Reading Encrypted Data from JCOP3 RFID Chips

A second, chip-based identity solution

A Greece-based client we had already built an NFC tag encoding system for needed a second solution: data written to JCOP3 RFID chips rather than NTAG216 tags, readable reliably from a dedicated mobile app as well as third-party NFC reader apps already in use in the field.

Encoding and reading, built to the same standard

We used JMRTD and the Regula SDK to write and encrypt data onto JCOP3 chips, the same standards-based approach used on the tag-based system, then built a companion mobile app to read that data back reliably.

Cross-compatibility was a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have. The encoded data also needed to be readable through established third-party apps like Regula Document Reader and Read.ID, which meant sticking closely to standard encoding formats rather than a proprietary shortcut that would only work with our own reader.

Why chip-based and tag-based solutions coexist

JCOP3 chips and NFC tags like NTAG216 suit different physical form factors and use cases. Building both gave the client flexibility to deploy whichever made sense for a given card or credential type, without maintaining two unrelated systems, since both share the same JMRTD and Regula SDK foundation underneath.