Transportation · common
Why did the high-speed rail ticket machine reject my passport?
Last updated:
Quick Answer
Symptom: At a 12306 self-service kiosk you scan your passport and the screen shows "document not recognized" or no ticket prints.
Cause: Station kiosks read the passport MRZ strip via optical scanner; smudged, laminated, or older-format passports fail OCR, and some machines accept only mainland ID cards.
Solution: Go to the manual ticket counter with passport and order number, or use the 12306 mobile app with the e-ticket QR code and pass through the ID gate directly.
What you see
At a 12306 self-service kiosk you scan your passport and the screen shows "document not recognized" or no ticket prints.
Why it happens
Station kiosks read the passport MRZ strip via optical scanner; smudged, laminated, or older-format passports fail OCR, and some machines accept only mainland ID cards.
How to fix
Go to the manual ticket counter with passport and order number, or use the 12306 mobile app with the e-ticket QR code and pass through the ID gate directly.
Read next
These guides cover the related functionality in full.
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