Method for checking the authenticity of documents, by means of optical reading both printed areas and perforated areas of the documents and detecting of printed codes and perforated codes in such printed areas and perforated areas on the documents, comprising the step of: - providing an optical reading device equipped with at least one contact image sensor, abbreviated CIS, comprising light emitters and detectors and configured to be positioned at one surface of the printed and possibly perforated document; - moving the document along a direction which is trasversal to the CIS sensor so that the CIS sensor scans, along a line transversal to the direction of movement of the document, one surface of the document; - providing the optical reading device with means (18, 16, 116, 216, 19) for sending light towards the sensor, arranged in a frontal position with respect to the sensor on the other side of the document so that this means are lighting the sensor through any perforated areas which may be present in the document, and the same sensor CIS detecting both printed areas, by means of reflection, and perforated areas, by means of the light sent through perforated areas, in the document; - recognising the perforated areas on the basis of the lighting of the sensor with the light sent to the sensor by the said means of sending light; - recognising the printed areas on the basis of the lighting of the sensor with the light of the emitters and reflected by the document towards the sensor; - extracting printed codes and perforated codes respectively from the recognised printed areas and perforated areas using processing means, wherein the means for sending light consist of a lighting device that emits light towards the sensor and the emitters and the lighting device are switched on by processing means alternately for each of the said transversal line, wherein the holes in the document form at least a perforated code and the prints form at least a printed code; upon the detection by the sensor of an first image with the light emitted by the means of sending light, the first image representing an image of the perforated code and upon the detection by the sensor of a second image with the light emitted by the emitters, the second image representing an image of the printed code, and wherein the processing means extracting the printed code and the perforated code from the first and second image and comparing said extracted printed code and perforated code with each other and a signal of acceptance of the document is generated by the processing means if said extracted printed code and perforated code are decided as correctly associated to each other. - providing an optical reading device equipped with at least one contact image sensor, abbreviated CIS, comprising light emitters and detectors and configured to be positioned at one surface of the printed and possibly perforated document; - moving the document along a direction which is trasversal to the CIS sensor so that the CIS sensor scans, along a line transversal to the direction of movement of the document, one surface of the document; - providing the optical reading device with means (18, 16, 116, 216, 19) for sending light towards the sensor, arranged in a frontal position with respect to the sensor on the other side of the document so that this means are lighting the sensor through any perforated areas which may be present in the document, and the same sensor CIS detecting both printed areas, by means of reflection, and perforated areas, by means of the light sent through perforated areas, in the document; - recognising the perforated areas on the basis of the lighting of the sensor with the light sent to the sensor by the said means of sending light; - recognising the printed areas on the basis of the lighting of the sensor with the light of the emitters and reflected by the document towards the sensor; - extracting printed codes and perforated codes respectively from the recognised printed areas and perforated areas using processing means,