APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHECKING A SECURITY DOCUMENT AND METHOD FOR READING A SECURITY DOCUMENT BY MACHINE FOR AUTOMATIC DOCUMENT CHECKING

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for automatically checking a security document, having a housing (1); a reading and checking device which is arranged in the housing (1) and is configured to read and check a security document by means of scanning; a document rest (3) which is arranged on the housing (1) in such a manner that the security document placed onto the document rest (3) can be read by the reading and checking device through a viewing window of the document rest (3); a cover (4) which is arranged on the housing (1) and is configured to at least partially cover the document rest (3); an insertion opening (6) which is formed on the cover (4) and through which the security document can be arranged on the document rest (3); and a protection device (8) which is arranged on the cover (4) behind the insertion opening (6) in the insertion direction and opposite the document rest (3) and has protection elements which, during manual insertion of the security document through the insertion opening (6), are moved by the security document, counter to a prestress applied by the protection elements, from a starting position into a protection position in which the protection elements press the security document arranged on the document rest (3) against the latter. A method for reading a security document by machine for automatic document checking is also disclosed.