Ask which fields the organisation needs to identify your data-access request. Cover only agreed unnecessary details on the passport or driver’s-licence reference copy, then review every saved page.
Agree identity evidence before covering details
The Data Protection Commissioner’s guide links personal-data requests to identifying the requester. Ask which fields will do that. Redaction is for an accepted reference copy after that conversation.
How to redact a passport or licence reference PDF
- Confirm that the organisation accepts a redacted copy and note the fields it needs.
- Open the passport or driver’s-licence scan. Select Blur and draw a box over each agreed unnecessary field.
- Check every page, the reverse and any repeated number or machine-readable line.
- Download the agreed format, reopen it and confirm that the required identity evidence remains readable.
Remove data only from the agreed copy
A date of birth, address or document number may be needed to distinguish your record from somebody else’s. There is no universal list of fields to hide. Ask for a narrower request before editing, and keep the original protected for any later verification.
The Blur control replaces the selected original pixels in the exported image. The covered region has no removable original-text layer. A repeated number outside the box, another page or a visible machine-readable line can still disclose the same detail.
Do not carry these redactions into an Immigration renewal or a government-ID badge image that requires complete information. This page prepares a purpose-limited reference image, with the recipient’s agreement.
Check the saved copy
Choose JPG, PNG, supported HEIC or PDF up to 25 MB. Only the first ten pages of an input PDF are processed. Download JPG or an image-based PDF; selectable text, fillable fields and digital signatures are not preserved. Keep any original signed or fillable file.
The document is processed in your browser without an account or document upload. The downloaded copy removes camera metadata and leaves the source unchanged.
Use Photo to PDF for the layout, Compress for an attachment ceiling, Watermark for an agreed purpose label or Hide details for agreed unnecessary fields. Save between tools and inspect the final downloaded file.
Common questions
Which passport fields can I hide?
Only fields the access-request recipient agrees it does not need. Check repeated printed numbers and machine-readable lines as well as the selected box.
Can the recipient lift the redaction box?
The selected original pixels are replaced in the export. They are not a removable overlay, but the same detail may remain elsewhere if you did not cover it.
Can a covered detail remain visible somewhere else?
Yes. Check the reverse, other pages, repeated numbers, barcodes and machine-readable lines. The tool replaces only the pixels inside the regions you select.
Is Blur the same as blacking out passport text?
It serves the agreed hiding task, but its appearance is a paper-like fill rather than a black bar. The tool replaces selected original pixels instead of merely blurring the text. Leave every field required to identify your request readable.
