Top-Notch ID Document Processing Worldwide: China

With a population of 1.4 billion, China is the second most populous country in the world, after India. While most residents officially speak Standard Chinese, the country is linguistically diverse, with 292 other living languages, including both Chinese varieties and minority languages like Mongolian and Tibetan.

Fortunately, all ID documents use a single standard: Simplified Chinese with Pinyin as the romanization system for transcription. While this challenge can be addressed by the presence of trained OCR parsers in your IDV solution, others require additional technologies.

Let’s break down the unique features of the different types of IDs used by Chinese citizens.

For Chinese residents, passports primarily serve as travel documents. They are typically excluded from domestic IDV scenarios and are mainly used during border crossings, hotel bookings, and car rentals—common activities for travelers.

Since 2012, all Chinese passports have been biometric, simplifying verification through an RFID chip. Interestingly, in addition to the ICAO-compliant ePassport application requiring data from the machine-readable zone (MRZ) for access, the chip contains an additional application storing the holder’s photo and identification number. Unlike the primary application, this secondary one does not require MRZ data for access but instead relies on specific protocols and encryption. This feature significantly speeds up border checks for Chinese citizens at domestic checkpoints. Once the chip is read, the stored data is cross-checked with information in the internal citizen database.

However, there are still standard checks, such as validating the passport number, the visual inspection zone (VIZ), and the MRZ.

Older passports typically contain a unique 9-character number in the format “E12345678.” By April 2017, over 100 million ordinary biometric passports had been issued, exhausting the E+eight-digit coding system. As a result, documents issued in 2017 or later include an additional letter, following the “E+[a Latin letter, excluding I and O]+seven digits.” For diplomatic and service documents, these are DE+seven digits and SE+seven digits, respectively.

The data in the passport is provided in both Chinese and English, which complicates verification. For example, the month in the dates of issue and expiration is not recorded as a standard digit but as a digit combined with the Chinese character 月, which can complicate the verification process for unfamiliar systems. For instance, January is written as 1月, February as 2月, and June as 6月. By the way, the character 月 can mean both "moon" and "month." 

Reading the MRZ on Chinese passports presents a unique challenge as well. The MRZ encodes the passport holder's name in Latin script—not as a straightforward transcription, but as a coded representation of their Chinese name. During verification, an IDV solution deciphers this code, converts it back into Chinese, and compares it with the name displayed in the VIZ.

The Chinese passport also features a hologram on the data page, allowing liveness detection checks to be integrated into the online IDV flow. However, capturing the VIZ under the proper illumination is crucial to avoid glare and minimize the need for retakes during ID capture.

Another interesting case is the Chinese Travel Document. Issued by Chinese diplomatic and consular offices abroad, it allows Chinese citizens living overseas to travel to a limited number of countries, some visa-free, as well as return to China. Depending on the type of document, it may permit single or multiple entries.

The Chinese Travel Document has a passport-like format but is non-biometric and, unlike an ordinary passport, is only valid for two years.

Like other states with large populations and territories, China has a complex system of domestic identity documents. The resident identity card is an essential ID for Chinese citizens and is required for many aspects of everyday life.

For example, it’s the only acceptable proof of identity for obtaining some other documents, such as driver’s licenses. The Chinese ID card is also necessary for opening a bank account, signing up with Telecom providers, and applying to colleges. It is also used to purchase train tickets and pass through security checkpoints at domestic airport terminals.

Most Chinese citizens obtain the following version of the ID card:

The card includes a standard set of data: name, photo, gender, date of birth, place of residency, etc. What sets the Chinese card apart is the inclusion of an Ethnicity field. China is home to diverse nationalities, including Mongols, Tibetans, Koreans, and others. For this reason, documents issued in ethnic minority regions may also contain information in the predominant local language.

All Chinese identity cards contain an 18-digit citizen identification number, such as 110102YYYYMMDD888X. This code can be automatically verified during an IDV session:

The validity period of Chinese ID cards varies based on the holder's age:

• Under 16 years old: 5 years

• 16 to 25 years old: 10 years

• 26 to 45 years old: 20 years

• Over 46 years old: Long-term

Despite being non-biometric in ICAO terms, Chinese ID cards contain an electronic chip that can be verified similarly to a passport chip. The chip stores information from the VIZ. However, accessing it requires a specialized hardware crypto module, which provides APIs for secure cryptographic communication between the ID reader and the chip. Notably, as with passports, this ID card verification process is restricted to authorized inspectors in China.

Foreign nationals residing in China can obtain a permanent residence card. Unlike the ID card for citizens, this document has undergone two updates since 2004.

Unlike the domestic ID card, the residence permit doesn’t include the holder’s ethnicity and residence address, only their nationality. This type of ID is typically valid for ten years. 

Also, the 2017 series permit follows the 2004 coding rule for card numbers, featuring a 15-character alphanumeric code. In the latest version, introduced in 2023, this has been updated to an 18-digit code without letters, reflecting the new coding rule.

At first glance, Chinese driver’s licenses are fairly standard in terms of the dataset they contain. They feature the holder’s basic identification details, such as a photo, name, address, and date of birth. On the reverse side, the license specifies the vehicle categories.

However, Chinese driver’s licenses are perhaps the most challenging documents on this list to verify online.

First, they are paper-based, laminated, and feature holograms, which can cause glare when scanned using a mobile device.

Second, they often feature inconsistent font styles and sizes. Third, their non-standard size—60x88 mm—is different from ICAO-compliant licenses, which are typically 54x86 mm, the standard for all ID-1 identity documents.

These factors demand a well-calibrated OCR algorithm capable of handling the legal “inconsistencies” commonly found in Chinese driver’s licenses.

Finally, the document contains additional pages—four in total. The third page includes extra details about the holder, such as their full name, registration and document numbers, and special notes. This identification information can also be processed during online IDV.

The minimum driving age in China depends on the vehicle type, ranging from 18 years old for cars and motorcycles to 26 years old for heavy passenger vehicles.

During Chinese ID verification, an IDV solution must include the following:

• Recognition and reading of multiple languages: This is critical, as most Chinese documents use not only Standard Chinese, but also minority languages like Mongolian, Zhuang, and Nuosu.

• An extensive ID template database: The solution should cover all current versions of Chinese passports, identity cards, and driver’s licenses.

• Support for unique document formats: For example, the non-standard size of Chinese driver’s licenses and the inclusion of fields like ethnicity in identity cards and Chinese characters in dates require tailored processing capabilities.

• Advanced OCR technology: The ability to handle glare on laminated documents, varying font styles, and multilingual datasets is essential.

• Sophisticated verification checks: Complex MRZ reading and dynamic security features like OVIs and holograms demand a next-gen solution capable of confirming authenticity through liveness detection, NFC verification, and support for non-standard security features.

Regula Document Reader SDK is equipped to handle all these challenges, ensuring seamless processing of Chinese identity documents.