ID formats
Use ID format references safely
A format can help a UI explain expected input, but it cannot establish that a value belongs to a person or was issued by an authority.
Content updated: · Maintainer and corrections
Separate three questions before using a pattern
A format page answers what a documented identifier looks like. Issuance asks whether an authority assigned it. Identity verification asks whether the presenter is the legitimate holder. A regular expression addresses only a limited part of the first question; a matching value cannot settle the other two.
For a form design review, copy the permanently masked output into a mockup, check the field label and available width, and retain the mask in screenshots. If a validation library rejects that masked value, this is expected: it is a display fixture, not a credential. Do not replace the hidden character to make the fixture pass.
| Case | Interpretation and next step |
|---|---|
| Fayda FIN | The Ethiopian program describes a 12-digit FIN. That description does not supply a conversion from another identifier. |
| Colombian NUIP | The newer 10-digit format does not cover every older cédula number. |
| Document names | Choose the exact document before reusing a country-level reference. |
Use sources at the country page
Public identity formats vary by country and program. Review the source links on the relevant country page before using a reference in documentation or a test fixture.
Never turn a reference into an identity workflow
g3n-data intentionally avoids validation and usable ID generation. Keep examples masked, avoid collecting real IDs in test systems, and use an authorized verification service when a product genuinely requires identity proofing.
Check scope and date, then design the test
A published shape may cover one program or issuance period. Ethiopia's Fayda number is 12 digits according to its National ID Program; Colombia's 10-digit NUIP does not replace every older cédula number. Read the linked agency page before turning either shape into a UI hint.
Use a masked example to review labels and spacing. Test rejection and errors with data permitted by your own system; a regex match alone cannot prove issuance, ownership, or a working checksum. The static data date on each country page records the source snapshot used by this site.
Fayda: 12 digits (format reference only)
Colombia NUIP: 10 digits for the newer scheme
Older Colombian cédula numbers may be shorterData provenance