ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026 and replaces ISO 9001:2015 as the edition organisations are certified to. Certified organisations have until 30 September 2029 to transition, under requirements that Global ACI, the body formerly known as IAF, issued the same day.
This guide is for quality managers and management representatives who hold, or are working towards, ISO 9001 certification.
What changed in ISO 9001:2026?
The 2026 edition keeps the harmonised structure of clauses 4 to 10 that ISO uses for all its management system standards. It is a revision of the 2015 text, not a rewrite. Certification body DNV summarises the changes on its ISO 9001 revision page, and DQS publishes a similar clause list.
The table maps the main changes those summaries report. The right-hand column is AGS's practical reading, not wording from the standard. Check every row against your own copy of ISO 9001:2026 before you change your system.
| Clause | What changed (as reported by DNV and DQS) | What to review in your QMS |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Terms and definitions | The common terms of ISO's harmonised structure now appear in the standard itself (DNV) | Terms used in your manual, procedures and audit checklists |
| 4.1 and 4.2 Context and interested parties | The 2024 climate change amendment is now part of the text (DNV) | Whether climate change is a relevant issue, and whether interested parties have related requirements |
| 5.1.1 Leadership and commitment | Top management must promote a quality culture and ethical behaviour (DNV and DQS) | Evidence of how leaders do this: communications, objectives, decisions and review minutes |
| 5.2 Quality policy | DQS reports a new point linking policy and objectives to the organisation's strategic direction | Whether your policy and objectives trace to your business plan |
| 6.1 Risks and opportunities | Split into subclauses 6.1.1 to 6.1.3, which separate actions on risks from actions on opportunities (DNV and DQS) | Separate entries for risks and for opportunities, each with its own actions |
| 6.3 Planning of changes | Reinforced requirements for managing changes to the QMS (DNV) | Records showing that changes were planned and their effects considered before they were made |
| 7.3 Awareness | Awareness now extends to quality culture and ethical behaviour (DQS) | Induction and awareness material for all staff |
| 10.1 Continual improvement | Mainly a merger of 2015 clauses 10.1 and 10.3 (DNV) | Clause references in your manual, registers and audit checklists |
| Annex A | Informative guidance revised, with no added requirements (DQS) | Read it for intent when interpreting the changed clauses |
For most organisations with a working 2015 system, the effort sits in four places. These are leadership evidence, the risk and opportunity register, change control and clause re-mapping.
Is my ISO 9001:2015 certificate still valid?
Yes, for now. Global ACI's transition requirements, reference Global ACI-TECH-3-TR 2029-09-30 (M), give organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015 until 30 September 2029 to complete their transition. DNV states that ISO 9001:2015 certificates cease to be valid after that date.
Global ACI took over the role of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), so older IAF references to transitions now point to it. The dates below come from its announcement of 16 September 2026.
What are the transition deadlines?
- 16 September 2026: ISO 9001:2026 published and the transition requirements issued.
- 31 March 2027: accreditation bodies must be ready to assess against the 2026 edition, at the latest.
- 30 June 2027: accredited certification bodies submit their transition declaration and supporting information.
- 30 September 2027: accreditation bodies complete their transition decisions on certification bodies.
- 31 March 2028: from this date, new and initial accredited certifications may only be issued to ISO 9001:2026.
- 30 September 2029: the transition ends for organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015.
The middle dates matter to you even though they bind other bodies. Your certification body can only audit you against the 2026 edition under accreditation once its own transition is in place. Ask it when it expects that to happen.
How should a certified organisation plan the transition?
Start with the published text. Buy ISO 9001:2026 from ISO or your national standards body, and work from it rather than from summaries, this one included.
- Run a gap assessment clause by clause. Record where your evidence already meets the 2026 text, where it needs updating and where it is missing.
- Update your context analysis for climate change and your interested-party register.
- Split your risk register so risks and opportunities have separate actions, owners and review dates.
- Decide how top management will show its support for quality culture and ethical behaviour, and where that evidence will be kept.
- Revise documents and clause references, with version control that shows what changed and why.
- Brief process owners and retrain internal auditors on the changed clauses.
- Complete at least one internal audit and one management review against the 2026 edition before the transition audit.
Our guide to auditing to ISO 19011 covers how to plan that internal audit programme. If the 5.2 change pushes you to rework objectives, our guide on choosing ISO 9001 indicators may help.
What will the certification body look for at the transition audit?
Expect the auditor to test whether the transition was managed or improvised. In practice, that means asking for the gap assessment and the plan that came out of it, with owners and dates.
Auditors are also likely to sample the new areas directly. They may ask a manager how quality culture is promoted, look for separate risk and opportunity actions, and trace a recent change through your change process. Internal audit and management review records against the 2026 edition show the system has run on the new text.
Timing is your choice within the window. Many organisations attach the transition to a planned surveillance or recertification visit, which needs the gap work finished first. Confirm the audit duration and timing with your certification body, because each body sets its own approach.
What if you are certifying for the first time?
Under the Global ACI dates, initial certification to ISO 9001:2015 remains possible until 31 March 2028. A new 2015 certificate would still need to transition by 30 September 2029, so you would pay for a second change within a short time.
If your certification audit is unlikely before late 2027, build the system on the 2026 edition from the start. Agree the target edition with your certification body when you request a quotation.
How AGS can help
AGS does not currently sell an ISO 9001:2026 kit. ISO 9001 is included in several AGS integrated management systems for specific sectors, such as laboratories, pharmaceutical distribution and food manufacturing. These are editable Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and each product page states the standards it covers. You can browse them in the Quality, Excellence and Accreditation collection.
Frequently asked questions
When was ISO 9001:2026 published?
ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026.
How long is the ISO 9001:2026 transition period?
Three years. Organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015 have until 30 September 2029, under Global ACI's transition requirements.
Do I need a new quality manual?
ISO 9001 has never required a document called a quality manual. If you keep one, update its clause references and any text affected by the changed clauses.
Does the 2026 edition add mandatory documented procedures?
None of the DNV or DQS summaries reports new mandatory procedures. Confirm this against the documented information requirements in your copy of the standard.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by ISO, Global ACI or any certification body, and AGS documents do not guarantee any certification outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.