NFC Forum Tag Types

Direct Answer

NFC Forum Tag Types (Types 1 through 5) are standardized memory and communication specifications established by the NFC Forum, operating at 13.56 MHz. They define how data is formatted in NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) across underlying ISO/IEC 14443 Type A/B, FeliCa, and ISO/IEC 15693 radio architectures.

Source: NFC Forum Technical Specifications / ISO/IEC 18092 / ISO/IEC 21481 · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026

Specs

Frequency Bands	13.56 MHz
Data Format Standard	NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format)
Type 1 Baseline	Innovision Topaz (ISO 14443-A, 106 kbps, 96B–2KB)
Type 2 Baseline	NXP NTAG / MIFARE Ultralight (ISO 14443-A, 106 kbps, 48B–2KB)
Type 3 Baseline	Sony FeliCa Lite (JIS X 6319-4, 212/424 kbps, up to 1MB)
Type 4 Baseline	ISO/IEC 14443 Type A & B T=CL (106–848 kbps, up to 32KB)
Type 5 Baseline	ISO/IEC 15693 Vicinity (26.48 kbps, up to 64KB)

The 5 Standard Tag Types

The NFC Forum mapped disparate global RFID standards into 5 interoperable Tag Types:

Type 1: Based on ISO 14443-A (Topaz); read/write memory with lock bits.
Type 2: Based on ISO 14443-A (NXP NTAG213/215/216); the dominant consumer sticker tag format (used in Nintendo amiibo).
Type 3: Based on Sony FeliCa (JIS X 6319-4); fast 212/424 kbps operation.
Type 4: Based on ISO 14443-A/B T=CL APDUs; supports cryptographic file systems and mobile card emulation.
Type 5: Added in 2015 based on ISO/IEC 15693; offers extended 1-meter vicinity read ranges.

NDEF Architecture and Operating Modes

NFC devices operate in three distinct functional modes:

Reader/Writer: Reads and writes standardized NDEF messages (URIs, vCards, Wi-Fi credentials).
Peer-to-Peer (P2P): Exchanging data between two active devices via SNEP (Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol).
Card Emulation: Allows smartphones and smartwatches to act as contactless payment or transit cards via an embedded Secure Element (eSE) or Host Card Emulation (HCE).