What is the machine-readable zone in a passport?
The short answer
The machine-readable zone (MRZ) is the set of lines with letters, digits and “<” characters at the bottom of the data page. A passport has two lines of 44 characters, an ID card three of 30. They contain document type, issuing country, name, passport number, nationality, date of birth and expiry date – with check digits according to ICAO standard 9303 so that reading errors are noticed.
Updated: November 11, 2026 · wemake.holiday travel guide
What the lines contain
- Document type and issuing country
- Surname and given names, separated by “<<”
- Document number with check digit
- Nationality
- Date of birth and sex
- Expiry date with check digit
Special features
- Umlauts are transcribed: Ä → AE, Ö → OE, Ü → UE
- Long names are shortened
- The check digits reveal reading errors
How to do it with wemake.holiday
ID scan
Read your passport or ID card with the camera – recognition runs entirely in your browser, with check-digit verification.
More questions
Can I read the zone with my phone?
Yes. The wemake.holiday ID scan reads it via camera or photo right in your browser – the image is not uploaded.
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