A personnel access system may include a mobile device(s) comprising a first near field communication (NFC) device, a wireless device, and a first controller configured to generate an access request. An access control device may be associated with a personnel access position and include a second NFC device configured to receive the access request, and a second controller configured to generate a verification request for the mobile device(s) based upon the received access request. A verification device may be configured to receive the verification request from the access control device, and send a verification message to the mobile device(s). The first controller may be configured to receive the verification message via the wireless device, and generate verification data based thereon. The second controller may be configured to selectively grant personnel access based upon the verification data.