Compress PDF to 2 MB

Compress a PDF to 2 MB or less for longer scans and visa documents, keeping the sharpest version that fits.

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PDF · 30 MB per file · 100 MB total

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Test it yourself with airplane mode

Open this page while you are online and wait a few seconds, so it can save itself for offline use.
Turn on airplane mode, or turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Choose your file and run the tool. It still works, because nothing has to be sent.

A few extras, such as the HEIC photo decoder, are only saved after you first use them. Offline, they show an error instead of sending anything.

2 MB leaves room for several sharp pages, which suits longer scans and visa documents. This tool is already set to 2 MB. It tries one setting after another and keeps the sharpest version that fits.

Good to know before you begin

Reaching a small size usually means saving pages as pictures, which removes searchable text, links and form fields. The tool aims at or under the target, counting 1 KB as 1,000 bytes. If no color version fits, it tries grayscale. If it still can’t get there, you get the smallest version with a note saying so.

How to compress a PDF to 2 MB

Select Choose a PDF, or drag your file onto the box.
Check that Target size says 2 MB. This page sets it for you.
Select Compress PDF →. The tool tries Optimize first, then picture versions of your pages at lower and lower resolution.
Read the line under Your file is ready. It tells you whether the file got under 2 MB, at about what resolution, and whether it used grayscale.
Select Download result ↓, then open the file and zoom in on the smallest print before you upload it.

What fits in 2 MB

We tested with sample scans we made ourselves: letter-size pages scanned at 300 DPI in color, mostly printed text.

A one-page scan of 1.90 MB was already under 2 MB, so the tool gave back the original unchanged.
A three-page scan of 5.87 MB came out at 858.7 KB, with pages saved as pictures at about 150 DPI.
A six-page scan of 15.28 MB came out at 1.64 MB, with pages saved as pictures at about 125 DPI.

An example limit

The US National Visa Center accepts files of up to 2 MB each in CEAC (NVC scanning tips, checked Oct 30, 2026).

If it won’t get under 2 MB

Remove pages the form didn’t ask for, such as blank backs or instruction sheets, with Organize PDF or Split PDF, then compress again.
Leave Use grayscale if color won’t fit ticked. In our six-page test, grayscale made the smallest version about 10% smaller.
Rescan in black and white if your scanner app offers it, and crop to the edges of the paper so the file isn’t spending bytes on the table around it.
Ask whether the form accepts more than one file. If it does, split the document and compress each part.

Questions

Is 2 MB counted as 2,000,000 or 2,097,152 bytes?

Portals differ, and few say. The tool aims at or under 2,000,000 bytes, which fits either way. Your phone or computer may show the same file as about 0.00 MB.

Is my file uploaded to PDFReadyGo?

No. The PDF is read and compressed in your browser. The limits are 30 MB per file and 100 pages for picture-based compression.

Can I make a photo or signature a set size instead?

Yes. Use Resize photo in KB to make a JPG photo or signature fit a limit in KB, at the pixel size a form asks for.

Having trouble? Read the FAQ or visit help and contact.