Passport Verification API: How to use it for Digital Onboarding

There have been several reports of counterfeit passports. But what does a document verification for passport reveal? A passport is regarded as one of the most reliable sources of personal information. Passport verification API checks the candidate’s personal information on the passport verification documents. It does not validate fraudulent passport issues, but just tampering with personal information to verify passport number and the passport MRZ code. A Type 3 travel document’s MRZ (machine-readable zone) covers two lines, each of which is 44 characters long. MRZ covers three lines in a Type 1 travel document, with each line being 30 characters long. The MRZ comprises the following information: name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, gender, and passport expiration date. There is space for optional, frequently country-specific, supplemental material.

The MRZ on the passport is extracted and compared with the MRZ generated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) algorithm during passport verification process. Inconsistency in the MRZ coding shows that personal information has been manipulated.

Passport verification API must be used at all locations where the candidate’s authenticity is being scrutinised in order to be successful as a tracking tool.

Why is Passport ideal for Identity Verification?

A passport is a travel document issued by a state’s government to its inhabitants. It is now one of the most commonly demanded document verification API for proving one’s identification. Furthermore, passport verify is a kind of identification that permits its possessor to travel overseas. Above all, it enables you to visit nations all over the world (whereas the identity card allows you to travel to some countries of the European Union for example). A passport is valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for youngsters when it is issued.

Individuals intending to enter another nation as visitors, students, or employees must follow specific processes. Sometimes they even have to request permission. It is usually necessary to cross a border and can be paired with a visa. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standardizes passports with Document 9303. It provides common general criteria for passports in order to streamline border procedures.

What is the Passport Document Verification process?

A passport comprises identifying information such as a person’s first and surname name, gender, date and place of birth, an identifying photograph, the holder’s signature, and, in certain cases, physical traits. A passport is often issued in the form of a booklet. It contains a personal data page with the holder’s photo on it. The passport also has several security measures. It begins with a machine-readable zone (MRZ) comprising two lines of 44 characters. The paper used then fulfils criteria and responds to certain lighting (ultraviolet and infrared).

Some governments, particularly in the European Union, are gradually implementing the obligation to include biometric data in chips. The biometric passport stores a digital representation of the owner’s fingerprints to increase identification control. This advancement improves identification control and aids in the battle against identity fraud.

Why conduct Passport Verification?

• To check that the person is claiming the correct identification
• To confirm that the MRZ Passport’s personal information has not been tampered with
• To ensure that the MRZ Passport code has not been tampered with

Although only biometric identifiers and smart chip technology allow for a precise match, MRZ acts as the first line of defence against identity fraud. A potential recruit with a false name can potentially cause significant financial and brand harm to the organisation.

IDcentral offers a comprehensive Passport Verification API that pulls all of the data from a passport document and, using Face Match and Liveness detection, confirms the passport holder’s identity and validity, resulting in a full identity verification setup.

What makes online Passport Verification practical for secure Digital Onboarding?

• Automated system with quick turnaround 
• Simple and efficient data validation
• Better outcomes following a simple MRZ code review

Only the issuing authority may confirm the proper and true issuance of a passport. Passport verification API is essentially identity verification using the candidate’s reported information at face value.

Read more about Digital Onboarding & Identity Verification trends: IDcentral: digital-identity-trends-2023

What are the Passport Verification Use Cases?

Criminals nonetheless falsify passports and other identification documents despite these security requirements. Identity theft continues as a result. Sometimes it is hard to tell if a passport has been forged. For this reason, a service that automatically confirms the legitimacy of ID documents is needed, such as a passport verification API service. This enables us to satisfy several requirements:

• Identify fake documents, combat identity theft and documented fraud. Thus, ID verification services guard against identity theft.
• Abide by several rules, some of which are necessary for certain industries: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), Fifth AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and CFT (Counter-Terrorist Financing) Directive, KYC (Know Your Customer procedure).
• Create a trusting connection with a new consumer or partner, especially in remote identification settings. All while having a pleasant and entertaining internet experience.

You may be confident that the ID is legitimate thanks to our passport verification API. Furthermore, our technology supports an increasing number of forms of identification papers like PAN card and Aadhaar Card in over 150 countries and organizations. We also provide face match and liveness detection services to enhance identification control. This ensures not just the authenticity of the identity document, but also that the bearer is who he or she claims to be.

IDcentral’s Passport Verification API

IDcentral’s Modern OCR technology is used to extract data from a user’s passport for verification. This includes the extraction of personal details and the passport MRZ code mentioned on the passport. 

By using IDcentral’s Passport Verification API solution, you can be sure that the people you aboard have the proper identification and that it is legitimate.

You may quickly and easily finish your digital onboarding and passport document verification processes by combining them with IDcentral’s Identity Verification service.

Check out IDcentral’s Passport Verification API equipped with Advanced Data Extraction 

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