Avoid scams
Before sending your passport to a formation agent
Company formation can involve legitimate identity checks, but sensitive documents should not be sent simply because a stranger asks for them. First verify the recipient and the purpose. The aim is to satisfy the actual requirement while keeping unnecessary copies and uncontrolled access to a minimum.
Ask why each document is needed
Request a document list that identifies the recipient and purpose of each item. Distinguish the registry’s needs from the provider’s own identity checks and a bank’s later requirements. Ask whether a particular page, certification or translation is necessary before paying for it. Do not alter required evidence in ways the authority has not approved.
Confirm the transfer and storage method
Prefer the provider’s verified secure submission process over an unsolicited upload link. Ask who can access documents, whether subcontractors receive them, how long copies are retained and how access is removed. A privacy statement is useful, but a clear answer about your actual file is more informative than a vague promise that data is safe.
Keep a record without spreading more copies
Maintain a simple log of what you shared, when, with whom and for what purpose. Store your own copies securely. If the provider changes its email address or portal mid-process, verify the change through an established contact. Ask about deletion when a service ends, recognising that legitimate record-retention duties may apply.
Put it into practice
- Verify the legal identity of the recipient.
- Confirm the document is needed for the stated task.
- Use a verified submission channel.
- Keep passwords separate from document transfers.
- Ask about access, retention and subcontractors.
Your next step
Before sending a document, be able to explain its destination and purpose in one sentence. If the explanation is unclear, resolve that question first.
Official sources & scope
The ICO explains data minimisation in the UK data-protection context. This article offers practical document-handling questions, not a statement that identical privacy rules apply worldwide.
General planning information. Country-specific rules and individual circumstances need separate verification. Examples are illustrative; no savings or application outcome is guaranteed.