ISO/IEC 7816-4:2005 specifies:

• contents of command-response pairs exchanged at the interface,
• means of retrieval of data elements and data objects in the card,
• structures and contents of historical bytes to describe operating characteristics of the card,
• structures for applications and data in the card, as seen at the interface when processing commands,
• access methods to files and data in the card,
• a security architecture defining access rights to files and data in the card,
• means and mechanisms for identifying and addressing applications in the card,
• methods for secure messaging,
• access methods to the algorithms processed by the card. It does not describe these algorithms.

It does not cover the internal implementation within the card or the outside world.

ISO/IEC 7816-4:2005 is independent from the physical interface technology. It applies to cards accessed by one or more of the following methods: contacts, close coupling, and radio frequency.