Integrate on-device MRZ scanning into mobile and web applications with barKoder. The MRZ Scanner SDK reads machine-readable zones from passports, identity cards, visas and residence permits and returns structured document data for onboarding, identity verification and document-processing workflows.
MRZ scanning is a decoder in the barKoder SDK. Turn on the ID document decoder, point the camera at the passport or ID card, and read the parsed fields from the result. Processing runs on the device. You need a license key with MRZ enabled.
Web, with the barkoder-wasm-ocr package from npm:
Barkoder.setEnabledDecoders(Barkoder.constants.Decoders.IDDocument);
iOS:
private func setActiveBarcodeTypes() {
guard let decoderConfig = barkoderView.config?.decoderConfig else { return }
decoderConfig.idDocument.enabled = true
}
The barKoder MRZ module was released in late October 2024 with SDK version 1.5. MRZ scanning is now documented for native mobile, the web, C# and every cross-platform framework barKoder supports.
| Platform | How to enable MRZ |
|---|---|
| Android | IDDocument decoder, Kotlin or Java |
| iOS | idDocument decoder, Swift |
| Web (WASM) | barkoder-wasm-ocr package, IDDocument decoder |
| Flutter | Flutter MRZ example |
| React Native | React Native MRZ example |
| Capacitor | Capacitor MRZ example |
| Cordova | Cordova MRZ example |
| .NET MAUI | .NET MAUI MRZ example |
| NativeScript | NativeScript MRZ example |
| C# (.NET) | MRZ decoding with OCR, in the C# SDK guide |
A Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) is the section of an identity document that holds personal data in a standardized format. You find it on passports, ID cards, visas, residence permits and other travel documents, usually at the bottom of the page, as two or three lines of text in the OCR-B font.
The format is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Doc 9303 for Machine Readable Travel Documents. Only the digits 0-9, the capital letters A-Z and the filler character < are allowed. The filler stands for spaces and padding. Surname and given names are separated by <<, and letters with diacritics are transliterated, for example Ü to UE and ß to SS.
Since 2010, ICAO has required member states to issue only machine-readable passports, and non-MRZ passports became invalid for international travel after November 2015. That is why one MRZ reader covers so many documents.
| Format | Used on | MRZ size |
|---|---|---|
| TD3 | Passport booklets (the identity page) | 2 lines of 44 characters |
| TD2 | Medium-sized cards, some visas and older ID cards | 2 lines of 36 characters |
| TD1 | Credit-card sized documents: national ID cards, passport cards, some driver's licenses | 3 lines of 30 characters |
| MRV-A | Machine-readable visas | 2 lines of 44 characters |
| MRV-B | Machine-readable visas | 2 lines of 36 characters |
The MRZ looks like a jumble of letters, but every field sits in a fixed position and the critical ones carry check digits.
On Android and iOS, the result can also include images: the whole document, the holder's photo and the signature.
Each character gets a value: 0-9 as themselves, A-Z as 10-35 and < as 0. The values are multiplied by the repeating weights 7, 3, 1, summed, and the sum modulo 10 is the check digit.
Document number, date of birth and expiration date each have their own check digit, and a final overall check digit covers the combined fields. A mismatch means the MRZ was read incorrectly or altered.
Scanning and parsing are two steps. This page covers the MRZ Scanner SDK, which captures the zone with the camera. The MRZ parser turns the zone into structured fields with check digit and formatting validation.
Reading an MRZ used to need a dedicated reader. With the MRZ Scanner SDK, the device camera does the job.
Watch barKoder's MRZ module scan passports and ID cards in real time.
barKoder uses machine learning to detect the document features in the image, then OCR to read the zone.
barKoder doesn't collect personal information. The SDK has to process what is in the MRZ, such as name, date of birth, personal number and document number, but all processing happens on the device. Any communication you request uses encrypted connections.
Scanning is much faster than typing and removes typing errors. Results come back almost as soon as the camera points at the document. Average scan time is under half a second.
The MRZ is read in real time on the device, without an internet connection, so the data never passes through external servers unless your app sends it. If you need data on your servers, you control the transfer on both ends.
Phones and tablets replace external passport readers, which cuts equipment and training costs. Fewer failed reads mean fewer failed transactions.
MRZ was built for border control and is now used wherever an app needs a fast, reliable read of an official ID.
barkoder-wasm-ocr package instead of barkoder-wasm.The MRZ Scanner SDK is documented for Android, iOS, the Web SDK, C# and every cross-platform framework. Enable the ID document decoder and read the fields from the scan result.
Direct SDKs for mobile, browser, desktop and server environments.
Official integrations for teams building one application across platforms.
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.
It lets your app read the machine-readable zone of a passport, ID card, visa or residence permit with the device camera. barKoder's MRZ Scanner SDK locates the zone, reads it with on-device OCR, validates the check digits and returns the document data as fields.
Yes. The Web SDK reads MRZ through the barkoder-wasm-ocr package, which is barkoder-wasm with MRZ scanning added. Enable the IDDocument decoder as shown in the Web MRZ example, or try the web MRZ demo first. No native plugin is needed.
Passports (TD3), ID cards (TD1 and TD2) and machine-readable visas (MRV-A and MRV-B), as defined in ICAO Doc 9303. That covers passports, national ID cards, visas and residence permits that carry an MRZ.
The MRZ Scanner SDK captures and reads the zone with the camera. The MRZ parser turns the text into structured fields such as name, document number, nationality, date of birth, sex and expiry, with check digit and formatting validation.
No. Scanning runs locally on the device and barKoder doesn't store personal information from scans. The SDK goes online only for the license check, at least once every 30 days.
Yes. On Android and iOS, the MRZ result can include the main image, the document image, the holder's picture and the signature. The Android MRZ example shows how to read them.
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 holding it, so build further checks around your requirements.
Register and generate a free 30-day trial license, which covers up to 25 devices. For production, see SDK pricing or request a quote. MRZ scanning needs a license key with MRZ enabled.
Test the MRZ Scanner SDK on your own documents with a free 30-day trial, or talk to an SDK expert about your onboarding or verification workflow.
