This is general practical advice about preparing files. Always follow the specific instructions of the embassy, employer or institution you are applying to — they take priority over anything here.
1. Gather and check everything first
Before merging, make a list of what the application asks for, in the order it lists it. Tick off each item as you find the file. This avoids the common mistake of merging, noticing a missing document, and merging again with the order broken.
For each document, check:
- It is complete. All pages of a bank statement, both sides of an ID card, every page of a contract including the signature page.
- It is current. Many applications require statements or certificates issued within the last one to three months.
- It is readable. Open it and zoom in on dates and numbers.
- It is the right way up. Fix sideways pages with Rotate & reorder now; it is harder to spot them in a long merged file.
Convert anything that is not a PDF. Phone photos of documents go through Image to PDF (set A4 or Letter so every page has a standard size). Word or Excel files go through Office to PDF.
2. Decide the order
If the instructions give an order or a checklist, use exactly that order. Reviewers often work through a checklist and expect to find item 4 after item 3.
If no order is given, a sensible structure is:
- Application form or cover letter.It tells the reader who you are and what follows.
- Identity documents.Passport bio page, national ID, visa history if relevant.
- Core evidence.For a visa: invitation letter, employment letter, proof of funds. For a job: CV, then certificates in reverse chronological order.
- Supporting evidence.Anything referred to in your form or letter, in the order you refer to it.
- Translations directly after their originals.Not all translations at the end.
Keep each document's pages together and in their original order. If a document is only partly required, include the pages that were asked for and do not rearrange them.
3. Merge
Open Merge PDF, add the files and set the order with the ▲▼ buttons. The list order becomes the page order. Merging runs in your browser, so passport scans and bank statements are not uploaded anywhere. After downloading, page through the whole file once. Check that the total page count equals the sum of the parts.
4. Handle the size limit
Application portals commonly limit uploads to somewhere between 2 MB and 10 MB, and some public-sector portals go as low as 300 KB or 500 KB per file. Merging adds sizes together, so a file of eight scans can easily overshoot.
Work out where the weight is. Digital PDFs (downloaded statements, exported CVs) are usually small. Scans and photos are usually large. There are two approaches:
- Compress the scans before merging. Keeps digital documents perfectly sharp and searchable. Run each heavy scan through Compress, then merge.
- Compress the merged file to a target. Quicker. Compress to target size takes the limit you type and finds the sharpest version that fits. The whole file becomes image-based, so text is no longer selectable, which is fine for most application reviews.
Either way, open the result and check the smallest print, especially passport numbers, dates and account balances. If the file cannot be made both small enough and readable, check whether the portal allows several uploads; splitting into "Identity" and "Financial" files is better than an illegible single file. Split PDF can divide it by page range.
5. Name the file
File names are seen before the content, and they are how a caseworker finds your file again. A good name is:
- Descriptive: surname, given name, what it is. PARK_Seoyeon_supporting_documents.pdf.
- Plain: letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores only. Avoid spaces, accents, brackets and non-Latin characters — some portals reject them or turn them into unreadable codes.
- Following any given convention. Some employers ask for a reference number in the name; use their format exactly.
You can also set the document title in the file's properties with Edit PDF metadata. Some viewers show that title instead of the file name.
6. Before you press submit
- Open the final file on another device.A phone is a good test — if it reads well there, it reads well anywhere.
- Check the page count and order against your list.
- Check it is not password-protected.Portals usually cannot open protected files. Remove a password you set with Remove password.
- Check the size is under the limit with some margin.
- Keep a copy.Save the exact file you submitted, with the date, in case you are asked about it later.
Privacy when handling identity documents
Application bundles contain some of the most sensitive documents people own. Prefer tools that work on your own device for these: on PDF300, merge, split, rotate, image-to-PDF and browser compression all run inside your browser and never upload the file. If you must use a server-based tool, read what it does with files. The guide Is it safe to use online PDF tools? explains what to look for. If a document contains information the application does not need — for example full account numbers on a statement where only the balance matters — you may be able to redact it, but check first that the receiving office accepts redacted documents.