Tips on uploading documents

Many of our online forms require you to upload evidence as part of the process. For example, you may need to add a copy of your current rental agreement when applying to join the housing list, or a copy of your log book when applying for a parking permit.

Many other online government services also need you to provide evidence like this.

Document format

The best format to upload documents in is a pdf. And some of our forms will only allow you to add documents in pdf or word format.

Creating electronic copies of your document

You do not need access to a scanner to get electronic copies of your documents. All you need is a smartphone or tablet with a camera.

There are a number of free apps you can download, that can turn photographs into a pdf. Two such are Adobe Scan and TapScanner (the free version).

Download Adobe Scan from:

Download Tapscanner from:

There are two ways to use them:

take photos of each page of the document, open the app, and follow the process to turn the photos into a pdf.
open the app and take the photos in the app, and follow the process to turn them into a pdf.

The second option is often easier.

Tips for getting the best results

If the app you are using allows it, choose a small file size rather than the highest quality option.
Make sure the pdf is clear and easy to read before adding it to your form:
- Wipe your lens before taking the photo
- Make sure the whole page is visible in the picture and nothing is cut out.

In TapScanner, if your document has multiple pages:

open the camera in the app
then click “batch” to take photos of multiple pages in one go.

Make sure pages are in the correct order.
Use the editing options in the app:

Crop the photo to the corners of the document pages.
Then check if the filter options make it easier to read.