The ICAO Standard refers to a set of requirements and recommendations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ensure that travel document images are of high quality and suitable for use in facial recognition systems. This standard was created to ensure the security and efficiency of personal identification.
The requirements carefully describe how a photograph should be captured. To this end, the standard specifies various elements such as the size, composition, and technical requirements of the photos, among others.
In this article you will learn what the ICAO standard is, the difference between the ICAO standard and the ICAO standard, the main requirements of the ICAO standard (ISO/IEC 19794-5) and the importance of biometric identification in documents.
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What is the ICAO Standard?
ICAO has developed the ICAO Standard with specific standards for passports and other travel documents, available in Doc 9303. The specifications are divided into topics and address different aspects of travel documents. The aim of the ICAO Standard is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of border control and security processes and to ensure the authenticity of travel documents. Learn more about the main components of the ICAO Passport Standard below:
- Biometric Data: includes requirements such as digital photographs and fingerprints to identify the passport holder.
- Machine Readable Zone (MRZ): defines the format and content of the machine-readable zone that allows passport data to be read electronically.
- Security: provides guidelines for security measures to prevent counterfeiting or tampering, such as watermarks and holographic elements.
- Interoperability: ensures that travel documents can be read and verified anywhere in the world.
For a list of countries that follow ICAO rules, see here:
- North America: United States and Canada.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
- Europe: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
- European Union countries: All follow ICAO standards.
- Asia: Japan, China, India, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.
- Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt.
- Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.
Difference between ICAO Standard and ICAO Standard (ISO/IEC 19794-5):
While the ICAO Standard refers to the general requirements and detailed guidelines for travel documents and includes various elements such as size, security, machine-readable zone, photo location, font typography, biometric data, among others. The ICAO standard (ISO/IEC 19794-5) specifies the format and requirements for the capture and exchange of biometric facial images. It is a technical standard that details how images should be captured (format, lighting, head position, facial expression, background color, etc.), stored, and compared to ensure the accuracy of biometric identification.
What are the requirements of the ICAO standard (ISO/IEC 19794-5)?
To ensure that photographs in passports and other travel documents are captured and stored in a uniform manner, the ICAO standard (ISO/IEC 19794-5) establishes the following technical requirements:
- Resolution and size: images must be of sufficient resolution and size to allow clear and accurate identification. In general, a minimum resolution of 90 dpi (dots per inch) is required.
- Lighting: lighting must be even and without shadows, reflections or excessive glare to ensure that all facial features are clearly visible.
- Pose and expression: the face should be directly facing the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed. This will ensure that the image can be used for biometric identification.
- Format and compression: the image must be saved in a specific format (usually JPEG) and can be compressed without compromising the quality required for facial recognition.
Biometrics in the issuance of identification documents
Biometric identification is present in various documents, such as the National Identity Card (CIN), the National Driving License (CNH), the Work and Social Security Card (CTPS), the passport, among others. Since each individual has unique biometric characteristics, such as fingerprints, face and iris, this uniqueness makes it more difficult to forge and misuse documents, combats fraud and offers greater security and reliability in identifying the holder of the document.
The use of biometrics in document issuance also facilitates the authentication process in various public and private services. For example, in an identity verification process, the time required to confirm a person's authenticity is significantly reduced. This is important in environments such as airports and banks, where precision and agility are essential.
Applying the ICAO Standard for Secure Biometric Identification
This time it was possible to understand what the ICAO standard is, the main difference between the ICAO standard and the ICAO standard (ISO/IEC 19794-5), and why the standardization of images is necessary to achieve efficient biometric authentication.
We have seen that biometrics is a strong ally in the identification of individuals, making any kind of fraud more difficult. BioPass ID's biometric technology guarantees the quality of enrollment and identity verification through the Quality Package.
Now that you know what the ICAO Standard is and what the ICAO Norm is, read the article ICAO Standard: how to guarantee the quality of biometric images.
