Indian Passport OCR with the StructOCR Python SDK

Challenges with Indian Passport Verification

Extracting accurate information—specifically trying to get the OCR number and back-page address details in an Indian passport—presents unique challenges. A significant portion of circulating passports utilize thick, glossy laminates that cause severe glare and reflection issues right over critical data zones like the document number. Furthermore, handling bilingual field descriptors in both Hindi (Devanagari script) and English, alongside complex background motifs featuring national emblems, requires specialized parsing logic. Unlike standard passports, Indian KYC requires parsing non-standard, bilingual addresses and relationship data from the back page, making a specialized extraction API essential for reliable processing.

Why StructOCR for Indian Passports

StructOCR offers unparalleled accuracy for Indian travel documents, including full support for the crucial last-page annexure. Our core platform is provided as a highly scalable REST API, supported by convenient SDK wrappers for rapid integration. Whether you need a powerful passport extraction api or comprehensive automated B2B passport verification software, our engine overcomes common optical obstacles like heavy glare. Want to see it in action? Upload an image to our live demo widget below for a free test. For production volumes, check out our flexible pricing plans. For the fastest Python integration, install the official StructOCR SDK and see the Python SDK documentation.

Built for High-Compliance Industries

• Travel & Aviation: Our technology serves as a critical verification solution for travel, enabling seamless integration with e-Visa processing and automated check-in systems. This speeds up passenger throughput at major hubs like Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).
• Financial Services: By integrating our sophisticated API, financial institutions can automate their KYC and AML onboarding workflows with confidence, ensuring compliance with strict Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations while instantly validating passport numbers and verifying address proofs from the back page.

Indian Passport OCR with the Python SDK

The official Python SDK handles file encoding, API communication, and structured passport results. Use the SDK directly or open the FastAPI tab for a server endpoint. Keep your API key in STRUCTOCR_API_KEY.

Prerequisite: `pip install structocr`; set the server-side `STRUCTOCR_API_KEY` environment variable.

Prefer another stack? Open the Node.js SDK + Express integration.

import os
from structocr import StructOCR

# Initialize StructOCR Client
client = StructOCR(os.environ["STRUCTOCR_API_KEY"])

def scan_india_passport():
    image_path = "india_passport_sample.jpg"

    try:
        print(f"Scanning {image_path}...")
        result = client.scan_passport(image_path)

        if result.get('success'):
            data = result['data']
            print("✅ Passport Extraction Successful!")
            print(f"Passport #:  {data.get('passport_number')}")
            print(f"Name:        {data.get('given_names')} {data.get('surname')}")
            print(f"Nationality: {data.get('nationality')}")
            print(f"DOB:         {data.get('date_of_birth')}")

            # Extract Country Specific (Indian Passport Last Page / Annexure)
            country_specific = data.get('country_specific', {})
            last_page = country_specific.get('last_page')
            if last_page:
                print(f"Father:      {last_page.get('father_name')}")
                print(f"Spouse:      {last_page.get('spouse_name')}")
                print(f"Address:     {last_page.get('address')}")
        else:
            print(f"❌ Extraction Failed: {result.get('error')}")

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    scan_india_passport()

JSON Response Example

The Python SDK returns a dictionary matching this normalized JSON structure.

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "type": "passport",
    "country_code": "IND",
    "nationality": "INDIAN",
    "passport_number": "Z1234567",
    "surname": "SHARMA",
    "given_names": "RAHUL",
    "sex": "M",
    "date_of_birth": "1988-07-22",
    "place_of_birth": "NEW DELHI",
    "date_of_issue": "2021-04-10",
    "date_of_expiry": "2031-04-09",
    "issuing_authority": "MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS",
    "country_specific": {
      "last_page": {
        "father_name": "AMIT SHARMA",
        "mother_name": "SITA SHARMA",
        "spouse_name": "PRIYA SHARMA",
        "address": "FLAT 4B, GREENWOOD APARTMENTS, NEW DELHI PIN: 110001, INDIA",
        "old_passport_number": "P7654321",
        "old_passport_issue_date": "2010-01-05",
        "old_passport_issue_place": "DELHI",
        "file_no": "DL1076071103622",
        "ecr_status": null
      }
    }
  }
}