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Germany Passport Number validator
How the passport number format works
- Format
- 9 characters: starts with C, F, G, H, J or K, followed by 8 more characters drawn from a restricted alphanumeric set that excludes easily-confused letters (A, B, D, E, I, O, Q, S, U)
- Example
- C12345678
Things to watch for
- Format-only check — does not confirm the passport was actually issued, is unexpired, or is currently valid
- Germany deliberately restricts the character set to avoid letters that look like digits or each other — this is a genuine anti-fraud design choice, not a typo
- Validation runs entirely in your browser — the number you enter is never transmitted or stored
^[CFGHJK][0-9CFGHJKLMNPRTVWXYZ]{8}$A German passport number is 9 characters: it always starts with C, F, G, H, J, or K, followed by 8 more characters drawn from a deliberately restricted alphanumeric set, e.g. C12345678. That restriction is the standout fact here — Germany’s Bundesdruckerei, the federal printer that produces the document under the authority of the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) and local Passbehörden, excludes letters such as A, B, D, E, I, O, Q, S, and U precisely because they’re too easily misread as digits or as each other, especially on a scanned or handwritten copy.
What this checker verifies
This tool confirms the input is 9 characters, opens with one of the six valid leading letters, and uses only characters from the permitted set throughout — catching a common transcription slip like an excluded letter typed in by habit.
What a pass doesn’t confirm
The restricted character set is an anti-confusion measure, not a check digit this tool can recompute, so a correctly shaped 9-character string is the limit of what a browser-only check confirms. A pass doesn’t confirm the document was actually issued, is unexpired, or belongs to a real holder, and nothing you type is decoded or stored.
Scope: format-only validation, running entirely in your browser.
Content last reviewed 2026-08-09.
passport number FAQ
Why does a German passport number exclude certain letters?
Germany deliberately restricts the character set — excluding letters like A, B, D, E, I, O, Q, S, and U — because they're too easily confused with digits or with each other. It's a genuine anti-fraud design choice built into the Bundesdruckerei's printing process, not a typo.
What letters can a German passport number start with?
Only C, F, G, H, J, or K, followed by 8 more characters from the restricted alphanumeric set, for 9 characters total, e.g. C12345678.
Does this confirm the passport is valid?
No. It only checks the character shape. Confirming the passport was actually issued or is currently valid requires the issuing Passbehörde's own records.