Is it safe to send a photo of your passport or ID in Ireland?
Send an ID photo only after independently checking the recipient, the purpose and why a copy is needed. In Ireland, a rental enquiry is not the same as entering a tenancy, and an organisation should explain why it needs your passport, driving licence or PPSN.
Check the request before preparing the file
A name, logo or Irish phone number does not establish who is asking. Open the organisation's website yourself and call a number published there. Confirm the named person, the transaction and the upload address. For a letting, verify the agent and property before providing an identity bundle.
Ask three questions: Why this document? Why a full copy? Why now? Ask whether showing the original, using an existing verified account or supplying fewer fields would meet the purpose. If a copy really is required, request the privacy notice, retention period and contact for data protection questions.
| Request in Ireland | What to check |
|---|---|
| Initial rental application | The DPC warns against collecting photo ID, financial statements and PPSNs from everyone at this stage. Ask why they need these before a tenancy is being agreed. |
| Accepted tenant | A landlord may need a PPSN to register the tenancy with the RTB. This does not justify using it for unrelated purposes or automatically collecting a photograph of every document. |
| Bank or other identity verification | Start from the provider's official app or site. Ask which document and fields its particular verification process requires. |
| Request to access your own personal data | The DPC says additional information may be requested where there are reasonable doubts about identity. Ask whether a less revealing check can resolve those doubts. |
The rental distinction comes from the DPC's explanation for prospective tenants. Do not send your Public Services Card simply because it is handy: check which document the recipient actually needs and why.
Prepare a copy for this recipient
- Confirm the required pages, sides and visible fields in writing. A PPSN and an identity document serve different purposes; do not add one to a request for the other without a reason.
- Open the confirmed portal independently. If email is required, check the entire address, including the domain, against a trusted contact.
- If edited copies are accepted, redact unnecessary information, including repeated numbers in machine-readable lines, and add a recipient and purpose watermark. For example: "Oak Lettings, tenancy agreement, 21 October 2026".
- Inspect the exported file. Required information must remain clear, and any hidden data must actually be absent from the sharing copy. A transparent highlight over a number is not sufficient.
- Ask when the copy will be deleted and keep a record of what you sent, to whom and for which purpose. Remove surplus exports from downloads and chats when no longer needed.
An edited copy may be refused by an official or regulated check. A watermark can be removed or bypassed and does not prevent identity fraud. Use the unmodified document only through the verified process that needs it. A PDF is a file format, not proof that its recipient is trustworthy.
Requests that deserve a pause
Be cautious about an unsolicited job offer asking for passport photos before you have verified the employer, a rental contact who insists on documents immediately, or a caller claiming a problem with a public service account. Do not send passwords, one-time codes or a new selfie to satisfy an unexplained request. A real identity verification flow may require a selfie, but that should be clear in the service's independently confirmed process.
A stolen copy can support impersonation, targeted phishing or attempts to open accounts. It does not automatically allow a criminal to pass every check. Even an honest recipient can lose a copy through an account compromise or data breach.
If you already sent it to a suspicious contact
Stop sending further information and preserve the messages, addresses, listing and original request. If banking details or money are involved, contact your bank through its official channels promptly.
An Garda Síochána advises reporting online scams and fraud to your local Garda station, taking relevant emails, account details and advertisements. Contact the issuer of an exposed passport or driving licence for advice about your circumstances. A disclosed image is different from losing the physical document; describe what happened accurately.
For a legitimate organisation retaining or misusing your information, raise the issue with its data protection contact. Ask what it holds, what it has shared and whether it can delete the copy. You can take unresolved data protection concerns to the DPC; deletion rights can have exceptions where records must be retained.
Dokus can keep the original and a separate sharing copy organised. It cannot verify the requester, recall an attachment or issue official identity documents.
Common questions
Can a landlord ask for my PPSN before a viewing?
The DPC warns against collecting PPSNs and photo ID from prospective tenants at the initial application stage. Its guidance says a PPSN should be requested once someone has been accepted as a tenant for RTB registration, rather than gathered from everyone enquiring.
Is sending a passport by WhatsApp safe?
Verify the person and the need first. Encryption in transit does not stop the recipient saving, forwarding or backing up the image. Ask for the organisation's confirmed submission process and how it will protect and retain your copy.
Can I hide my passport number?
Only if the recipient accepts an edited copy and does not need that number. Some identity checks require the full document. Check repeated data and the machine-readable lines as well as the obvious printed field.
Must I send ID to get a copy of my own personal data?
The DPC says a controller can request additional information where it has reasonable doubts about your identity. It should seek information necessary to confirm identity. Ask whether existing account verification or another less revealing method will suffice.
Does adding the company's name stop identity theft?
No. A purpose and recipient watermark can indicate the intended use, but a criminal may remove it or reuse visible details. It complements recipient checks and limiting disclosure, and does not guarantee acceptance or prevent fraud.