---
title: "Watermark a UK passport or driving licence copy for free"
description: "Add a recipient and date to a UK document copy for free. No upload; check that the recipient accepts a watermarked scan."
canonical: "https://dokus.app/en-gb/watermark-id-copy/"
lang: "en-GB"
reviewed: "2026-10-02"
app_store: "https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709"
translations:
  en: "https://dokus.app/watermark-id-copy/"
  en-GB: "https://dokus.app/en-gb/watermark-id-copy/"
  en-CA: "https://dokus.app/en-ca/watermark-id-copy/"
  en-AU: "https://dokus.app/en-au/watermark-id-copy/"
  pt-BR: "https://dokus.app/pt/marca-dagua-documento/"
  pt-PT: "https://dokus.app/pt-pt/tracar-copia-cartao-cidadao/"
  es: "https://dokus.app/es/marca-de-agua-dni/"
  es-MX: "https://dokus.app/es-mx/marca-de-agua-ine/"
  fr: "https://dokus.app/fr/filigrane-carte-identite/"
  de: "https://dokus.app/de/ausweiskopie-kennzeichnen/"
  he: "https://dokus.app/he/watermark-id-copy/"
  ar: "https://dokus.app/ar/watermark-id-copy/"
  hi: "https://dokus.app/hi/watermark-id-copy/"
  ja: "https://dokus.app/ja/id-copy-watermark/"
  zh-Hans: "https://dokus.app/zh/watermark-id-copy/"
---

# Watermark a UK passport or driving licence copy for free

Choose the scan or photo and add the recipient, purpose and date across the copy. The free tool processes it in your browser; a watermark can discourage reuse, but does not replace checking who is asking or guarantee protection.

Dokus keeps your UK passport, driving licence and GHIC copies encrypted on your devices, ready to share. [Free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709)

## Mark the copy for its intended recipient

1. Choose the photo, scan or PDF of your passport or driving licence.
2. Use Crop and Rotate to straighten it. Enter the recipient and purpose after “Exclusive use of”.
3. Adjust the intensity until the wording is visible and all required details remain readable.
4. Download the copy as JPG or PDF, then inspect it before sharing. Keep the original in a protected place.

For example: “For Oak Lettings Ltd. only, rental application, 10 October 2026.” Use the real recipient and current date for your own copy. The mark should cross the document rather than sit in a corner that can be cropped away.

## Check whether a marked copy is accepted

Right to rent checks apply in England, not throughout the UK. Right to work checks have their own UK-wide process. Follow the GOV.UK route that applies: an online share code, an eligible identity service or an original-document check. A watermarked or redacted scan you email is not a substitute for the required check.

An automated identity check may require an unaltered image. Follow that service’s instructions. A watermark indicates the intended use and can discourage reuse; it cannot guarantee that someone will never remove it or misuse the details.

## Watermarking and redaction do different jobs

A watermark still leaves the document readable. If a recipient agrees that a number or address is unnecessary, [hide those details](/en-gb/redact-id/) as well. Covering a passport number also means checking the machine-readable lines, which repeat sensitive details.

A PDF exported by this tool contains images. Existing selectable text, form fields and digital signatures are not preserved. Keep the original file if those features matter; this is a tool for copies of scans and photos.

Need a smaller attachment? Use [Compress](/en-gb/compress-id-scan/) on the finished copy. For a printable layout in the UK, the [photo to PDF converter](/en-gb/id-card-to-pdf/) starts with A4.

## Your document stays in the browser

The tool encodes the exported copy on your device and removes camera metadata. It does not modify the source file or upload it. For regular sharing, Dokus keeps the original encrypted and adds a recipient-specific watermark to each copy you send.

## Common questions

### Does a watermark prevent identity theft?

It can discourage reuse and make the intended recipient clear, but it does not guarantee protection. Verify the request and send only the information required.

### Can I watermark a PDF?

Yes. The exported PDF contains images, so existing text selection, interactive fields and digital signatures are not retained.

### Should I watermark a copy for an official check?

Only if the service accepts it. Some checks require an unaltered image, an original document or the issuer’s own digital verification.

### Will the original change?

No. The watermark is applied to the downloaded copy. Keep the original securely for another use.

## Sources

Reviewed on 2 October 2026

- [Checking your tenant’s right to rent (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents)
- [Checking a job applicant’s right to work (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work)