How to scan and protect documents on iPhone: a Canadian passport or driver’s licence
Open Files, tap More, then Scan Documents, capture the passport information page or both sides of your licence and tap Save; the PDF sits in the folder you chose, unlocked. For an IRCC application, combine the requested pages into one file per upload field, and keep the scan behind Face ID or in a locked note afterwards.
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; what needs thought is where that copy ends up and how far it travels.
Scan with Files
- In Files, tap More (the three dots) and choose Scan Documents.
- Hold the iPhone over the passport’s information page or the front of the card. In Auto mode the scanner finds the edges and captures on its own; otherwise tap the shutter or press a volume button.
- Drag the corners to the edges of the page and tap Keep Scan.
- For a driver’s licence, PR card or health card, turn it over and scan the back into the same document.
- Tap Done, choose a location and tap Save.
On iOS 26 the scanner also offers flash and image filters before you capture. The Camera app is not the same thing: it takes a regular photo, background and all, and adds it to your photo library.
Or keep the scan in Notes
In a note, tap the paperclip, then Scan Documents; the scan becomes part of the note as a PDF. 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.
Where the file is saved, and how to lock it
Files saves the PDF wherever you pointed it before tapping Save: On My iPhone for this phone only, iCloud Drive to reach your other Apple devices. Recents in Files lists it. A scan made in Notes stays inside the note; Share, then Save to Files, makes a separate copy.
Files has no lock for a single document. Since iOS 18 you can touch and hold the Files icon and choose Require Face ID, or keep the scan in a locked note. The guide to locking document copies compares the alternatives.
Copies that leave your phone
Not every recipient works like IRCC. When you send a scan to a landlord or an employer, it stays in their email and their files. Write on it who it is for, what for and the date with the free watermark tool, and, when they accept it, black out what they do not need, such as a passport number, with the redaction tool. For an IRCC upload, send the clean scan the checklist asks for. Once an application is in, delete the duplicates in Downloads, Mail and chats.
Dokus can also do the scanning: it straightens the card, keeps both sides under one name, encrypts them and opens offline with Face ID. Screenshots of a document come out blank, and a copy you share can carry a watermark with the recipient and the date or hide the areas you pick, free.
Scanning questions
Where do scanned documents go on iPhone?
A scan made in Files is saved as a PDF wherever you chose before tapping Save, either On My iPhone or an iCloud Drive folder, and Recents in Files shows it. A scan made in Notes stays inside the note as a PDF until you share it and choose Save to Files.
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.