1. An apparatus for document identification, having: a capture device for capturing a document feature of a document; a processor designed to perform document identification locally using the document feature if a processing criterion for the local performance of document identification by the apparatus for document identification is satisfied; and a transmitter designed to send a data record that is dependent on the document feature via a communication network to a communication network address if the processing criterion for the local performance of document identification by the apparatus for document identification is not satisfied; wherein the processing criterion is satisfied if the available processing resources of the apparatus are sufficient for performing document identification, or if the size of the document feature is below a prescribed threshold value, or if a data transmission speed of the communication network is below a threshold value, and wherein the processing criterion is not satisfied, if the available processing resources of the apparatus are not sufficient for performing document identification, or if the size of the document feature exceeds a prescribed threshold value, or if a connection speed via the communication network is below a threshold value.