diff --git a/Document.js b/Document.js
index 002a241..62ab1ab 100644
--- a/Document.js
+++ b/Document.js
@@ -142,26 +142,6 @@ Document.prototype.getSourceId = function(){
   return this.source_id;
 };
 
-// alpha3
-Document.prototype.setAlpha3 = function( alpha3 ){
-
-  alpha3 = transform.uppercase(alpha3);
-  validate.type('string', alpha3);
-  validate.truthy(alpha3);
-  validate.length(3, alpha3);
-
-  this.alpha3 = alpha3;
-  return this;
-};
-
-Document.prototype.getAlpha3 = function(){
-  return this.alpha3;
-};
-
-Document.prototype.clearAlpha3 = function(){
-  delete this.alpha3;
-};
-
 // globally unique id
 Document.prototype.getGid = function(){
   return [ this.getSource(), this.getLayer(), this.getId() ].join(':');
diff --git a/test/document/alpha3.js b/test/document/alpha3.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e4ed2e2..0000000
--- a/test/document/alpha3.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
-
-var Document = require('../../Document');
-
-module.exports.tests = {};
-
-module.exports.tests.getAlpha3 = function(test) {
-  test('getAlpha3', function(t) {
-    var doc = new Document('mysource','mylayer','myid');
-    doc.alpha3 = 'GBR';
-    t.equal(doc.getAlpha3(), 'GBR', 'getter works');
-    t.end();
-  });
-};
-
-module.exports.tests.setAlpha3 = function(test) {
-  test('setAlpha3', function(t) {
-    var doc = new Document('mysource','mylayer','myid');
-    t.equal(doc.alpha3, undefined, 'alpha3 undefined');
-    t.equal(doc.setAlpha3('FOO'), doc, 'chainable');
-    t.equal(doc.alpha3, 'FOO', 'alpha3 set');
-    t.end();
-  });
-  test('setAlpha3 - validate', function(t) {
-    var doc = new Document('mysource','mylayer','myid');
-    t.throws( doc.setAlpha3.bind(doc,1), null, 'invalid alpha3' );
-    t.throws( doc.setAlpha3.bind(doc,''), null, 'invalid length' );
-    t.throws( doc.setAlpha3.bind(doc,'GB'), null, 'invalid length' );
-    t.throws( doc.setAlpha3.bind(doc,'GBRX'), null, 'invalid length' );
-    t.end();
-  });
-  test('setAlpha3 - transform', function(t) {
-    var doc = new Document('mysource','mylayer','myid');
-    doc.setAlpha3('foo');
-    t.equal(doc.alpha3, 'FOO', 'accepts lowercase');
-    t.end();
-  });
-};
-
-module.exports.tests.clearAlpha3 = (test) => {
-  test('clearAlpha3', (t) => {
-    var doc = new Document('mysource','mylayer','myid');
-    doc.setAlpha3('FOO');
-
-    t.equal(doc.getAlpha3(), 'FOO', 'alpha3 set');
-
-    doc.clearAlpha3();
-
-    t.equal(doc.getAlpha3(), undefined, 'alpha3 cleared');
-    t.end();
-
-  });
-
-};
-
-module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
-
-  function test(name, testFunction) {
-    return tape('alpha3: ' + name, testFunction);
-  }
-
-  for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
-    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
-  }
-};
diff --git a/test/run.js b/test/run.js
index 9e46d7b..68f1880 100644
--- a/test/run.js
+++ b/test/run.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ var common = {};
 var tests = [
   require('./Document.js'),
   require('./errors.js'),
-  require('./document/alpha3.js'),
   require('./document/centroid.js'),
   require('./document/gid.js'),
   require('./document/id.js'),
diff --git a/test/serialize/test.js b/test/serialize/test.js
index 8e9cd6d..d7832be 100644
--- a/test/serialize/test.js
+++ b/test/serialize/test.js
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ module.exports.tests.complete = function(test) {
 
     // create a new doc and serialize it
     var doc = new Document( 'geoname', 'venue', 1003 )
-      .setAlpha3( 'GBR' )
       .setMeta( 'author', 'peter' )
       .setName( 'default', 'Hackney City Farm' )
       .setName( 'alt', 'Haggerston City Farm' )
@@ -74,7 +73,6 @@ module.exports.tests.complete = function(test) {
       // data partitioning
       'source': 'geoname',
       'layer': 'venue',
-      'alpha3': 'GBR',
 
       // place name (ngram analysis)
       'name':{