Scanning a Canadian passport or driver’s licence on iPhone

Open Files, tap More, then Scan Documents, and capture the passport information page or both sides of your licence before tapping Save. For an IRCC application, check which pages are requested and combine them into one file, because each upload field keeps only one.

A study permit, an apartment or a job offer can all start with “send us a copy of your ID”. IRCC’s study permit instructions ask for a copy of your passport’s information page when you apply online. The iPhone already has the scanner.

Scan with Files

1. In Files, tap More (the three dots) and choose Scan Documents.
2. Hold the iPhone over the passport’s information page or the front of the card. In Auto mode it captures on its own; otherwise tap the shutter or press a volume button.
3. Drag the corners to the edges of the page and tap Keep Scan.
4. For a driver’s licence, PR card or health card, turn it over and scan the back into the same document.
5. Tap Done, choose a folder and tap Save.

On iOS 26 the scanner also offers flash and image filters before you capture.

Or keep the scan in Notes

In a note, tap the paperclip, then Scan Documents; the scan becomes part of the note. Apple says notes containing PDFs, audio or video cannot be locked, so to lock it, scan inside Notes rather than importing a PDF.

What IRCC upload fields expect

• The right pages. Describing a passport copy used as proof of status, IRCC’s help centre lists the pages showing the passport number, the issue and expiry dates, the photo, the name and the place and date of birth. Scan other pages only when a checklist asks.
• One file per field. IRCC says you need to combine your documents into one file, because a field keeps only the last file you upload. Scanning front and back into one Files document does exactly that.
• An accepted format. PDF, JPG and PNG are on the list for every IRCC online account.
• A size the portal takes. Limits differ by account; the free compression tool brings a scan under a chosen size.

Getting a sharp scan

Take the card out of its sleeve, lay it on a plain, dark surface and light it from the side so the laminate does not flare. Before saving, zoom in: the two machine-readable lines at the bottom of the passport page, the licence number and the expiry date should read cleanly. For both sides on one sheet, use the photo to PDF converter.

After you save it

Files has no lock for a single document; the guide to locking document copies compares the alternatives. Delete the duplicates in Downloads, Mail and chats once the application is in. Dokus can also do the scanning: it straightens the card, keeps both sides under one name, encrypts them and opens offline with Face ID.

Scanning questions

Which pages of a Canadian passport should I scan?

Usually just the information page with your photo. IRCC’s study permit instructions ask for that page, and its help centre describes a passport copy as the pages with the number, dates, photo, name and place and date of birth.

Is the iPhone scanner free?

Yes. It is part of Files and Notes, with nothing to download and no account to create.

Will IRCC also want my original passport?

For a study permit, IRCC says you must send your original passport if your application is approved. The scan serves the application itself.