ISO/IEC 17839-1:2025

Information technology - Biometric system-on-card - Part 1: Core requirements

This document establishes: - functional architecture of a Biometric System-on-Card (BSoC); - definition of Type ID-1 BSoC (ISO/IEC 7810 conformant) and Type ID-T BSoC (see ISO/IEC 18328-2:2021, Annex A) implementation of a BSoC; - sensor types in a BSoC; - requirements to a BSoC with respect to: - discriminative power (i.e. biometric accuracy criteria); - interfaces; - power supply options. - The following aspects are out of scope of this document (see ISO/IEC 24787-1): - off-card biometric comparison, storage-on-card; - on-card biometric comparison (sensor-off-card); - work-sharing implementations; - detailed specification and configuration of individual components. This document provides a functional architectural description of a BSoC and describes how the interfaces are mapped using existing commands and data structures from other International Standards.

Technologies de l'information — Système biométrique sur carte — Partie 1: Exigences de base

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 06-Nov-2025
• ICS: 35.240.15 - Identification cards. Chip cards. Biometrics
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17 - Cards and security devices for personal identification
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17 - Cards and security devices for personal identification
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 07-Nov-2025
• Due Date: 23-Aug-2026
• Completion Date: 07-Nov-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO/IEC 17839-1:2014 - Information technology - Biometric System-on-Card - Part 1: Core requirements
• Effective Date: 26-Aug-2023

Overview

ISO/IEC 17839-1:2025 - Information technology - Biometric System-on-Card (BSoC) - Part 1: Core requirements - defines the functional architecture and core requirements for integrating biometric capture, processing, storage, comparison, decision and action into a card-sized device. The standard covers two BSoC form-factors: Type ID-1 (conforming to ISO/IEC 7810 card dimensions) and Type ID-T (as specified in ISO/IEC 18328-2:2021, Annex A). It focuses on on-card biometric verification (the entire verification process executed on the card) and describes sensor types, discriminative power (biometric accuracy criteria), interfaces and power-supply options.

Key topics and requirements

• Functional architecture: Defines the end-to-end BSoC verification flow - capture, feature extraction, on-card comparison, decision and action - and how interfaces map to existing standards.
• Form factors:
  • Type ID-1 BSoC - ISO/IEC 7810 dimensions, must pass torsion and bending tests; supports contact, USB, contactless and NFC interfaces.
  • Type ID-T BSoC - deviates from some ISO/IEC 7810 constraints (thicker), supports contactless and NFC only.
• Sensor types: Area and swipe fingerprint sensors are explicitly addressed; other modalities (e.g., voice, dynamic signature) are allowed with appropriate sensors.
• Discriminative power: Biometric accuracy must follow FMR grading as defined in ISO/IEC 24787-1.
• Interfaces: Conformance to ISO/IEC 7816-3, ISO/IEC 7816-12, ISO/IEC 14443 series and ISO/IEC 18092 for contact/contactless/NFC operation.
• Power supply: Supports contact, contactless (ISO/IEC 14443-2 / ISO/IEC 18092) and internal power options (battery or capacitor). Battery-powered BSoC should support at least one full verification without recharge and may allow self-initiated verification.
• User feedback: On-card or reader-provided feedback (LED, display, buzzer, or IFD interpretation) to indicate verification status.
• Out of scope: Off-card comparison, storage-on-card architectures, sensor-off-card on-card comparison and detailed component specifications.

Applications

Practical uses of ISO/IEC 17839-1:2025 include designing and specifying secure, portable biometric verification solutions where the biometric match is performed entirely on the card. Typical applications:

• secure identity verification and authentication in constrained environments
• tamper-resistant personal ID and credential cards
• access control and verification systems requiring strong privacy protection (no biometric data leaves the card)

Who should use this standard

• card manufacturers and module designers
• biometric sensor vendors and system integrators
• government agencies and identity program architects
• test labs and conformity assessors

Related standards

Key references and interoperable standards: ISO/IEC 7810, ISO/IEC 7816-3, ISO/IEC 7816-12, ISO/IEC 14443 (all parts), ISO/IEC 18092, ISO/IEC 18328-2:2021 (Annex A), ISO/IEC 24787-1:2024, ISO/IEC 17839-3 and ISO/IEC 2382-37.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO/IEC 17839-1
Second edition
Information technology —
2025-11
Biometric system-on-card —
Part 1:
Core requirements
Technologies de l'information — Système biométrique sur carte —
Partie 1: Exigences de base
Reference number
© ISO/IEC 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Abbreviated terms . 3
5 Functional architecture of a BSoC . 3
5.1 BSoC verification .3
5.2 Type ID-1 BSoC .3
5.3 Type ID-T BSoC .4
5.4 Feedback to the user .4
5.5 Sensor type .4
6 Discriminative power . 5
7 Power supply . 5
7.1 General .5
7.2 Contacts .5
7.3 Contactless .5
7.4 Internal power supply .5
8 Infrastructure . 5
Annex A (informative) Motivations for the specification of Type ID-T . 6
Bibliography . 7

© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.
ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/
IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
ISO and IEC draw attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the
use of (a) patent(s). ISO and IEC take no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any
claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO and IEC had not
received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers
are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent
database available at www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch. ISO and IEC shall not be held
responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 17, Cards and security devices for personal identification.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 17839:2014), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— updated Biometric System-on-Card architecture in alignment with ISO/IEC 24787-1;
— replaced references to S1 and S2 with ID-1 and ID-T;
— removed normative references to ISO/IEC 15693;
— added diagram for feedback.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 17839 series can be found on the ISO and IEC websites.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.

© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
iv
Introduction
In the context of this document, a Biometric System-on-Card is a portable card-sized device including the
following entities: biometric capture, data processing, storage, comparison, decision, and action. It is a
functional extension to on-card biometric comparison by physically and logically integrating the sensor and
signal processing into the card.
ISO/IEC 7816-11, ISO/IEC 19785-3, ISO/IEC 19795-7 and ISO/IEC 24787-1 include technologies with respect
to on-card biometric comparison.
The physical integration of a biometric sensor in an ISO/IEC 7810 card withstanding torsion and bending
tests is technically challenging. This document describes two types of Biometric System-on-Card. Type ID-1
BSoC is a flexible card fully conformant to ISO/IEC 7810 while Type ID-T BSoC conformant to Annex A of
ISO/IEC 18328-2:2021 intentionally deviates from some of the requirements to size and bending stiffness,
keeping the rest of the requirements intact, including the use of a contactless ICC interface.
The ISO/IEC 17839 series is currently organized in 3 separate documents:
— ISO/IEC 17839-1, Biometric System-on-Card — Part 1: Core requirements (this document)
— ISO/IEC 17839-2, Biometric System-on-Card — Part 2: Physical characteristics
— ISO/IEC 17839-3, Biometric System-on-Card — Part 3: Logical information interchange mechanism

© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
v
International Standard ISO/IEC 17839-1:2025(en)
Information technology — Biometric system-on-card —
Part 1:
Core requirements
1 Scope
This document establishes:
— functional architecture of a Biometric System-on-Card (BSoC);
— definition of Type ID-1 BSoC (ISO/IEC 7810 conformant) and Type ID-T BSoC (see ISO/IEC 18328-2:2021,
Annex A) implementation of a BSoC;
— sensor types in a BSoC;
— requirements to a BSoC with respect to:
— discriminative power (i.e. biometric accuracy criteria);
— interfaces;
— power supply options.
The following aspects are out of scope of this document (see ISO/IEC 24787-1):
— off-card biometric comparison, storage-on-card;
— on-card biometric comparison (sensor-off-card);
— work-sharing implementations;
— detailed specification and configuration of individ
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