The present invention relates to a process for increasing the level of safeguard in respect of forgery of paper documents. For that purpose, applied to the paper document is a transfer film or laminating film having a laser-sensitive layer. This multi-layer body is then treated with laser radiation. In that case, a laser-induced marking is produced in the laser-sensitive layer, for example, by laser-induced bleaching, laser-induced color change or laser-induced blackening. Respective individualization of the document can be effected by way of that laser-induced marking.