Upload size limits for visa and application portals
The largest file each official portal accepts, the formats it takes and the photo sizes it asks for, copied from the portal's own help pages, with a link to each source. Compress your PDF to fit right on this page.
The tool above works in your browser: your files stay on your device and are not uploaded.
Document uploads (PDF and scans)
Limits are per file unless the row says otherwise, written as each portal writes them. We checked every row on the official page linked in the last column on 1 November 2026. Portals change these numbers, so open the source before you upload.
| Country | Portal | Largest file | Formats | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | USCIS online filing (evidence) | 12 MB | PDF, JPG, JPEG (some forms also TIFF) | USCIS |
| United Kingdom | UCAS (university applications) | 5 MB per document, up to 30 documents | PDF, JPG, PNG, DOC, DOCX, ODT (not iPhone HEIC) | UCAS |
| Canada | IRCC online accounts | 4 MB in most accounts; 5 MB in the IRCC Portal | Not stated on that page | IRCC Help Centre |
| Australia | ImmiAccount (visa and citizenship) | 5 MB | PDF, JPG, PNG, DOC, DOCX and more; no zipped or password-protected files | Home Affairs |
| Australia | ImmiCard application form | 10 MB for all attachments together | Not stated on that page | Home Affairs |
| New Zealand | Skilled Migrant Category application | Under 3 MB | PDF (photos JPG) | Immigration NZ |
| New Zealand | Employer job check (AEWV) | 10 MB | Not stated on that page | Immigration NZ |
| Netherlands | IND online applications | Under 8 MB; 40 MB for all documents together | PDF without a password, JPG | IND |
| Germany | Service Berlin: residence permit for studies | 7 MB; 100 MB in total | PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG | Service Berlin |
| United Arab Emirates | Federal Tax Authority: VAT registration | 15 MB per document | PDF only | FTA |
| United Arab Emirates | Federal Tax Authority: VAT deregistration | 5 MB per file | PDF, Excel, Word, JPG, JPEG, PNG | FTA |
| United Arab Emirates | Federal Tax Authority: private tax clarification request | 5 MB per file | PDF, Excel, JPG, JPEG, PNG | FTA |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Foreign Affairs: UAE MOFA app forms | 1 MB per attachment | Not stated on that page | MOFA |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Foreign Affairs: digital attestation | Not stated | The original digital PDF, not a scan; it must open and must not be password-protected | MOFA |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai Culture: cultural visa (copies of passport, visa and Emirates ID) | 4 MB per file | PDF only | Dubai Culture |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai Culture: cultural visa (portfolio, CV, certificates) | 10 MB per file | PDF only | Dubai Culture |
The UAE has no single limit: each authority sets its own, so check the service you are using. New Zealand sets its limit form by form, and Germany's applies to the Berlin city service only, not to every German visa. Studielink in the Netherlands takes no uploads at all: your documents go to the university itself.
Photo uploads
| Country | What for | File size | Pixels | Format | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Visa (DS-160) | 240 kB or less | Square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 | JPEG | travel.state.gov |
| United Kingdom | Visa or permission | 50 KB to 6 MB | At least 600 wide × 750 tall | JPG | GOV.UK |
| United Kingdom | Passport (online) | 50 KB to 10 MB | At least 600 wide × 750 tall | JPEG | GOV.UK |
| Canada | Passport (online renewal) | 200 KB to 5 MB | 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500, portrait | JPEG | Canada.ca |
| Canada | Permanent resident card | 4 MB or less | 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 | JPG | Canada.ca |
| Canada | International Experience Canada | Ideally 240 kB, not under 60 kB | At least 420 × 540 | JPEG or JPEG2000 | Canada.ca |
| Australia | ImmiCard facial image | 500 KB or less | 1200 × 1600, portrait | JPEG | Home Affairs |
| Australia | Citizenship: photo of the authorised person | 500 KB or less | Not stated | JPG | Home Affairs |
| United Arab Emirates | Passport and Emirates ID (ICP) | Not stated online | Printed size 3.5 × 4.5 cm, white background, ICAO rules | Not stated | ICP |
| Singapore | ICA e-Services | 8 MB or less | 400 × 514 | JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF | ICA |
A photo that meets the size but not the pixel rules is still rejected, so check both. To bring a photo under a KB limit, use the photo to KB tool.
Uploading in the UAE
For a passport or Emirates ID, ICP asks for a recent colour photo, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, on a white background, that follows the ICAO photo rules. ICP and GDRFA Dubai do not publish a KB or pixel limit for photos on their public pages, so the upload screen of the service you use is the place to check. Numbers you see on other websites for these photos do not agree with each other, so we do not repeat them here.
Two UAE rules catch people out. The Federal Tax Authority takes only PDF for VAT registration documents, up to 15 MB each, and 5 MB per file for deregistration. And MOFA digital attestation needs the original digital PDF without a password: if your PDF is locked, remove the password first with unlock PDF, using the password you were given, and attest the original file, not a scan.
In Dubai, the cultural visa form of Dubai Culture takes PDF files only: up to 4 MB each for copies of the passport, the current visa and the Emirates ID, and up to 10 MB each for a portfolio, CV or certificates.
Make a file fit the limit
- Find the limit for your portal in the tables above, then open the source to confirm it.
- In the tool at the top of this page, choose your PDF and type the limit. Aim a little under it: for "5 MB", type 4,900 KB.
- Download the result and check its size in your file manager before you upload.
If the tool says the smallest readable size is above your limit, the file has too much in it for that size. Split it into parts with split a PDF, if the portal lets you upload several files, or scan the pages again at a lower resolution. To switch between MB and KB, use the MB to KB converter.
Why portals set limits, and why they differ
Every upload is stored and checked by a person or a system, so portals cap the size to keep their storage and review time manageable. Each country writes its own rules, and some set them per form, per account or per city. That is why the same visa can have different limits in two places, and why we name the exact portal in every row.
We are not connected to any of these governments, universities or portals. This page is a convenience, not an official list. If you find a number that has changed, tell us through the contact page and we will check and update it.
Questions
What is the photo size for a US visa application?
For the DS-160 the U.S. Department of State asks for a square JPEG of 240 kB or less, between 600 × 600 and 1200 × 1200 pixels.
What is the file size limit for IRCC uploads?
It depends on the account: 4 MB in most IRCC accounts, including the secure account and the online citizenship application, and 5 MB in the IRCC Portal.
How big can a document be on ImmiAccount?
5 MB per file. Zipped and password-protected files are not accepted.
What is the file size limit for UAE government uploads?
There is no single UAE limit. The Federal Tax Authority allows 15 MB per PDF for VAT registration and 5 MB per file for deregistration and clarification requests, and forms in the UAE MOFA app allow 1 MB per attachment.
What is the upload size limit in Dubai?
It depends on the service. On the Dubai Culture cultural visa form, passport, visa and Emirates ID copies can be up to 4 MB each and a portfolio, CV or certificates up to 10 MB each, all as PDF. GDRFA Dubai does not publish a KB limit for photos.
Is 5 MB the same as 5,000 KB?
Not always. Some portals count 1 MB as 1,000 KB and others as 1,024 KB. A file just under 5,000 KB passes both, which is why we suggest aiming a little under the limit.
Are my files uploaded when I use the tool on this page?
No. The compressor runs in your browser, so the file stays on your device.