A fingerprint verification method comprising: determining first similarities between an input fingerprint image and each of a plurality of partial fingerprint images included a plurality of fingerprint groups (330, 332, 334, 336), each fingerprint group of the plurality of fingerprint groups being defined as a plurality of partial fingerprint images of a single finger of a single user, wherein a partial fingerprint image covers a portion of a fingerprint; selecting first candidate partial fingerprint images for each fingerprint group based on the first similarities; determining second similarities between the input fingerprint image and each of the selected first candidate partial fingerprint images; selecting one or more first fingerprint groups from among the plurality of fingerprint groups based on the second similarities, wherein the selected one or more first fingerprint groups are a portion of the plurality of fingerprint groups and not all fingerprint groups of the plurality of fingerprint groups; and performing fingerprint verification only on the selected at least one first fingerprint group, by: determining third similarities between the input fingerprint image and each of the partial fingerprint images included in the selected at least one first fingerprint group; and determining (520, 820) whether verification is successful based on the determined third similarities, wherein the determining of the second similarities is based on a scheme having a computational complexity higher than and more detailed than that of the scheme for determining the first similarities. determining first similarities between an input fingerprint image and each of a plurality of partial fingerprint images included a plurality of fingerprint groups (330, 332, 334, 336), each fingerprint group of the plurality of fingerprint groups being defined as a plurality of partial fingerprint images of a single finger of a single user, wherein a partial fingerprint image covers a portion of a fingerprint; selecting first candidate partial fingerprint images for each fingerprint group based on the first similarities; determining second similarities between the input fingerprint image and each of the selected first candidate partial fingerprint images; selecting one or more first fingerprint groups from among the plurality of fingerprint groups based on the second similarities, wherein the selected one or more first fingerprint groups are a portion of the plurality of fingerprint groups and not all fingerprint groups of the plurality of fingerprint groups; and performing fingerprint verification only on the selected at least one first fingerprint group, by: determining third similarities between the input fingerprint image and each of the partial fingerprint images included in the selected at least one first fingerprint group; and determining (520, 820) whether verification is successful based on the determined third similarities, wherein the determining of the second similarities is based on a scheme having a computational complexity higher than and more detailed than that of the scheme for determining the first similarities. determining third similarities between the input fingerprint image and each of the partial fingerprint images included in the selected at least one first fingerprint group; and determining (520, 820) whether verification is successful based on the determined third similarities, wherein the determining of the second similarities is based on a scheme having a computational complexity higher than and more detailed than that of the scheme for determining the first similarities.