diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4d0f3cf..e45244e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ Layout options are set as options to the `\documentclass`, e.g.:
 - `fill` or `nofill`: fill empty space between icon and text, default: `fill`
 - `qrfirst` or `textfirst`: switch position of QR-Code and text block, default: `qrfirst`
 - `https` or `www`: should links in the hints be prefixed with `https://` or `www.`, default: `https`
+- `countryformat=`: how to format the country in address. Values: `auto` (default: inline with mdash if <4 chars and city/zip exists), `inline` (always inline with mdash), `below` (always separate line)
 - `qreclevel=`: QR error correction level `L` (~7%), `M` (~15%), `Q` (~25%), or `H` (~30%), default: `Q`. Use `H` when `photoinqr=true`.
 - `photoinqr` or `nophotoinqr`: place photo in the center of the QR code (`photoinqr`) instead of next to the name, default: `nophotoinqr`. **Requires `qreclevel=H` for reliable scanning**.
 - `qrlogoscale=`: photo size in QR code as percentage of QR width (0-100), default: `25` (25% width = 6.25% area). Recommended values: Level H: 25-30%, Level Q: 20%, Level M: 15%, Level L: 10%. Higher values may reduce scannability.
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ See this example_
 - `\city`: name of the address location
 - `\region`: region of the address
 - `\zip`: zip code of the address
-- `\country`: full name of country of the address in the language of the card
+- `\country`: full name of country of the address in the language of the card (short codes like `CH`, `USA`, `D` are automatically placed inline with mdash before city/zip, longer names on separate line)
 - `\phone`: your phone number, the phone is marked as mobile, so to be used for voice and text (SMS)
 - `\email`: your email address
 - `\jabber`: your [jabber] or xmpp chat address
diff --git a/businesscard-qrcode.cls b/businesscard-qrcode.cls
index e73d6b8..c1957b2 100644
--- a/businesscard-qrcode.cls
+++ b/businesscard-qrcode.cls
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 \DeclareComplementaryOption{textfirst}{qrfirst}
 \DeclareBoolOption[true]{https}
 \DeclareComplementaryOption{www}{https}
+\DeclareStringOption[auto]{countryformat} % auto: <4 chars inline with mdash, >=4 separate line; inline: always inline; below: always separate line
 \DeclareDefaultOption{\@unknownoptionerror}
 \ProcessKeyvalOptions*
 
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
 \RequirePackage{fontawesome}
 \RequirePackage[final]{qrcode}
 \RequirePackage{etoolbox}
+\RequirePackage{xstring} % for string length checking
 \RequirePackage{DejaVuSans}
 \RequirePackage[T1]{fontenc}
 \RequirePackage{wrapfig}
@@ -145,7 +147,6 @@
 \newcommand\cond[1]{\ifcsdef{#1}{\exec{#1}}{}}
 \newcommand\heightscale{\dimexpr\textheight-\ifcsempty{name}{0em}{2em}-\ifcsdef{Xpgpfingerprint}{2em}{0em}-\ifcsdef{Xadditionalnames}{2em}{0em}\relax}
 
-
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 % name - assemble full name from the parts, such as Xgivennames and Xfamilynames
 \newcommand\name{\ifexists{Xhonoricprefix}{\Xhonoricprefix\ }\ifexists{Xgivennames}{\Xgivennames\ }\ifexists{Xfamilynames}{\Xfamilynames}\ifexists{Xhonoricsuffix}{\ \Xhonoricsuffix}}
@@ -192,6 +193,38 @@ FN:\name\ifexists{Xadditionalnames}{\ifcsempty{name}{} { }\Xadditionalnames}\BCQ
 END:VCARD\BCQ@nl}
 
 
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+% formatcountry - format country based on length and options
+\newcommand\formatcountry{%
+	\ifcsdef{Xcountry}{%
+		\def\BCQ@shouldinline{false}%
+		% Check countryformat option
+		\ifdefstring{\BCQ@countryformat}{inline}{%
+			\def\BCQ@shouldinline{true}%
+		}{%
+			\ifdefstring{\BCQ@countryformat}{below}{%
+				\def\BCQ@shouldinline{false}%
+			}{%
+				% auto mode: check length
+				\StrLen{\Xcountry}[\BCQ@countrylen]%
+				\ifnum\BCQ@countrylen<4\relax%
+					% Short country code AND city/zip exists → inline
+					\ifboolexpr{test {\ifcsdef{Xcity}} or test {\ifcsdef{Xzip}}}{%
+						\def\BCQ@shouldinline{true}%
+					}{}%
+				\fi%
+			}%
+		}%
+		% Output country
+		\ifdefstring{\BCQ@shouldinline}{true}{%
+			\Xcountry\ \textemdash\ %
+		}{%
+			\Xcountry
+			
+		}%
+	}{}%
+}
+
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 % address - the address as shown in the textbox
 \newcommand\address{
@@ -202,9 +235,9 @@ END:VCARD\BCQ@nl}
 	
 	\cond{Xstreet}
 	
-	\cond{Xzip} \cond{Xcity}
+	\formatcountry\cond{Xzip} \cond{Xcity}
 	
-	\cond{Xregion} \cond{Xcountry}
+	\cond{Xregion}
 	
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/john-doe-hongkong.pdf b/examples/john-doe-hongkong.pdf
index fa47414..0ea3ce1 100644
Binary files a/examples/john-doe-hongkong.pdf and b/examples/john-doe-hongkong.pdf differ
diff --git a/examples/photo-in-qr-example.pdf b/examples/photo-in-qr-example.pdf
index 542223a..04867df 100644
Binary files a/examples/photo-in-qr-example.pdf and b/examples/photo-in-qr-example.pdf differ
diff --git a/examples/test-country-short.pdf b/examples/test-country-short.pdf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dc35af
Binary files /dev/null and b/examples/test-country-short.pdf differ
diff --git a/examples/test-country-short.tex b/examples/test-country-short.tex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0247ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/test-country-short.tex
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+% !TeX program = xelatex
+\documentclass{businesscard-qrcode}
+
+\type{home}
+\givennames{Max}
+\familynames{Muster}
+\street{Beispielstrasse\ 42}
+\city{Winterthur}
+\zip{8400}
+\country{CH}
+\phone{+41 52 123 45 67}
+\email{max@example.ch}
+
+\begin{document}
+	\drawcard
+\end{document}