Identification cards
Identification cards play a key role in our lives. They allow us to make financial transactions, access premises and integrate personal information. Identification cards are also used in telecommunications and other multi-media applications.
ISO standards for identification cards are developed by the joint technical subcommittee for cards and personal identification, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 17.
There are various types of identification cards for the numerous application areas. The different types of cards include:
| Card type | Main related standards |
|---|---|
| Magnetic stripe | ISO/IEC 7811, parts 2 and 6 |
| Integrated circuit with contacts | ISO/IEC 7816 |
| Integrated circuit without contacts |
ISO/IEC 10536 and ISO/IEC 14443 (proximity cards - PICC) ISO/IEC 10536 and ISO/IEC 15693 (vicinity cards - VICC) |
| Optical memory | ISO/IEC 11693 and ISO 11694 |
The scope of application for an identification card will determine the physical characteristics of the card. Physical characteristics of the cards (ID-1, ID-2 and ID-3) are described in ISO/IEC 7810:2006 Identification cards - Physical characteristics. The specification for embossed characters is given within ISO/IEC 7811-1:2002 Identification cards - Recording technique - Part 1: Embossing.
Standards for application areas:
ISO 7813:2006 sets out requirements to be met by financial transaction cards. Whereas, ISO/IEC 7501 covers machine readable travel documents, such as passports and visas.
Another type of identification card is the thin flexible card (TFC), which is covered by ISO/IEC 15457 .
A complete list of ISO standards for identification cards and related devices is available in the online ISO Catalogue.
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