Turn the machine-readable zone of a passport, ID card, visa or residence permit into labeled fields: document type, name, document number, nationality, date of birth, sex and expiry. TD1, TD2 and TD3 parsing follows ICAO Doc 9303, validates every check digit and runs on the device.
Reading an MRZ takes two steps. The MRZ Scanner SDK finds the zone in the camera frame and reads its characters with on-device OCR. The MRZ parser then splits that text into fields and checks it. This page covers the second step: what the parser extracts, how it validates the data and what your app receives.
Camera capture, OCR, image extraction, device requirements and the per-platform setup guides are on the MRZ Scanner SDK page. To see parsing on a real document first, open the web MRZ demo and scan a passport or ID card with your camera or from a photo.
Explore the MRZ Scanner SDK →<< separator and removes fillerThe barKoder MRZ parser follows ICAO Doc 9303 and parses passports, visas and national ID cards from most countries, plus residence permits that carry an MRZ. You don't need a separate passport parser, travel visa parser and residence permit parser. The format decides where each field sits, so the parser identifies it first from the line count and line length.
| Format | Typical documents | Lines | Field order |
|---|---|---|---|
| TD3 | Passport booklets | 2 × 44 characters | Name on line 1; numbers, dates and check digits on line 2 |
| TD2 | Medium-sized cards, some visas and older ID cards | 2 × 36 characters | Same fields with adjusted line lengths |
| TD1 | National ID cards, passport cards, some driver's licenses | 3 × 30 characters | Document number on line 1, dates on line 2, name on line 3 |
| MRV-A and MRV-B | Machine-readable visas | 2 × 44 or 2 × 36 characters | Two lines like a passport, with different lengths for the name and optional data |
A passport parser reads two lines of 44 characters. Every field has a fixed start and end, and the key fields are followed by a check digit.
| Line and positions | Field |
|---|---|
| Line 1: 1–2 | Document type, P< for a standard passport |
| Line 1: 3–5 | Issuing country, 3-letter code |
| Line 1: 6–44 | Name: surname, <<, given names, filler |
| Line 2: 1–9 | Document number |
| Line 2: 10 | Check digit for the document number |
| Line 2: 11–13 | Nationality, 3-letter code |
| Line 2: 14–19 | Date of birth, YYMMDD |
| Line 2: 20 | Check digit for the date of birth |
| Line 2: 21 | Sex |
| Line 2: 22–27 | Expiration date, YYMMDD |
| Line 2: 28 | Check digit for the expiration date |
| Line 2: 29–42 | Optional personal number |
| Line 2: 43 | Check digit for the personal number |
| Line 2: 44 | Overall check digit |
Here is the start of the sample MRZ in barKoder's web MRZ demo, and how the parser reads it:
P<UTOERIKSSON<<ANNA<<<<
L898902C36UTO7408122F
P, passportUTO
ERIKSSON
ANNA
L898902C3, check digit 6
UTO
740812, check digit 2
F
Credit-card sized documents use three lines of 30 characters. The fields are the same as in a passport, in a different order:
The parser recognizes the 3 × 30 layout and applies the TD1 positions, so your app gets the same field set from an ID card as from a passport.
An MRZ only allows the digits 0–9, the capital letters A–Z and the filler character <. These rules decide how each field is cleaned up.
<<, then the given names separated by single <.<, and unused space is padded with <.< (sometimes X) when unspecified.<.The parser validates each check digit and the formatting of every field. A mismatch means the MRZ was read incorrectly or altered, so your app can ask for a rescan instead of saving bad data.
< is 0.
Document number, date of birth and expiration date each have their own check digit, and often the personal number too. The overall check digit at the end of the last line covers the combined fields.
| Character | L | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 2 | C | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 21 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 3 |
| Weight | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Product | 147 | 24 | 9 | 56 | 27 | 0 | 14 | 36 | 3 |
Sum 316 · 316 mod 10 = 6
The MRZ prints 6 after the number, so the field is valid. If OCR reads the second character as B instead of 8, the sum becomes 325, the check digit 5 doesn't match, and the parser flags the field.
An MRZ result has the barcode type name MRZ. The parsed fields come with it, so you don't write your own MRZ decoder.
The result text lists the fields as label: value lines. barKoder's Android demo app reads first_name, last_name and document_number from these lines and shows every other label as a row.
non-formatted: the original key/value pairs extracted from the MRZraw: the full, unmodified MRZ stringJSON: a JSON string with all decoded MRZ datalocation_picture, location_signature, location_document: corner coordinates, if foundSee extra metadata in results for the reference.
MRZ parsing is part of the ID document decoder. Enable it, and every MRZ result arrives already parsed and validated. You need a license key with MRZ enabled.
Barkoder.setEnabledDecoders(Barkoder.constants.Decoders.IDDocument);
Web, with the barkoder-wasm-ocr package.
private fun setActiveBarcodeTypes() {
// There is option to set multiple active barcodes at once as array
bkdView.config.decoderConfig.SetEnabledDecoders(
arrayOf(
Barkoder.DecoderType.IDDocument,
)
)
bkdView.config.decoderConfig.IDDocument.enabled = true
}
Android (Kotlin).
override fun scanningFinished(results: Array<Barkoder.Result>, thumbnails: Array<Bitmap>, resultImage: Bitmap?) {
for (i in results) {
if (i.images != null) {
for (j in i.images) {
when (j.name) {
"main" -> mainBitmap = j.image
"document" -> documentBitmap = j.image
"signature" -> signatureBitmap = j.image
"picture" -> pictureBitmap = j.image
}
}
}
}
}
On Android and iOS, the result can also carry the document images by name: main, document, signature and picture.
MRZ parsing is available on all barKoder platforms and cross-platform frameworks: iOS, Android, Web and desktop, plus Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, Cordova, .NET MAUI and NativeScript. The setup guide for each one is listed on the MRZ Scanner SDK page.
Whether you verify identity for onboarding, KYC, access control or fleet management, one scan fills the form with clean, labeled fields.
Parsing runs locally, in real time and offline. The SDK goes online only for the license check, at least once every 30 days, and it does not store personal information from scans. Your application decides what it keeps and where it sends it.
Verified credentials
Certified information security management built around internationally recognized controls.
Official Solution Provider supporting standards-based barcode and data-capture workflows.
Solution Provider listing covering barcode, mobile application and 2D barcode capabilities.
Discover the barKoder Web SDK listing and connect through Microsoft Marketplace.
Registered Independent Software Vendor in Zebra's PartnerConnect ecosystem.
Install the free barKoder demo app, or open the web demo, and scan your own barcodes before you integrate the SDK.
iPhone and iPad
Scan with your camera, or point it at the QR code to open the App Store.
Android phones and tablets
Scan with your camera, or point it at the QR code to open Google Play.
Any modern browser
Runs the Web SDK in your browser, on desktop or mobile, with nothing to install.
Test with known samples. Print or display the testing sheet and scan each 1D and 2D barcode with the demo app. The data sheet summarizes the SDK for your team.
An MRZ parser turns the two or three lines of an MRZ into labeled fields. MRZ parsing reads each field from its fixed position, removes the < filler, splits the name at << and validates the check digits. barKoder's MRZ parser returns document type, issuing country, name, document number, nationality, date of birth, sex, expiration date and the optional personal number.
Yes. It parses TD3 passports, TD1 and TD2 ID cards and MRV-A and MRV-B visas, as defined in ICAO Doc 9303. That covers passports, national ID cards, travel visas and residence permits that carry an MRZ.
Yes. The web MRZ demo runs in your browser with nothing to install. Scan a passport or ID card with the camera or pick a photo of the page, and it reads the MRZ and its check digits.
Each check digit is calculated from its field with the 7-3-1 weights. If the calculated digit doesn't match the printed one, the MRZ was read incorrectly or altered. The document number, date of birth and expiration date each have their own check digit, and the overall check digit covers the combined fields, so a mismatch points to the field that was misread. Rescan the document before you treat it as invalid.
The parser works on the text the scanner reads. The MRZ Scanner SDK finds the zone with the camera and reads it with on-device OCR, and the parsed fields come back in the same result. Both are part of the barKoder SDK: enable the ID document decoder with a license key that has MRZ enabled.
No. Parsing runs on the device, offline and in real time. The SDK connects only for the license check, at least once every 30 days, and it doesn't store personal information from scans.
No. Check digits show that the MRZ was read correctly and is internally consistent. They don't establish that the document is authentic or that it belongs to the person presenting it, so add the identity checks your application needs.
Generate a free trial license, valid for 30 days on up to 25 devices. For production, see SDK pricing or request a quote.
Test the MRZ parser on your own documents with a free 30-day trial, or talk to an SDK expert about your onboarding or check-in workflow.
