This guide covers the correct request fields for GovMatch in Colombia (countryCode=CO), including two cases that are easy to get wrong: names with more than one given name and citizens who don't have a maternal surname. It applies to accounts set up for field-by-field name validation in Colombia; contact your Incode representative if you aren't sure how your account is set up, or if you have a use case not covered on this page.
Endpoint
POST /omni/process/government-validation?countryCode=CO
Required fields
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
idNumber |
Cédula number, digits only (no dots, spaces, or dashes) | Yes |
firstName |
Person's first given name (single word) | Yes |
middleName |
Second given name, if the person has one | No |
paternalLastName |
First (paternal) surname | Yes |
maternalLastName |
Second (maternal) surname | Yes, send "" if not applicable |
fechaEmision |
ID issue date, format dd/MM/yyyy or yyyy-MM-dd |
Yes |
Send every field in the table, even when a value is empty. If you leave a name field or fechaEmision out of the request, we fall back to the value read from the ID image, which can contain OCR errors. This is why maternalLastName must be sent as an empty string when it does not apply: omitting it causes the surname read from the ID to be used instead. Values sent directly in the request always take precedence over any previously submitted data for the same person.
Don't use nombre, apellidoPaterno, or apellidoMaterno. These are not used for Colombia validation. Use firstName / middleName / paternalLastName / maternalLastName instead.
Use cases
Names with more than one given name
If a person has more than one given name (e.g. "Juan Carlos"), split it across firstName and middleName rather than sending both words in firstName. Sending a combined value in one field can cause a valid identity to fail.
{
"idNumber": "1234567890",
"firstName": "JUAN",
"middleName": "CARLOS",
"paternalLastName": "PEREZ",
"maternalLastName": "GOMEZ",
"fechaEmision": "31/10/2025"
}
No maternal surname
Some Colombian citizens don't have a maternal surname. Send maternalLastName as an explicit empty string:
{
"idNumber": "1234567890",
"firstName": "JUAN",
"paternalLastName": "PEREZ",
"maternalLastName": "",
"fechaEmision": "31/10/2025"
}