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    Document Management - provider guidance

    Applicants will be able to upload supporting information to their application using Document Management. Learn more about how this works and the type of documents that are accepted.

    What's on this page?

    What is Document Management?

    Document Management will enable applicants applying direct to Clearing for 2026 entry, or all students for 2027 entry, to upload supporting information to specific sections of the application. Adding documentation will be optional and is designed to support efficient and inclusive admissions.

    All documents will be security scanned by UCAS for UCAS' systems and not added if they fail. Applicants will be able to upload the following information to support their application: 

    • Change of name (only required if different to the name on the qualification certificate)
    • Care experience
    • International qualifications:
      • All relevant achieved qualifications
      • English Language certificates
      • Transcripts
      • Translated qualifications
    • UK qualifications (uploading documents is not required for those still in formal education*)
    • Visas and passports

    UCAS provides a secure and efficient way to collect and store these documents until universities and colleges request to view them. 

    *applicants who are still in full-time education and have not taken any gap years away from school/college

    Admissions Guide Appendix B - Applicant Statements Including Declaration

    Document Management will enable universities and colleges to:

    • Easily choose if and when you download documents
    • Significantly reduce administrative time lost to requesting and chasing for documents
    • Spend your time making the right admissions decisions

    Keep up to date with the latest Document Management updates as well as an overview of other products and tools via our provider developments page:

     

    Provider developments at UCAS

    How Document Management works

    Document Management is designed for undergraduate applicants. It supports inclusive admissions by allowing applicants to upload supporting information directly with their application. 

    • Applicants will be prompted to upload documents - Applicants must enter all information on their UCAS application. Uploading supportive documents is an optional step and does not replace the need to complete details on their application - therefore applicants who do not choose to upload documents must not be disadvantaged. You should continue to request information directly if needed.

    • Security scan - Every document uploaded is security scanned by UCAS for UCAS' systems. This includes scanning for known malware, checking the file size and making sure the document isn’t password protected. If a document fails these scans, it won’t be uploaded and applicants will need to send documents directly to you. UCAS cannot guarantee that it will identify all security issues, therefore universities and colleges are required to carry out their own security checks on the documents.

    • Documents are stored securely - UCAS will collect and retain copies of the documents submitted with the application. Every document uploaded is security checked by UCAS, but UCAS does not undertake any checking process on the documents. Therefore, UCAS will not verify or validate documents uploaded by applicants. 

    • Universities and colleges must self-serve to access documents - You must self-serve to access uploaded documents, as they will not be delivered automatically.You will be required to download documents as and when required/necessary. Explore how to access documents submitted by an applicant below.

    In exceptional circumstances, UCAS will remove inappropriate or illegal documents as per request by applicant, adviser, or university/college.  

    Further guidance for 2026 entry can be found in the Admissions Guide

    When will Document Management be available?

    Document Management will take a phased approach:

     

    PhaseCycleSystemLaunch date (student)Consume data (provider)
    Phase 1: Applicants applying direct to Clearing only2026Consume data via Web-Link only2 July 20262 July 2026
    Phase 2: All applicants2027Consume data via Web-Link and UCAS-LinkMay 2026From September 2026

     

    NB: Documents will not be available via XML-Link.​


     

    What types of documents are accepted?

    Application sectionOfficial and relevant documents could include:Applicants
    Personal Details section: Change of Name
    • Marriage certificate 
    • Civil Partnership certificate 
    • Deed Poll certificate  
    • Change of Name certificate 
    		UK/international
    Diversity and Inclusion section: Care experience
    • A signed letter from a professional third party (e.g. teacher, doctor, charity, care worker, personal adviser, social worker, young carers association) confirming the applicant's circumstances 
    • Letter/email from the local authority or school confirming the applicant's name, date of birth and dates the applicant was cared for by the local authority
    • Care experience supporting information such as a Pathway Plan provided by the applicant's personal adviser
    		UK only
    Education section: Qualifications
    • Official qualification certificates (Uploading documents not required for those still in UK formal education*)
    		UK (mature)
    Education section: Qualifications and English language
    • Official qualification certificates
    • Official translated qualification certificates
    • Official qualification transcript (e.g. High School, SAT, ACT)
    • English Language certificates (e.g. TOEFL, IELTs English Language certificate, Pearson PTE, LanguageCert, PSI, Trinity College Dublin)
    		International only
    Nationality section: Passport and visa
    • An official and current visa or immigration status document with applicant name on it 
    • A copy of the photo page of your official and in-date passport with applicant name on it 
    		International only

    *applicants who are still in full-time education and have not taken any gap years away from school/college

    More information about file types accepted can be found in the Admission Guide

    How do I access documents submitted by an applicant?

    You can access documents for each applicant within their individual record in Web-Link.

    If your student record system (SRS) supports UCAS-Link you will be able to import documents into it. Please check with your SRS development team and/or vendor for more details. If your SRS does support this functionality you will need the following:

    • UCAS-Link access - if you do not have it already (e.g. for MCDS or Personal Statement) then it can be requested via the Halo support portal. You will be supplied with a client ID and secret that will need to be used to access UCAS-Link
    • Your SRS IP address needs to be added to an access control list. You may need to consult with technical teams to in order to establish this. Once you have it, you can request it be added (or updated) via the Halo support portal. 

    If you need any support with this please contact our Service Delivery Management team on sdmtech@ucas.ac.uk

    Student parents chatting in uni communal area

    Key information for providers

    1. Universities and colleges must self-serve to access documents as and when required
    2. Applicants who do not use the document upload service must not be disadvantaged - you should continue to request evidence directly if needed
    3. Imported documents are subject to your own data policies
    4. You must ensure documents are utilised only for the admissions process and in accordance with any guidance issued by UCAS
    5. Universities and colleges are to complete their own due diligence to authenticate documents
    6. You are advised to carry out your own security checks on the documents you download 
    Admissions Guide - Results

    Key information for advisers

    1. Advisers have visibility within the Adviser portal, but no access to the documents
    2. The "Return application to student functionality" is available for the applicant to amend, add, or remove documents prior to submission
    3. Advisers do not undertake any checking process on the documents
    two students working together on laptop

    Key information for applicants

    1. Enabling applicants to upload supporting documents is an optional feature
    2. Applicants must enter all relevant information on their UCAS application
    3. Applicants can amend uploads until it is submitted to UCAS. Post submissions changes will not be permitted
    4. Applicants can amend uploaded documents if their application is returned by their school/college/centre
    5. Applicants can upload five documents at a time, up to a maximum of 30 documents per application
    6. Uploaded document file sizes restricted to 5MB
    Students walking on campus

    Key information for UCAS

    1. Document Management is a repository service only
    2. UCAS does not verify the authenticity or accuracy of the documents submitted
    3. All documents will go through UCAS security scans and assigned a unique filename
    4. UCAS will monitor applicant and provider usage. UCAS has restricted access to documents
    5. UCAS may delete documents in exceptional circumstances only
    6. UCAS will delete all documents uploaded by applicants at the end of the cycle

    Need to raise an IT support ticket?

    If you need to ‘report an issue’ (e.g. a document has failed your university or college security checks (malicious file) or ‘request something’ (e.g. request a deletion of an inappropriate document) please use the appropriate options within the UCAS Halo support portal.
     

    Before submitting your ticket, ensure you have the following details ready:

    • PID
    • Document unique filename e.g. <cycle code>_<personal id>_<application scheme code>_<section id>_<category id>_<uploaded at timestamp>.<original filename extension>
    • Applicant’s full name
    • Applicant's date of birth
    • Any relevant context or error messages

     

    Verification Team

    This team is responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud in applications and similarity in personal statements. Please stay alert to possible fraudulent activity and if you identify anything that needs our investigation, get in contact with us.

     

    Customer Success Team

    The Customer Success Team supports you in all areas relating to our application processes and operational policy. They can also support technical issues, escalate problems and deal with frontline enquiries relating to UCAS campaigns.