Skip to content

MRZ characters tool

Overview

The MRZ Characters tool allows users to manually enter the characters of a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) in order to verify its validity and consistency.

It is intended for situations where:

  • automatic reading (OCR) is not possible or unreliable,
  • the MRZ is partially readable,
  • a manual check is required (audit, compliance, fraud detection, enhanced KYC).

The interface provides three separate input fields, corresponding to the three possible MRZ lines, and is compatible with all standardized MRZ formats defined by ICAO 9303.

MRZ character tool

Usage

The user manually enters the exact characters of the MRZ, respecting: - the character order, - the use of the filler character <, - the line lengths specific to each MRZ format.

Once the fields are completed, the tool automatically analyzes the MRZ according to the detected format.

Passports

For passports (format TD3), the MRZ consists of two lines of 44 characters.

Input:

  • Line 1 → MRZ line 1 field
  • Line 2 → MRZ line 2 field
  • Line 3 → leave empty

MRZ character tool passport verification

Checks performed:

  • TD3 format structure,
  • validity of allowed characters,
  • field consistency (document number, nationality, date of birth, expiration date),
  • calculation and validation of check digits.

French national identity card (1995 version)

French national identity cards – 1995 version use a MRZ in TD2 format, consisting of two lines of 36 characters (a total of 72 characters).

Input:

  • Line 1 → MRZ line 1 field
  • Line 2 → MRZ line 2 field
  • Line 3 → leave empty

MRZ character tool French ID card verification

Checks performed:

  • compliance with the TD2 format,
  • document number structure,
  • date consistency (birth date, expiration date),
  • consistency of personal data,
  • validation of check digits.

Biometric identity cards

Biometric identity cards (depending on the country) generally use the TD1 format, composed of three lines of 30 characters.

Input:

  • Line 1 → MRZ line 1 field
  • Line 2 → MRZ line 2 field
  • Line 3 → MRZ line 3 field

MRZ character tool biometric ID card verification

Checks performed:

  • automatic detection of the TD1 format,
  • syntactic validation of the MRZ,
  • verification of mandatory fields (document, nationality, dates),
  • calculation and verification of check digits.

Biometric driving licences

Some biometric driving licences include an MRZ composed of a single line of 30 characters.

Input:

  • Line 1 → MRZ line 1 field
  • Line 2 → leave empty
  • Line 3 → leave empty

MRZ character tool biometric driving licence verification

Checks performed:

  • compliance with the expected MRZ format,
  • verification of identification fields,
  • validation of dates and check digits (when applicable),
  • detection of structural or consistency anomalies.

Results

After validation, the tool provides a detailed and actionable result, including:

  • the detected MRZ format,
  • the overall validity status of the MRZ,
  • extracted fields (document number, dates, nationality, etc.),
  • check digit results,
  • inconsistency indicators in case of errors or incorrect input.

These results help confirm the structural validity of an MRZ, detect input errors or potential fraud attempts, and complement a KYC or document verification process when automatic reading is not sufficient.