Published: August 27, 2025
In this FAQ on identity document checks, we address the most important questions about modern identity verification processes, covering everything from chip-based authentication and MRZ reading to SDK integration and data protection compliance.
Identity document checks have become a cornerstone of secure and compliant digital identity verification processes. As regulatory demands grow and fraud techniques evolve, organizations require methods that ensure both accuracy and efficiency. The following FAQ addresses key questions related to identity document verification, with particular focus on chip-based checks and the use of specialized SDKs.
What are Identity Document Checks – and why are they crucial?
Identity document checks refer to the systematic verification of physical or digital identification documents, typically issued by government authorities. These checks aim to authenticate the document’s integrity and confirm that the information it contains matches a real, legally identifiable person. This process involves analyzing both visible and machine-readable elements, such as photographs, personal data, MRZ (Machine Readable Zone), and embedded chips. Advanced checks may use optical character recognition (OCR), forensic document analysis, and biometric comparisons to identify forgery or manipulation.
The goal is to establish a high degree of trust in digital or remote identity verification procedures. Identity document checks are an essential security measure in sectors like finance, telecommunications, healthcare, and eGovernment. Verifying document authenticity helps organizations mitigate risks such as identity fraud, money laundering, and unauthorized access.
These checks are an essential component of modern Know Your Customer (KYC) and onboarding processes, and are typically integrated with other digital verification technologies.
How do Identity Document Checks with chip verification work?
Document checks with chip verification involve reading and authenticating data stored on a secure electronic chip embedded in modern identity documents. These chips, compliant with ICAO and ISO standards, contain biometric and personal data encrypted by the issuing authority. Access to this data is regulated through Basic Access Control (BAC) or Password Authenticated Connection Establishment (PACE), requiring specific credentials derived from the document itself – usually the MRZ. Once accessed, the chip provides data that can be compared to the visible and MRZ-based information, as well as to biometric inputs such as a live-captured selfie.
Chip verification ensures that data has not been tampered with, thanks to cryptographic signing by the document issuer. This process significantly raises the security level of the identity verification, making it highly resistant to forgery, alteration, or spoofing attempts. Furthermore, the use of chip-based data eliminates reliance on user-uploaded images, which can be vulnerable to deepfakes or photo manipulations. In regulated industries, chip verification helps meet compliance requirements by relying on verified, tamper-proof data sources. As identity theft and synthetic fraud increase, chip verification represents a gold standard in digital identity assurance.
Why should onboarding be based on Identity Document Checks?
Onboarding processes that rely on identity document checks ensure that new users or customers are accurately verified before being granted access to services or platforms. This method is essential for institutions operating under regulatory frameworks such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML) directives, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and financial licensing requirements. Identity document checks allow onboarding to be conducted remotely while still maintaining a high level of trust and regulatory compliance.
By using structured data from MRZs and secure chip information, the onboarding system gains access to verifiable and standardized personal data. Biometric comparison further enhances reliability by ensuring that the person presenting the document is its legitimate holder. Fast and accurate identity verification reduces manual processing, minimizes the risk of fraud, and ensures a smoother user journey. In digital environments where customer interactions are not face-to-face, onboarding based on identity document checks is essential for balancing user experience with security and compliance.
What role does the trusted photo play in Identity Document Checks?
The trusted photo stored in the chip of an identity document plays a central role in modern identity verification processes. Unlike the printed photo on the document surface, the chip photo is digitally signed and issued directly by the official authority, making it highly resistant to tampering or substitution. This biometric image can be extracted through chip reading and compared against a live image or selfie captured during the verification process. The comparison is conducted using biometric facial recognition technology to ensure the person presenting the document is the rightful holder.
The use of the trusted photo enables a higher level of assurance than visual inspection alone, especially in remote or automated environments. It serves as a key component in preventing impersonation fraud and detecting sophisticated attacks such as deepfakes or morphing. Because the photo is protected by cryptographic mechanisms, it remains intact and verifiable even if the document is physically damaged or altered. This makes the trusted photo a robust reference point in digital onboarding and authentication workflows. Ultimately, it provides the biometric “ground truth” required for secure, remote identity validation.
Is the use of SDKs compliant with data protection regulations?
The use of MOBILE SCAN SDK and MOBILE CHIP SDK is fully compatible with modern data protection regulations, including the GDPR and similar frameworks. These SDKs are designed with privacy by design principles, ensuring that personal data is processed only to the extent necessary for the verification task. No personal data is stored permanently on the device or the back-end system, which minimizes data exposure and reduces the risk of breaches. Processing is done securely, and sensitive biometric and identity information is discarded immediately after verification.
This approach aligns with regulatory requirements for minimal data retention, transparency, and user consent. Additionally, the SDKs follow international standards (ISO/ICAO), ensuring technical robustness. Security measures such as end-to-end encryption, and integrity checks are built into the SDKs to protect against misuse or interception. Regular audits, updates, and compliance testing further reinforce the adherence to global privacy standards. As data protection laws continue to evolve, the SDK architecture remains adaptable, making it a future-proof solution for secure and compliant identity verification.
What is the connection between the MRZ and the chip?
The MOBILE SCAN SDK is used to read the data from the MRZ
The Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) is a standardized text field found on identity documents, typically on the passport or ID card. This area contains essential information such as the document number, expiration date, and date of birth, formatted in a structured and machine-readable format. The MOBILE SCAN SDK is designed to quickly and accurately capture this data using the camera of a mobile device. The extracted data forms the basis for further verification steps and enables downstream operations such as database lookups or consistency checks.
Most importantly, MRZ data is required to unlock the chip using Basic Access Control (BAC). Therefore, the MRZ serves not only as an initial verification step but also as the access key to the secure chip contents. Its accurate reading is critical to ensure that subsequent chip interactions are both possible and reliable.
The MOBILE CHIP SDK uses this data to log into the identity document chip and reads the data
Once the MRZ data is extracted, the MOBILE CHIP SDK uses it to establish a secure connection to the document’s embedded chip. This process typically involves cryptographic protocols such as BAC or PACE to ensure secure and authorized access. Upon successful login, the SDK reads biometric and personal data directly from the chip, including the digitally signed trusted photo and other authentication elements. These data points are used to verify the document’s integrity and match it to the person presenting it.
By leveraging data straight from the issuing authority, this method avoids the vulnerabilities of user-provided or manipulated information. The chip acts as a digital root of trust, delivering high-assurance verification outcomes. The interaction between the two SDKs creates a seamless and secure two-step identity check workflow.
The Chip-based data is a trustworthy basis for identity verification
The embedded chip in modern identity documents represents the most secure source of personal and biometric data available for digital verification. Its contents are issued and cryptographically signed by a trusted authority, ensuring their authenticity and integrity. Because the chip’s data is protected against tampering, it can be reliably used to authenticate a document and verify the identity of the holder. Unlike surface-level document features or scanned images, the chip cannot be altered without detection.
This makes it an essential foundation for high-trust applications such as financial onboarding, eGovernment access, and mobile identity systems. Chip verification significantly reduces the risk of identity fraud, even in fully remote scenarios. It also enables compliance with international identity assurance standards and legal requirements. In essence, the chip provides a cryptographically secure bridge between physical and digital identities.
How long does the integration take?
The integration of identity document verification solutions typically depends on the technical environment, internal development capacity, and the specific use case. However, with standardized SDKs designed for modular and flexible deployment, implementation can be completed in a short time frame.
In many cases, integration of solutions such as the MOBILE SCAN SDK and the MOBILE CHIP SDK can be achieved within a few days to a few weeks. The SDKs are available for the leading mobile operating systems, like iOS and Android, and come with detailed documentation and code samples to support developers. Integration efforts are further simplified by the availability of developer support, API reference material, and test environments. Depending on the existing infrastructure and complexity of the application, a basic setup with full functionality can be completed swiftly, without significant architectural changes.
Customizations or advanced use cases, such as multi-language support or backend validation workflows, may extend the timeline slightly. Additionally, integration is often aligned with broader onboarding or compliance projects, which may affect the total deployment duration. Continuous support, including SDK updates and compliance adaptations, ensures that the solution remains stable and secure post-integration. Overall, the SDKs are built to minimize time-to-value and reduce friction in technical implementation.
