diff --git a/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/lib.nr b/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/lib.nr
index ac6bda3f4..127b9301d 100644
--- a/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/lib.nr
+++ b/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/lib.nr
@@ -29,6 +29,28 @@ pub unconstrained fn unsafe_get_index<let N: u32>(
     index
 }
 
+/// Check that the country list is correctly padded at the end with the empty
+/// country code (three null characters). Once an empty country code is encountered,
+/// all subsequent entries must also be empty. This prevents injection of country
+/// codes after the first padding entry.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+///
+/// * `country_list`: The list of countries
+pub fn check_country_list_padding<let N: u32>(country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; N]) {
+    let empty = EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE.as_bytes();
+    let mut found_padding = false;
+    for i in 0..N {
+        let is_empty = country_list[i].as_bytes() == empty;
+        if is_empty {
+            found_padding = true;
+        }
+        if found_padding {
+            assert(is_empty, "Country list cannot contain country codes after the padding");
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Check if the nationality from the MRZ is in the country list
 ///
 /// # Arguments
@@ -36,6 +58,10 @@ pub unconstrained fn unsafe_get_index<let N: u32>(
 /// * `dg1`: The MRZ
 /// * `country_list`: The list of countries
 pub fn check_nationality_inclusion<let N: u32>(dg1: DG1Data, country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; N]) {
+    // Make sure the country list is properly padded with empty country codes at the end
+    // so that no additional country code can be injected after the first padding entry
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+
     let nationality_bytes = get_nationality_from_mrz(dg1);
 
     // Safety: get the index of the country in the list from an unconstrained function
@@ -59,6 +85,10 @@ pub fn check_issuing_country_inclusion<let N: u32>(
     dg1: DG1Data,
     country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; N],
 ) {
+    // Make sure the country list is properly padded with empty country codes at the end
+    // so that no additional country code can be injected after the first padding entry
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+
     let issuing_country_bytes = get_issuing_country_from_mrz(dg1);
 
     // Safety: get the index of the country in the list from an unconstrained function
diff --git a/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/tests.nr b/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/tests.nr
index 0e1ac97e3..5af9882ea 100644
--- a/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/tests.nr
+++ b/src/noir/lib/inclusion-check/country/src/tests.nr
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-use super::{check_issuing_country_inclusion, check_nationality_inclusion, unsafe_get_index};
+use super::{
+    check_country_list_padding, check_issuing_country_inclusion, check_nationality_inclusion,
+    unsafe_get_index,
+};
 use utils::{constants::{EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE, SAMPLE_DG1}, types::Alpha3CountryCode};
 
 fn pad_country_list<let N: u32>(country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; N]) -> [Alpha3CountryCode; 200] {
@@ -47,3 +50,54 @@ fn test_check_issuing_country_inclusion_fail() {
     let country_list = pad_country_list(["FRA", "NZL", "USA"]);
     check_issuing_country_inclusion(SAMPLE_DG1, country_list);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_check_country_list_padding_padded() {
+    let country_list = pad_country_list(["AUS", "NZL", "USA"]);
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_check_country_list_padding_full_list() {
+    let country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; 3] = ["AUS", "NZL", "USA"];
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_check_country_list_padding_fully_empty() {
+    let country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; 3] =
+        [EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE, EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE, EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE];
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+}
+
+#[test(should_fail_with = "Country list cannot contain country codes after the padding")]
+fn test_check_country_list_padding_injection_after_padding() {
+    let country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; 4] =
+        ["AUS", EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE, "USA", EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE];
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+}
+
+#[test(should_fail_with = "Country list cannot contain country codes after the padding")]
+fn test_check_country_list_padding_starts_with_empty() {
+    let country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; 3] =
+        [EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE, "AUS", EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE];
+    check_country_list_padding(country_list);
+}
+
+#[test(should_fail_with = "Country list cannot contain country codes after the padding")]
+fn test_check_nationality_inclusion_fail_injection_after_padding() {
+    let mut country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; 200] = [EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE; 200];
+    country_list[0] = "AUS";
+    // Inject a country code after the padding has started
+    country_list[5] = "USA";
+    check_nationality_inclusion(SAMPLE_DG1, country_list);
+}
+
+#[test(should_fail_with = "Country list cannot contain country codes after the padding")]
+fn test_check_issuing_country_inclusion_fail_injection_after_padding() {
+    let mut country_list: [Alpha3CountryCode; 200] = [EMPTY_ALPHA3_COUNTRY_CODE; 200];
+    country_list[0] = "AUS";
+    // Inject a country code after the padding has started
+    country_list[5] = "USA";
+    check_issuing_country_inclusion(SAMPLE_DG1, country_list);
+}