Should the watermark cover the photo?

The French pages do not say. We suggest it does cross the photo, with medium opacity, as long as your details and any security code stay readable.

Will a bank or office accept a watermarked copy?

Not always. The French service warns that some bodies, such as banks and public services, may need a clean document, so ask the recipient first.

Is my ID copy uploaded when I use your tool?

No. Our tools run in your browser, so the copy is not uploaded.

Does a watermark make an ID copy safe?

No. The French sources call watermarks not infallible protection; they limit reuse and help show who the copy was for.

How to watermark a copy of your ID or passport before you send it

French government guidance advises marking each copy of an identity document with the reason for sending, the date and the recipient, written over the copy. We suggest repeating that text across the copy, photo included, while keeping the details the recipient needs readable. Fix Watermark can place it in your browser, without uploading the copy.

Published October 30, 2026. Drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked on this page. How we write our guides.

What to write on a watermark on an ID copy

The sources below are French public authorities and speak of French practice: the French identity card, rental files and French rules. We found no comparable page from a Canadian, UK, Australian or US authority. None of the pages we read names passports in its watermark advice; they say "identity documents". (The Ministry of the Interior page does list passports among the papers fraudsters take.) Treat this as guidance from one country that you may choose to follow elsewhere.

The advice is consistent. France's Ministry of the Interior, on its identity theft page, tells people to add a watermark to their documents stating the date, the recipient and the reason. The national cybersecurity assistance service, Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, says the same in other words: mark copies of identity documents you send by writing over them the reason for sending, the date and the recipient, so the documents are not reused for fraud. (The English wording here is our translation.)

In practice that gives you one short line, for example: "For Example Realty, apartment application, Oct 30, 2026". Write the real recipient and the real reason. A line that is true and specific is more useful than a generic word such as "copy".

Watermark on an ID copy: repeat it across the copy, over the photo

The French pages say to write the text over the copy ("par-dessus"). They do not say how many times, at what angle, or whether to cover the photo. What follows is our advice, not a rule from any authority:

Repeat the line across the whole copy, so a crop of one corner still carries it.
Let it cross the photo. A mark only in the margin is the easiest part to crop.
Keep it readable but light. Medium opacity and a plain font keep both your line and the document legible.

The French sources also give a limit on the other side. Their service, Filigrane Facile, warns on its home page that some organisations may need a document without a watermark, and names banks and public services. The DossierFacile blog, run by the State, says administrations are in theory supposed to accept watermarked documents provided the watermark does not make the document, or its security device such as a QR code or 2D-Doc, unreadable. "In theory" is its wording; it is not a promise that every recipient will accept the copy. So leave the details the recipient must read, and any security code, clear of your text, and ask the recipient what they accept.

How to watermark an ID copy in your browser

This works on a scan or photo of the document saved as an image. For a scan saved as a PDF, use the PDF tool, which has the same controls. In the Fix Watermark photo tool in a desktop or phone browser (steps checked October 2026):

Open the photo watermark tool and add your scan or photo of the copy.
In Watermark text, type the recipient, the reason and the date.
Tick Repeat as a pattern so the line covers the whole picture.
Set Opacity (%) and Pattern angle (degrees) until the preview shows your line across the photo and the details still readable.
Select Download and send only the marked file.

The tool runs in your browser, so the copy is not uploaded. Free: up to 50 photos per run, and runs are unlimited. No watermark of ours on your photos, ever. Original pixel size; JPEG and WebP are re-encoded at the quality you choose.

We suggest making a new marked copy for every recipient, since the line names who it was for. For where a mark sits and what it can say on other kinds of pictures, see where to put a watermark; for document marks such as Confidential, see our guide to Draft and Confidential watermarks. Acrobat users can do the same on a PDF scan, as described in our Acrobat guide.

A watermark does not make a copy safe

The French sources themselves are careful. The DossierFacile blog says watermarks are not infallible protection, and gives its reasons for using one: it makes the recipient aware the document is sensitive, it limits identity theft if the document falls into the wrong hands, and it helps trace the source of a leak. Its tip is never to send documents to people whose identity you are not certain of.

Some French pages go further and ask whether to send a copy at all. The data-protection authority CNIL says that, in principle, you do not have to supply a copy of your ID card to exercise your data-protection rights under French law, unless the organisation has reasonable doubt about who you are. That answer covers rights requests only. And the Cybermalveillance rental-scam sheet recommends handing documents over in person where possible. France also has a single-use identity proof in its France Identité app. It is a PDF that names the recipient and an expiry date, offered as a replacement for photocopies, which France Identité says greatly raise the risk of identity theft. You generate it in the app by reading the French identity card, so it is for holders of that card.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

Checked October 30, 2026.

Questions

What should the watermark on an ID copy say?: French government guidance says the reason for sending, the date and the recipient. Write the real details for each copy you send.
Should the watermark cover the photo?: The French pages do not say. We suggest it does cross the photo, with medium opacity, as long as your details and any security code stay readable.
Will a bank or office accept a watermarked copy?: Not always. The French service warns that some bodies, such as banks and public services, may need a clean document, so ask the recipient first.
Is my ID copy uploaded when I use your tool?: No. Our tools run in your browser, so the copy is not uploaded.
Does a watermark make an ID copy safe?: No. The French sources call watermarks not infallible protection; they limit reuse and help show who the copy was for.