To perform individual authentication by quickly obtaining an excellent photographing result by both of a skilled person and a beginner.

A biometrics authentication device 10 photographing a living body of a person to be authenticated to authenticate the person on the basis of the photographing result comprises: an automatic-focus photographing part 12 automatically adjusting a photographing focus to an object to photograph it; a photographing quality determining part 141 determining whether or not the photographing result satisfies a prescribed quality standard and instructing re-photographing to the photographing part 12 when the photographing result does not satisfy the prescribed quality standard; an automatic-focus stop part 142 instructing the stop of the automatic focus adjustment at the photographing part 12 so as to photograph with a preset fixed focus when detecting the approach of the person to be authenticated; and an automatic-focus stop releasing part 144 instructing the release of the stop instruction to the photographing part 12 so as to photograph the living body by means of the automatic focus adjustment when the photographing at the fixed focus does not provide a satisfactory result of the prescribed quality standard.

COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT