The apparatus greatly reduces the registered data amount and the verification computation amount required for user verification, in comparison with the verification using image information itself, and also decreases the false verification rate. The apparatus divides a biometric information image into cells, and extracts minutia information as well as cell basic information from the individual cells. After comparison of direction information of the individual cells of the registered data with direction information of the individual cells of the to-be-verified data, thereby aligning the registered fingerprint image and the to-be-verified fingerprint image, the apparatus compares the minutia information of corresponding cells between the registered data and the to-be-verified data to make a match/non-match decision. Such an apparatus is applicable to systems that employ pattern matching type image verification to perform user verification utilizing biometric information such as fingerprints, palm prints, blood vessel patterns, iris patterns, and facial images.