Checked: October 2026. This post is based on two official sources: the GOV.UK guidance "Uploading evidence as part of your visa application" (last updated 1 November 2022) and the TLScontact user guide for self-uploading supporting documents. Both can change, and the right service depends on where you apply, so the screen you actually see in your application is the final rule.
What GOV.UK says
- Photos of documents: save as PNG, JPG or JPEG.
- Scans: save as PDF, PNG, JPG or JPEG.
- The whole document must be visible on the scan or photo, and nothing may cover the information.
- Photo tips: use good lighting, make sure the document is in focus, and turn the flash off for reflective items such as laminated passport pages.
- Scan tips: keep the document flat against the scanner.
- Name files descriptively, for example "bank statement 2019".
- You may have to upload the same evidence more than once.
- You cannot upload any other evidence after you submit.
- If you have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre or UKVCAS service point, the GOV.UK page says you cannot use the self-upload service it describes. It points to commercial partner websites or a paid Added Value Service instead.
What TLScontact says about PDFs
TLScontact's self-upload guide states that only documents in PDF format are accepted. Its steps are: add the PDFs, choose a category for each, review the summary, and press Submit. It also says you cannot add or change documents after submitting. The guide does not give a file size or page limit, and a separate TLScontact settlement document says that paper submissions must be clear A4 colour copies, not stapled, and that originals should not be sent.
The gap: file size
None of the official pages we could read states a maximum size per file, so we do not state one. Websites that quote exact limits for UKVCAS or VFS disagree with each other and do not say where the figure comes from. If your upload screen shows a limit, follow it; if a file is rejected, compress it and try again.
Prepare PDFs on your device
Visa evidence includes passports, bank statements and family documents. DocPro works in your browser and does not upload your files, so you can prepare them before you ever open a government or partner service.
- Scan or photograph every page in colour, flat and in focus, with the full page in the frame. Colour matters for IDs and documents with stamps.
- TLScontact self-upload takes PDF only, so turn phone photos into PDFs with Images to PDF when your service wants PDF only.
- Group pages that belong together into one file, for example a full bank statement, using Merge PDF. Keep documents in the order of your checklist.
- If the screen rejects a file as too large, use Compress PDF and read the result at full zoom. If text is no longer sharp, split the file rather than compress more.
- Give each file a clear name before you upload, such as Passport_Jane_Smith.pdf or Bank_statement_Jan_2026.pdf.
See the general guide to compressing a PDF for email and upload limits and merging PDFs without uploading them. If your application needs a photo, the United Kingdom passport photo preset may help, but follow the instructions of your own application first.
If you have to use a paper process
Some centres still ask for printed documents. The TLScontact settlement document says that paper submissions must be clear A4 colour copies, that documents must not be stapled, that you should not send originals, and that black and white originals should be photocopied in greyscale or they may be illegible. Financial documents should be kept separate and in chronological order. Wedding albums, USBs and DVDs are not accepted. Those rules are specific to TLScontact where it is UKVI's commercial partner, so check which service applies to you.
Digital copies you prepare for upload are also useful for a paper appointment: print from the final PDF so that what you upload and what you hand over match.
Australia uses a different per-file limit, explained in the ImmiAccount upload limit post.
Checklist before you submit
- Is every file one of the types your service accepts (PDF for TLScontact self-upload)?
- Can you read every page at full zoom, including stamps and small print?
- Are files grouped and named the way your checklist expects?
- Have you checked the summary page? You cannot add or change anything after you submit.
This post covers file preparation only. It is not legal or immigration advice and DocPro is not affiliated with the Home Office, UKVI, GOV.UK or TLScontact.