ID – Check the validity of a German identity card online

How to verify the validity of a German identity card online?

Many professional or personal processes require the presentation of an identity document: recruitment, rentals, KYC processes, etc. Nowadays, documents are usually scanned or photographed before being sent by email. Therefore, it becomes difficult to ensure that these documents are genuine and have not been altered using image editing software like Photoshop. Our product addresses this issue and allows you to:

• extract information from the MRZ band of identity documents directly online, analyze them, and verify the security keys that ensure their authenticity
• validate the format of the document number (Dokumentennummer)

And this in just a few seconds!

How does the German identity card validity check work ?

After confirming your purchase, you will receive an email with credentials to log in to our identity web application (please check your spam folder a few minutes after purchase if you have not received the activation email).

• Access to the platform

  • You log in to the web application using the credentials sent to you by email after your purchase or registration.

• Verification mode selection

  • From your dashboard, you choose the option “Verify an identity document”.

• Document upload

  • You upload the scan(s) (front/back) of the identity document, as an image (.jpg, .png) or PDF.

  • No further manipulation (cropping, rotation, etc.) is required: the system automatically detects the orientation and the MRZ zone.

• Automatic analysis

  • The service reads the MRZ (Machine Readable Zone) and verifies the security keys.

  • It checks the essential information (card number, date of birth, expiration date, etc.) as well as the document integrity via check digits.

• Instant result

  • The analysis results are immediately displayed in the interface as a status (success/failure) and a detailed report (PDF, JSON or XML).

  • The report specifies the recognized fields and the validity of each element (check digits, date consistency, etc.).

• Download and archiving of reports

  • You can download or view the PDF report directly.

  • The data remain available in the history for later consultation, but you have the possibility to delete</strong > them at any time (confidentiality guarantee).

• Optional integration (API)

  • If you have a CRM or ERP, you can use the API to automate verification: the document is then transmitted to the service and the report (or simply the status) is sent back to your internal software.

  • You can find all details on these links:
    • Identity API
    • Resources API

• Manage your account and credits</strong >

  • Your analyses are charged only if the MRZ is successfully detected (i.e. if the information could be correctly extracted).

  • You can check your credit balance at any time and, if necessary, subscribe to a plan adapted to your needs.

• Support and assistance</strong >

  • In case of difficulties or questions, you can contact support via email or through the integrated help interface.

  • Additional resources (guides, FAQ, API documentation) are also available online.

You can find all the details on the product page Identity web suite.

What elements are validated during the German identity card validity check?

The document number of the German identity card (die Dokumentennummer in deutschen Ausweisen)

The document number corresponds to an official pattern from the ministry: we verify that this is the case in order to validate it.

MRZ information

We check and validate all the MRZ information as well as the security keys.

Use cases

• Recruitment and onboarding
  When you need to validate a candidate’s identity before signing an employment contract, online identity document verification ensures the compliance
  of documents and limits fraud risks. You save time on administrative tasks and provide a smoother experience for your future employees.

• Property rental
  When signing a lease, you can require identity document verification to validate the tenant’s seriousness. This step ensures that the
  document provided is authentic and that the information (name, date of birth, etc.) has not been altered or forged.

• KYC process (Know Your Customer)
  In the banking and financial sectors or for service providers subject to anti-money laundering and fraud prevention obligations, identity
  validation is essential. MRZ reading and security key verification ensure compliance with regulations while simplifying controls.

• Online service registration
  Whether for accessing a gambling platform, online trading, or any other service requiring proof of majority or strong authentication,
  automatic identity document checking quickly verifies that the user meets legal requirements.

• B2B relationships or partnerships
  In certain partnerships or commercial contracts, an identity document may be required to verify the identity of a partner or legal representative.
  Automated identity document verification helps secure transactions and strengthens trust between parties.

Professionals, automate identity document verification within your CRM / ERP / Business application!

We offer subscriptions that may better fit your needs! You will find all the details on the pricing page.

We also offer a service to perform verification of all identity or resource documents via API, in addition to our web application,
allowing smooth integration with your CRM / ERP / Business application! You can find all details on these links :

• Identity API
• Resources API

How are the results of the German identity card (Personalausweis) validity verification analysis presented?

In addition to the web application, the analysis results are available for download in PDF / JSON / XML format :

What document formats are accepted?

You can send your documents as jpg / jpeg / png images or as PDFs. Scans/photos do not need to be cropped or retouched: they are automatically detected during German identity card validity verification. It is possible to send the front and back of the document on the same scan and in any order (front first and back below, or vice versa): they will be sorted and recognized without issue.

Am I charged if the information is not correctly extracted during German identity card validity verification?

The answer is no! Only a correctly recognized German identity card is billable! And if the characters are not properly detected (which can happen with a poor-quality photo for example), you have the option to correct them in order to get a reliable analysis anyway. You can see the details in this video:

What is the MRZ band of the German identity card (Machine Readable Zone)?

An automatic reading zone, or optical reading zone, is an area on an official document reserved for reading, identification, and validation of that document.
Thus, documents such as passports, national identity cards, residence permits, and driving licenses may or must include, depending on the country and document version, an optical reading zone. It is located at the bottom part of identity documents: it contains all the information present on the document with security keys allowing verification of their authenticity and that they have not been modified. The information found varies depending on the type of document.

How is it composed?

Cards issued from 2021 onward have three lines of text, each containing alphanumeric characters.

What data is extracted during German identity card validity verification?

The data extracted from the MRZ of the German identity card are as follows:

• First line:

1. Document type: 2 characters, code indicating the document type, represented by the letters “ID”.
2. Issuing country: 3 characters, the code ISO 3166-1 alpha-3
   of the issuing country.
3. Card number: 9 characters, unique card number.
4. Check digit: 1 character, check digit for the unique card number.
5. End of line: 15 characters, “<” to fill the line.

• Second line:

1. Date of birth: 6 characters, year, month and day of birth in YYMMDD format.
2. Check digit: 1 character, check digit for date of birth.
3. Gender: 1 character, “M” for male, “F” for female.
4. Expiration date: 6 digits, expiration date of the card in YYMMDD format.
5. Check digit: 1 character, check digit for expiration date.
6. Country code: 3 characters, ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code of the holder’s nationality.
7. Date of issue: 4 characters in YYMM format.
8. End of line: 11 characters, chevrons to fill the line.
9. Check digit: 1 character, check digit of the concatenation of characters from line 1 positions 6-15, line 2 positions 1-7, and line 2 positions 9-15.

• Third line:

1. Holder’s last name and first names: holder’s last name followed by first names. The last name and first names are separated
   by two “<” characters. In case of compound last names, compound first names or multiple first names, they are separated by the “<” character. Spaces
   and apostrophes are replaced by the “<” character and the last name is truncated to 30 characters if necessary, and any accents on letters are removed.
   The line is then completed with the “<” character.

Personal data

You can delete all data once the report is downloaded: simply delete the analysis from the web interface history! The data are also automatically deleted after 3 months. You can find details about personal data on our dedicated page : Privacy Policy.

Terms and conditions

You can find the details of our terms and conditions at the following address : TrustDocHub Terms and Conditions.