Overview
Enhanced CDD (NFC) is a digital identity verification method that reads the secure chip inside a client's biometric passport or ID document using their phone. Legl delivers it in partnership with Mitek Systems, giving you a high-assurance identity check built for the legal sector.
What you can use Enhanced CDD (NFC) for
Verify a client's identity to a high level of assurance by reading the cryptographic chip in their biometric passport or ID document.
Meet Good Practice Guide (GPG) 45 and Practice Guide 81 expectations for digital identity verification.
Run a DIATF-certified check: Enhanced CDD is DIATF-certified and enforces live document capture through the NFC passport scan.
Add Proof of address verification to the same workflow where you need it.
ℹ️ Further guidance
To add address verification to an Enhanced CDD (NFC) workflow, see How to use automated Proof of address verification.
How Enhanced CDD (NFC) works
The client opens the request on their phone and scans the chip inside their biometric document.
Mitek reads the chip and verifies it against the issuing country's signing certificates, returning a verification status and an automatic GPG 45 identity confidence score.
Identity validation checks run alongside the document read, confirming details such as name, address and date of birth against reliable data sources. This brings Enhanced CDD closer to the coverage of a Standard CDD check.
ℹ️ Further guidance
For when NFC is and is not the right choice, and what to offer instead, see Choosing between Enhanced CDD (NFC) and Standard CDD.
Document coverage
Enhanced CDD (NFC) can read documents from a wide range of countries. Whether a document can be fully verified depends on its type and the issuing country.
Passports
NFC technology can read all ePassports from ICAO 9303-compliant countries. The verification status varies:
Read & Verify: complete verification using the country's signing certificates.
Read & Partially Verify: limited verification due to partial country signing certificates.
Read Only: the chip can be read but cannot be verified.
No Chip: passports without an NFC chip cannot be read.
European documents
As of 2024, all EEA countries except Denmark and Liechtenstein issue ICAO 9303-compliant identity cards and residence permits. The UK does not issue identity cards but provides ICAO-compliant residence permits.
African documents
In Africa, 44 of 55 countries issue ePassports. NFC-enabled devices can read all of them, but verification is only possible for countries that provide public access to their signing certificates.
Unsupported countries
Mitek NFC identity verification is currently not available for documents from:
China
Iran
North Korea
Russia
Where to find Enhanced CDD (NFC) in Legl
You add Enhanced CDD (NFC) when building or editing an Engage workflow:
Go to Engage → Workflows.
Select Create new, or edit an existing workflow.
Select Add Step → CDD report.
Choose Enhanced CDD.
Enhanced CDD (NFC) is one of the CDD types you can select when adding a CDD report step, alongside Standard CDD or Basic CDD.
ℹ️ Further guidance
For step-by-step instructions on building a workflow, see How to create a workflow.
Important information
Enhanced CDD (NFC) requires the client to have a biometric document with an NFC chip and a compatible smartphone.
Documents from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia cannot currently be read.
Some countries do not publish signing certificates, so a document may be read but only partially verified.
Enhanced CDD is DIATF-certified and enforces live document capture.
Where NFC is not suitable for a client, offer Standard CDD as a reliable alternative.