A method for verifying a personal document uniquely assigned to a person, comprising the steps of: - reading a unique identifier of the personal document from the personal document; - reading of comparison data from the personal document; - ascertaining reference data of the personal document in a database network (30, 32) by means of the identifier; and - checking the personal document for authenticity on the basis of the comparison data and the reference data; - ascertaining plausibility data (33, 34) for the personal document in the database network (30, 32); and - checking the plausibility of the personal document on the basis of the plausibility data (33, 34), wherein the plausibility data (33, 34) are ascertained in the database network (30, 32) on the basis of the identifier and/or on the basis of the reference data and/or on the basis of personal and/or factual data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document, wherein it is checked whether the plausibility data (33, 34) - can be logically assigned to the personal document or the person and/or - do not contradict a real appearance of the person or the personal and/or factual data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document and/or - can be derived from personal and/or factual data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document or personal and/or factual data specified on the personal document at least partially can be derived from the plausibility data (33, 34), wherein the plausibility data are displayed on a display of a verification device in order to compare the data with the personal document, wherein the verification device connected to the database network (30, 32) - reads (S1, S2) the unique identifier and the comparison data from the personal document; - requests (S3, S4) the reference data and the plausibility data (33, 34) at the database network (30, 32) by transmitting at least the identifier to the database network (30, 32); and - receives the reference data and plausibility data (33, 34) requested at the database network (30, 32) from the database network (30, 32), characterized in that the verification device at least partially receives the plausibility data (33, 34) and/or additional personal data (35, 36) from the database network (30, 32), said data supplementing the personal data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document, only if a release message from the person has been made available to the database network (30, 32) via the verification device. - reading a unique identifier of the personal document from the personal document; - reading of comparison data from the personal document; - ascertaining reference data of the personal document in a database network (30, 32) by means of the identifier; and - checking the personal document for authenticity on the basis of the comparison data and the reference data; - ascertaining plausibility data (33, 34) for the personal document in the database network (30, 32); and - checking the plausibility of the personal document on the basis of the plausibility data (33, 34), wherein the plausibility data (33, 34) are ascertained in the database network (30, 32) on the basis of the identifier and/or on the basis of the reference data and/or on the basis of personal and/or factual data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document, wherein it is checked whether the plausibility data (33, 34) - can be logically assigned to the personal document or the person and/or - do not contradict a real appearance of the person or the personal and/or factual data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document and/or - can be derived from personal and/or factual data (13, 14, 15) specified on the personal document or personal and/or factual data specified on the personal document at least partially can be derived from the plausibility data (33, 34), wherein the plausibility data are displayed on a display of a verification device in order to compare the data with the personal document, wherein the verification device connected to the database network (30, 32) - reads (S1, S2) the unique identifier and the comparison data from the personal document; - requests (S3, S4) the reference data and the plausibility data (33, 34) at the database network (30, 32) by transmitting at least the identifier to the database network (30, 32); and - receives the reference data and plausibility data (33, 34) requested at the database network (30, 32) from the database network (30, 32),