An identification device for persons for identifying a living person, the identification device for persons comprising: a thermal imaging camera which is configured to record a thermal image of a facial area of the person; and a processor which is configured to detect a local thermal inhomogeneity in a predetermined detection area of the thermal image in order to identify the living person, wherein the thermal imaging camera is configured to additionally record a white light image of the person, wherein the local thermal inhomogeneity is time-varying, wherein the processor is configured to recognize the living person on the basis of a change of the local thermal inhomogeneity overtime, wherein the thermal imaging camera is configured to record a series of thermal images of the facial area of the person, wherein the processor is configured to detect a change of the local thermal inhomogeneity over time in the series of thermal images in order to identify the living person, wherein the processor is configured to detect in the predetermined detection area a thermal pattern which represents the local thermal inhomogeneity, wherein the predetermined detection area is a cheek area of the person and wherein the thermal pattern indicates a vessel course in the cheek area, wherein the detection of the change of the local thermal inhomogeneity over time comprises a detection of vessels on the cheeks of the person and wherein the processor is configured to also perform an identification of the person based on the detection of the cheek vessels in addition to a liveness detection of the person, wherein the processor is configured to detect the predetermined detection area in the thermal image by a comparison of the thermal image with the white light image of the person, wherein the processor is configured to detect a distance of the person from the thermal imaging camera by detecting a feature geometry of the person in the white light image, in particular an eye distance of the person, and to identify in this way that a face of the person is imaged in the infrared spectrum in the thermal image. a thermal imaging camera which is configured to record a thermal image of a facial area of the person; and a processor which is configured to detect a local thermal inhomogeneity in a predetermined detection area of the thermal image in order to identify the living person, wherein the thermal imaging camera is configured to additionally record a white light image of the person, wherein the local thermal inhomogeneity is time-varying, wherein the processor is configured to recognize the living person on the basis of a change of the local thermal inhomogeneity overtime, wherein the thermal imaging camera is configured to record a series of thermal images of the facial area of the person, wherein the processor is configured to detect a change of the local thermal inhomogeneity over time in the series of thermal images in order to identify the living person, wherein the processor is configured to detect in the predetermined detection area a thermal pattern which represents the local thermal inhomogeneity, wherein the predetermined detection area is a cheek area of the person and wherein the thermal pattern indicates a vessel course in the cheek area, wherein the detection of the change of the local thermal inhomogeneity over time comprises a detection of vessels on the cheeks of the person and wherein the processor is configured to also perform an identification of the person based on the detection of the cheek vessels in addition to a liveness detection of the person, wherein the processor is configured to detect the predetermined detection area in the thermal image by a comparison of the thermal image with the white light image of the person, wherein the processor is configured to detect a distance of the person from the thermal imaging camera by detecting a feature geometry of the person in the white light image, in particular an eye distance of the person, and to identify in this way that a face of the person is imaged in the infrared spectrum in the thermal image.