What documents support NFC verification?
Most modern biometric passports and many national ID cards with an embedded contactless chip. Support varies by country and document type.
Does NFC replace Document Verification?
No. NFC adds a chip layer on top of document verification. The flow starts with a document scan to read the MRZ and open chip access, then uses chip verification to increase assurance.
What does Shufti verify via NFC?
Shufti checks issuer signatures to detect tampering after issuance and, where supported, runs chip authenticity checks to reduce clone or emulation risk, then matches the chip portrait against a live selfie.
What data can be read via NFC?
Identity and document details plus a high-resolution portrait, with additional fields depending on the issuer and document.
What are DG1 and DG2?
DG1 contains the identity and document details stored on the chip. DG2 contains the chip's high-resolution portrait used for face matching.
Which countries require NFC verification?
Requirements vary by jurisdiction and use case. NFC-based checks are increasingly expected in regulated sectors such as banking, crypto, and travel, and are supported wherever ICAO 9303 eMRTD documents are issued, spanning 150+ countries. Shufti can enforce NFC as a mandatory or optional step per country and policy.
What if the user cannot complete NFC?
If the device does not support NFC or the read fails, the journey can continue through standard document and biometric verification, with NFC applied only where policy requires it.
What are the deployment options?
Deploy in cloud or on-prem depending on your security, privacy, and compliance requirements, and run NFC verification alongside other checks in the Shufti verification suite.
What is an NFC-enabled document?
An NFC-enabled document is an ID that contains an embedded contactless chip storing issuer-signed data, such as a biometric passport (eMRTD) or many modern national ID cards. The chip is read by tapping the document against an NFC-capable smartphone.
Can NFC chip data be altered?
The data on the chip is digitally signed by the issuing authority. Any alteration breaks the cryptographic signature, so tampering after issuance is detectable and the credential fails verification.
What happens to digital signatures if chip data is altered?
If any field on the chip is modified, the issuer's digital signature no longer matches the data. Shufti validates the signature against the issuer's certificate chain, so altered data is flagged and rejected before a decision is returned.
Can an NFC chip be faked?
Cloning or emulating a genuine chip is extremely difficult, because the issuer-signed data and, where supported, the chip authentication keys cannot be reproduced without the issuer's private key. Shufti runs authenticity checks to reduce clone and emulation risk.
How does Shufti detect alterations or fakes?
Shufti verifies the issuer's digital signature against the certificate chain, checks chip integrity, and, where supported, performs active or chip authentication to detect clones. Mismatches between the chip, the document, and the holder are surfaced before the decision.
How does the verification process work?
The user scans their document so Shufti can read the MRZ and unlock chip access, then taps the document to open a secure NFC session that reads and verifies the issuer-signed credential, and finally takes a live selfie so the chip portrait is matched against the holder with liveness detection.