ISO 7816

Standard
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The primary international standard for contact smart cards, covering physical characteristics, electrical interface, commands, and file systems. It is also written ISO/IEC 7816. The term belongs to the Standard section of the smart card glossary.

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    ISO/IEC 7816
    
  

  





  
  

    
    




    
    
    

      
ISO 7816 -- The Foundation of Contact Smart Cards


ISO/IEC 7816 is a multi-part international standard that defines the physical, electrical, and logical specifications for contact smart cards. Published by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17, the standard covers everything from the position of the contact pad on the card surface to the structure of APDU commands exchanged between card and reader. Virtually every contact-based smart card in circulation -- payment cards, SIM cards, government IDs, and JavaCard applets -- relies on ISO 7816 as its foundational specification.


Key Parts of the Standard


ISO 7816 is organized into over 15 parts. Part 1 defines the physical characteristics of the card body, including flexural strength and UV resistance. Part 2 specifies the dimensions and assignment of the eight contact pads (C1 through C8) used for power, clock, reset, I/O, and ground. Part 3 defines the electrical interface, ATR sequence, and the T=0 and T=1 transmission protocols. Part 4 is the most widely referenced, establishing the APDU command/response structure, file system organization (MF, DF, EF), and secure messaging mechanisms.


File System and Security Architecture


ISO 7816-4 defines a hierarchical file system with a Master File (MF) at the root, Dedicated Files (DF) for applications, and Elementary Files (EF) for data storage. Access conditions on each file are enforced by the card operating system, typically requiring PIN verification or cryptographic authentication before granting read or write access. This file-based architecture remains central to ePassport and eID implementations, where biometric templates and certificate chains are stored as EFs under specific DFs.


Modern Relevance


While contactless interfaces defined by ISO 14443 have grown in prominence, ISO 7816 remains indispensable. Dual-interface modules implement both standards on a single chip, and the APDU layer from 7816-4 is reused even in contactless transactions. The GlobalPlatform card management framework and SCP03 secure channels are built on top of the 7816 APDU structure, ensuring backward compatibility across generations of smart card technology.

    

    

    
    
    

      
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자주 묻는 질문


  

    
    

      
        
Which part of ISO 7816 defines APDU commands?

        
      
      

        
Part 4 is the most widely referenced part of the standard. It establishes the APDU command and response structure, the hierarchical file system built from a Master File, Dedicated Files, and Elementary Files, and the secure messaging mechanisms.

      

    

    
    

      
        
What do the other main parts of ISO 7816 cover?

        
      
      

        
Part 1 specifies physical characteristics of the card body, including flexural strength and UV resistance. Part 2 fixes the dimensions and assignment of the eight contact pads C1 through C8 used for power, clock, reset, I/O, and ground. Part 3 defines the electrical interface, the ATR sequence, and the T=0 and T=1 transmission protocols.

      

    

    
    

      
        
Who publishes ISO 7816?

        
      
      

        
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17 publishes the standard, which runs to more than fifteen parts and underpins virtually every contact smart card in circulation, including payment cards, SIM cards, government identity credentials, and JavaCard applets.

      

    

    
    

      
        
What is the smart card glossary and who is it for?

        
      
      

        
The smart card glossary is a comprehensive reference of technical terms, acronyms, and concepts used in smart card technology. It covers protocols (APDU, T=0, T=1), security (Common Criteria, EAL, HSM), hardware (SE, EEPROM, contact pad), and applications (EMV, ePassport, eSIM). It serves developers, product managers, and engineers.

      

    

    
    

      
        
Are the glossary definitions available in other languages?

        
      
      

        
Yes. SmartCardFYI provides glossary definitions in 15 languages including English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic, French, Russian, German, Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai.