Passport MRZ OCR vs NFC Chip Reading

Photo-based OCR

Reads the data page from an image. It works on any device that can upload a photo, including desktops and kiosks, and returns the printed fields.

Extracting It Automatically

When you read this data from photos, the Passport OCR API returns it as structured JSON, and you can apply the rules on this page as validation. Try it with the free scanner.

Where This Fits

• NFC chip reading: Reads the signed data stored in the e-passport chip. It needs an NFC-capable phone or reader and the MRZ-derived access key, and it allows cryptographic checks of the data.
• Choosing: Use OCR when you need the data quickly with broad device support. Add chip reading when regulations or fraud risk require cryptographic proof that the data is genuine.

Extract It with the API

Read the document from a photo and validate the returned fields.

Prerequisite: Python 3.9+, `pip install requests`, and a STRUCTOCR_API_KEY

import base64
import os
import requests

with open("passport.jpg", "rb") as image_file:
    image = base64.b64encode(image_file.read()).decode("ascii")

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.structocr.com/v1/passport",
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["STRUCTOCR_API_KEY"]},
    json={"img": image},
    timeout=30,
)
response.raise_for_status()
data = response.json()["data"]
print("passport_number:", data.get("passport_number"))
print("surname:", data.get("surname"))
print("given_names:", data.get("given_names"))
print("date_of_expiry:", data.get("date_of_expiry"))

Reference Summary

Key facts from this page in structured form, for quick lookup.

{
  "Photo-based OCR": "Reads the data page from an image.",
  "NFC chip reading": "Reads the signed data stored in the e-passport chip.",
  "Choosing": "Use OCR when you need the data quickly with broad device support."
}