’t the tool get my scan under 100 KB?
A detailed scan or several pages may not fit the smallest steps while staying legible. The tool lowers quality first and resolution after that, then shows the smallest size it reached; crop away the background or send fewer pages.
Does compressing remove the location from my photo?
Yes. The copy is re-encoded in your browser without location or other camera data, and your original file stays as it was.
Can I compress a password-protected PDF?
No. The tool asks you to open the PDF, export a copy without the password and try again. ImmiAccount refuses encrypted PDFs too, so that copy is the one to upload.
