CEAC upload requirements for supporting documents

CEAC/NVC uploads can reject a file that opens fine on your device. The practical goal is to prepare a plain, upload-ready copy that matches the slot instructions, not to assume the original export is already safe for the portal.

What CEAC/NVC commonly expects

• Common file types for CEAC/NVC include .pdf (preferred), .jpg, and .jpeg.
• Upload each document as its own plain file instead of as a ZIP package.
• CEAC-style uploads are often strict about per-file size. If the exact slot instructions are unclear, start with a 2 MB target.
• Keep color when the document type or the portal instructions require it.

Files that can be rejected even when they open fine

• Password-protected or encrypted files.
• Modifiable or still-restricted PDFs that the portal does not treat as final enough.
• Zipped files instead of a plain upload-ready PDF or image file.
• Scans that lost too much detail, or that should have remained in color.

Protected PDFs: what you can actually do

• If the PDF asks for a password and you know it, enter it so PDF Ready can unlock and process the file.
• If it opens without asking for a password, try Unlock before generating a cleaner upload-ready copy.
• If it asks for a password and you do not know it, PDF Ready cannot process that file.
• This is about preparing a cleaner copy for upload, not about bypassing unknown protection.

Official source checked on: 2026-03-26.

Where to go next

• CEAC portal page
• CEAC upload errors and Invalid Image Detected
• Why a PDF gets rejected
• Prepare a sensitive PDF on-device
• Help
• Privacy