--- title: "Is it safe to send a photo of your ID in New Zealand?" description: "When a New Zealand landlord or hotel may need ID, how to share less information and what to do if a passport or driver licence copy is misused." canonical: "https://dokus.app/en-nz/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" lang: "en-NZ" category: "Safety" reviewed: "2026-10-21" app_store: "https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709" translations: en: "https://dokus.app/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-IE: "https://dokus.app/en-ie/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-NZ: "https://dokus.app/en-nz/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-SG: "https://dokus.app/en-sg/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-MT: "https://dokus.app/en-mt/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-GB: "https://dokus.app/en-gb/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-CA: "https://dokus.app/en-ca/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-AU: "https://dokus.app/en-au/is-it-safe-to-send-a-picture-of-your-id/" en-IN: "https://dokus.app/en-in/is-it-safe-to-share-aadhaar-photo/" pt-BR: "https://dokus.app/pt/e-seguro-mandar-foto-do-rg/" pt-PT: "https://dokus.app/pt-pt/enviar-copia-cartao-cidadao-seguranca/" es: "https://dokus.app/es/es-seguro-enviar-foto-del-dni/" es-AR: "https://dokus.app/es-ar/es-seguro-enviar-foto-dni/" es-CL: "https://dokus.app/es-cl/enviar-foto-carnet-seguro/" es-MX: "https://dokus.app/es-mx/enviar-foto-ine-seguridad/" es-CO: "https://dokus.app/es-co/es-seguro-enviar-foto-de-la-cedula/" fr: "https://dokus.app/fr/envoyer-photo-carte-identite/" de: "https://dokus.app/de/personalausweis-foto-sicher-versenden/" de-AT: "https://dokus.app/de-at/ausweiskopie-sicher-verschicken-oesterreich/" de-CH: "https://dokus.app/de-ch/id-pass-kopie-sicher-versenden-schweiz/" nl: "https://dokus.app/nl/foto-identiteitsbewijs-veilig-versturen/" it: "https://dokus.app/it/inviare-foto-documento-identita-rischi/" id: "https://dokus.app/id/cek-ktp-dipakai-pinjol/" ms: "https://dokus.app/ms/selamatkah-hantar-gambar-ic/" pl: "https://dokus.app/pl/czy-bezpiecznie-wyslac-zdjecie-dowodu/" tr: "https://dokus.app/tr/kimlik-fotokopisi-ile-neler-yapilabilir/" vi: "https://dokus.app/vi/lo-anh-cccd-co-sao-khong/" he: "https://dokus.app/he/%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%97%D7%AA-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%AA%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%93%D7%AA-%D7%96%D7%94%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%91%D7%98%D7%97%D7%94/" ar: "https://dokus.app/ar/%D8%A5%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86/" hi: "https://dokus.app/hi/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1-%E0%A4%AB%E0%A4%BC%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%8B-%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4/" ja: "https://dokus.app/ja/%E8%BA%AB%E5%88%86%E8%A8%BC-%E5%86%99%E7%9C%9F%E9%80%81%E4%BF%A1-%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8%E5%AF%BE%E7%AD%96/" ko: "https://dokus.app/ko/%EC%8B%A0%EB%B6%84%EC%A6%9D-%EC%82%AC%EC%A7%84-%EB%B3%B4%EB%82%B4%EB%8F%84-%EB%90%A0%EA%B9%8C/" th: "https://dokus.app/th/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%99-%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1/" zh-Hans: "https://dokus.app/zh/%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AF%81%E7%85%A7%E7%89%87-%E5%8F%91%E9%80%81%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8/" zh-Hant: "https://dokus.app/zh-tw/%E8%BA%AB%E5%88%86%E8%AD%89%E5%BD%B1%E6%9C%AC-%E7%94%A8%E9%80%94-%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8/" zh-HK: "https://dokus.app/zh-hk/%E5%82%B3%E9%80%81%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AD%89%E5%89%AF%E6%9C%AC-%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8%E5%97%8E/" --- # Is it safe to send a photo of your ID in New Zealand? Send a passport or driver licence photo only to a recipient you have independently verified and for an explained purpose that needs a copy. In New Zealand, the information a landlord needs changes through the tenancy process, and a hotel usually has no reason to retain an ID copy after confirming your identity. ## Match the request to the stage of the process A flat viewing, a tenancy application and a confirmed tenancy do not require the same information. The [Privacy Commissioner’s rental guidance for tenants](https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-and-learning/a-z-topics/rental-guidance-for-tenants/) sets out those stages. [Tenancy Services explains](https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/about-tenancy-services/news/collecting-information-responsibly/) that landlords should collect only what they need for the current purpose and explain how the information will be used and shared. | Situation | A useful first response | |---|---| | Arranging a property viewing | Ask why anything beyond your name and contact details is needed at this stage. | | Applying for a tenancy | Proof of identity may be relevant. Confirm the property manager independently and ask what form of proof they accept. | | Preferred applicant checks | Additional information may be needed for authorised credit or criminal record checks and evidence of ability to pay rent. Ask which particular data is required. | | Hotel check-in | Ask whether staff can sight your original. The Privacy Commissioner says copies can be made temporarily but usually need not be kept after identity has been confirmed. | | Online account verification | Start inside the provider's official app or website, and check its instructions before uploading a document or taking a selfie. | The [Privacy Commissioner's hotel guidance](https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-and-learning/knowledge-base/view/534/) does not establish a blanket ban on copying passports or driver licences. The practical question is whether keeping the image remains necessary. ## A checklist before you upload - Verify the agency, employer or other organisation using a contact you find independently, rather than the number in an unexpected message. - Confirm which document, sides and fields are required. Do not send your passport, driver licence and IRD details together just because a form allows several attachments. - Ask whether sighting the original or a different verification method can meet the purpose without storing a copy. - Read the privacy notice and ask who receives the file and when it will be deleted. - Use the confirmed submission portal or checked email address. A portal avoids some loose attachments, but its storage still needs protection. - If the recipient allows it, prepare an edited sharing copy with unnecessary data hidden and a recipient, purpose and date watermark. You can [redact details the recipient does not need](https://dokus.app/en-nz/redact-passport-driver-licence/) and [watermark a separate copy](https://dokus.app/en-nz/watermark-passport-driver-licence/). For example: "Kowhai Property Management, tenancy application, 21 October 2026". Check every page and repeated field before sending. If a passport number is not needed, look for its repetition in the machine-readable lines too. These steps reduce disclosure, but do not guarantee safety. The recipient may require an unaltered copy; a watermark can be edited or removed, and visible personal details remain usable. [Convert the agreed pages into one PDF](https://dokus.app/en-nz/passport-driver-licence-to-pdf/) only if that is the requested format. Changing the format does not make the copy official or private. Keep your passport and driver licence organised in Dokus on iPhone, with separate copies for sharing. 4.8 out of 5 stars [Free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709) ## Recognise a document-harvesting request Pause if an unknown recruiter wants a driver licence and bank information before you can establish that the job exists, if a supposed landlord refuses to explain why ID is needed for a viewing, or if a message threatens an immediate account closure unless you upload documents. Independently confirm a genuine service request even when the sender knows your name or address. A copy can be used to attempt impersonation or make a targeted scam more convincing. A successful verification may still require other evidence and checks, so exposure does not mean every account is already compromised. Never send an account password or one-time code with a document image. ## If the photo has already reached the wrong person Save the request, conversation, destination address and any payment details. Stop responding to demands for more documents. Contact your bank promptly if financial details or transactions are involved. The [New Zealand Government's identity theft guidance](https://victimsinfo.govt.nz/understanding-crime-types/types-of-crime/fraud-scams-and-identity-theft/identity-theft) recommends checking your credit report and considering a suppression on your credit file. Contact NZTA about exposed driver licence details, the Department of Internal Affairs about a passport, and IRD if an IRD number was shared. Each can advise on the appropriate response; an exposed image does not automatically require the same action as a lost original. Report suspected fraud through [New Zealand Police's fraud and scam reporting route](https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber), online or through 105 for non-emergencies. Keep the report reference. IDCARE is also identified in the government's guidance as an identity and cyber support service. For a business handling your information improperly, raise the issue with it first and use the Privacy Commissioner's complaint process if unresolved. Dokus helps keep an original apart from copies prepared for recipients. It cannot authenticate a landlord, withdraw a file from someone else's inbox or issue a government document. ## Common questions ### Can a landlord ask for ID when I apply for a rental? Proof of identity may be relevant to a tenancy application. Tenancy Services distinguishes that stage from a viewing, where name and contact information should be sufficient. Ask why a complete image is needed and how it will be retained. ### Can a New Zealand hotel keep my passport photo? The Privacy Commissioner says making a temporary copy can be reasonable to confirm the guest's identity, but there is usually no reason to retain the copy once that is done. Ask the hotel to explain its ongoing need. ### Is a driver licence photo enough to steal my identity? It can assist an attempt, particularly alongside other information, but it does not guarantee that verification will succeed. If the details were exposed, contact NZTA for advice and monitor for accounts or enquiries you do not recognise. ### Should I put a watermark on my passport copy? First check that the recipient accepts a marked copy. Naming the recipient, purpose and date makes its intended use visible, but the mark can be removed or bypassed. Keep required details readable and avoid sending an unnecessary copy at all. ### Who should I contact after sharing ID with a scammer? Contact your bank if financial information or money is involved, the issuer of the affected document and New Zealand Police through its fraud reporting route. Check your credit report and consider a credit file suppression. IDCARE can help with identity recovery advice. ## Sources Reviewed on 21 October 2026 - [Collecting information responsibly (Tenancy Services)](https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/about-tenancy-services/news/collecting-information-responsibly/) - [Can a hotel make and keep a copy of my passport or driver’s licence? (OPC)](https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-and-learning/knowledge-base/view/534/) - [Identity theft (New Zealand Government, Victims Information)](https://victimsinfo.govt.nz/understanding-crime-types/types-of-crime/fraud-scams-and-identity-theft/identity-theft) - [Fraud/Scam/Cyber (New Zealand Police)](https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/fraud-scam-cyber) - [Rental guidance for tenants (Office of the Privacy Commissioner)](https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-and-learning/a-z-topics/rental-guidance-for-tenants/)