Passport copy: what to hide before you send it

The short answer

Cover the passport number, the machine-readable zone (MRZ) and your date of birth whenever the recipient only needs to see your name and photo. Send only the pages they ask for. Visa applications, airlines and some financial checks need the full data page, so send those the original, through their official channel.

The MRZ is the part people miss

The MRZ is the two lines of letters, digits and <<< characters at the bottom of the photo page. It repeats your name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, sex and expiry date in a format machines read instantly. If you cover the printed passport number but leave the MRZ, the number is still there.

Use a solid box on the MRZ and passport number. Blur on short structured text can sometimes be reversed: see Can blurred text be unblurred?

What to hide, page by page

Layouts differ between countries. Some passports print the address and family names on a separate page, others don't include them at all. Check every page you're about to send.

How to redact a passport scan

1. Open Redact passport and drop in a photo, scan or PDF of the pages you're sending.
2. The passport number, MRZ, file number, date of birth and address are covered automatically.
3. Tick names, place of birth or the photo if those should go too, and draw a box over the signature.
4. Export. Pages are rebuilt from pixels, so nothing remains under the boxes, and the result is read again to flag anything still legible.

If your passport scan is a multi-page PDF, Redact PDF handles it in one go.

When a full copy is reasonable

Embassies, airlines, employers checking right to work and regulated financial services may need everything on the data page. A hotel abroad may scan your passport at the desk, which is different from you emailing a copy. For anything else, ask what they'll check, and send a masked copy through the safest channel available.