𝐆𝐒𝟏 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐆𝐒𝟏 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

If you work across the Middle East and Africa, most serialization guidelines are straightforward.

The GS1 DataMatrix typically includes only the core identifiers:

𝐆𝐓𝐈𝐍 (𝐀𝐈 𝟎𝟏)

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 / 𝐋𝐨𝐭 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 (𝐀𝐈 𝟏𝟎)

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 (𝐀𝐈 𝟏𝟕)

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 (𝐀𝐈 𝟐𝟏)

This model represents the baseline GS1 implementation adopted by most authorities in the region.

Despite the global GS1 framework, some countries introduce local exceptions within serialization and the embedded GS1 DataMatrix.

These exceptions are driven by regulatory control models, anti-counterfeiting strategies, or legacy identification systems.

𝐂𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐨-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Several CIS markets require additional security elements to be embedded alongside the serial number.

Required Data Elements

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 – 𝟏𝟑 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐬 (𝐀𝐈 𝟐𝟏)

𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐲 – 𝟒 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐬 (𝐀𝐈 𝟗𝟏)

𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 – 𝟒𝟒 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐬 (𝐀𝐈 𝟗𝟐)

𝐔𝐳𝐛𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧: 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

In November, Uzbekistan announced an additional serialization constraint.

Exception is Serial numbers must start with the digit “𝟕”

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐥: 𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

Brazil applies one of the most distinct GS1 Data Matrix requirements.

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝟏𝟑-𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 (𝐀𝐈 𝟕𝟏𝟑)

Full Data Matrix Composition

GTIN

Batch Number

Expiry Date

𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝟏𝟑-𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚: 𝐁𝐏𝐎𝐌 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

Indonesia also mandates a regulatory identifier inside the GS1 DataMatrix.

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 (𝐁𝐏𝐎𝐌),𝐀𝐈 (𝟗𝟎)

Full DataMatrix Composition

GTIN

Batch Number

Expiry Date

Serial Number

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 (𝐁𝐏𝐎𝐌)

Recently Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan The Serial Number is required to be 𝟗–𝟐𝟎 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭, encoded within the GS1 DataMatrix.

All of these stories confirming our opinion that in track and trace there no black and white but different experiences