ISO/IEC 17839-2:2015

Overview

ISO/IEC 17839-2:2015 specifies the physical characteristics for a Biometric System-on-Card (BSoC). It defines card dimensions for type S1 (ID-1 size) and type S2 (ID‑T size), the permitted location, size and orientation of on‑card biometric capture devices (fingerprint, voice, face, signature), and minimum requirements for mechanical durability, man–machine interface and ergonomics. The standard does not cover other on‑card devices such as displays or keypads.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Card types and dimensions
  • Type S1: identical to ISO/IEC 7810 ID‑1 dimensions.
  • Type S2: identical to ID‑T (ISO/IEC 18328‑2).
• Allowed placement
  • Biometric capture devices must not be centered, must avoid reserved functional areas (chip, antenna, battery) and must not be embedded within a 3.5 mm border of the card edge.
• Fingerprint sensors
  • Two sensor shapes: area and swipe.
  • Minimum area sensor size: 13 × 13 mm (169 mm²).
  • Minimum swipe sensor width: 13 mm.
  • Recommended swipe direction: parallel to the short edge of the card for contact cards.
  • Visible or tactile orientation marking is required.
• Voice biometrics
  • Embedded microphone placement must avoid sound obstruction; for contact S1 cards it is recommended at the rightmost edge of the allowed region.
  • Microphone must support acquisition across 50 Hz–8 kHz without distortion.
  • Location must be indicated visually or tactilely.
• Face biometrics
  • Camera use is permitted only for contactless BSoC (camera unusable while card is inserted).
  • Camera must allow capture meeting ISO/IEC 19794‑5 facial image requirements.
• Signature biometrics
  • Minimum signing pad area: 35 × 35 mm².
  • For contact cards signing is allowed only if the Interface Device (IFD) provides a rigid surface; preferred placement is the right half of the allowed region.
• Durability & ergonomics
  • Minimum mechanical durability and man‑machine interface requirements are specified to ensure reliable in‑field performance.

Practical applications and users

• Useful for designers and manufacturers of secure payment cards, ID cards, e‑passes and access control cards that integrate on‑card biometrics.
• Relevant to product managers, hardware engineers, card personalization suppliers, test labs and procurement teams specifying biometric smart cards.
• Helps ensure interoperability, user ergonomics and reliable biometric capture in real‑world deployment scenarios.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 17839‑1 (Core requirements)
• ISO/IEC 18328‑2 (ID‑T / ICC‑managed devices)
• ISO/IEC 7810, 7816‑1/2 (card physical characteristics, contact locations)
• ISO/IEC 19794‑5 (facial image format)
• ISO/IEC 2382‑37, ISO/IEC 10373‑1 (vocabulary and test methods)

Keywords: ISO/IEC 17839-2, Biometric System-on-Card, physical characteristics, card dimensions, biometric capture device, fingerprint sensor, microphone, camera, signature pad, mechanical durability, ergonomics.