ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026 and replaces ISO 9001:2015.

For organisations currently certified to ISO 9001:2015, a transition period has been established to allow time to review the new requirements, make any necessary changes to the Quality Management System and complete the transition audit.

Preparing for your ISO 9001:2026 transition assessment

If your organisation is currently certified to ISO 9001:2015, your transition assessment will provide an opportunity for IPC to assess how your Quality Management System (QMS) has addressed the requirements of ISO 9001:2026.

The transition should not be viewed as starting your certification from scratch. The assessment will focus on the revised requirements, their application to your organisation and any changes made to your QMS.

Understanding the transition assessment from ISO 9001:2015 to ISO 9001:2026

If your organisation is currently certified to ISO 9001:2015, you will need to complete a transition assessment to move your certification to ISO 9001:2026.

The transition assessment is not intended to mean starting the certification process again. Instead, it provides a structured assessment of the changes introduced by ISO 9001:2026 and how they have been addressed within your Quality Management System (QMS).

SO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026. Organisations currently certified to ISO 9001:2015 now have a defined transition period in which to move to the new edition.

However, the transition does not happen immediately for certified organisations.

Before IPC can conduct accredited transition assessments to ISO 9001:2026, the requirements of the new standard must first be incorporated into the accreditation and certification arrangements. This includes the transition of the certification body's accreditation, the review and updating of relevant processes and documentation, and ensuring that personnel involved in the certification process have been appropriately trained and are competent to work with the revised standard.

This means that the transition takes place through a series of stages involving ISO, accreditation bodies, certification bodies and certified organisations.

With ISO 9001:2026 now published, organisations currently certified to ISO 9001:2015 should begin planning their transition.

The transition does not mean starting your Quality Management System (QMS) again from the beginning. For most organisations, the process should involve reviewing the existing system, identifying where the revised requirements apply, making any necessary changes and ensuring those changes are effectively implemented.

This guide provides a practical approach to preparing for your transition to ISO 9001:2026.

ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026, replacing ISO 9001:2015.

For organisations already certified to ISO 9001:2015, the transition to the new edition is not intended to require a complete rebuild of an existing Quality Management System (QMS).

The changes to ISO 9001:2026 are relatively limited. However, organisations will need to consider how the revised requirements apply to their own context and management system and determine whether any changes are necessary.