Enterprises holding an ISO 9001:2015 certificate often worry on hearing that ISO 9001:2026 has been released: can the old certificate still be used, must everything be redone from scratch, will the certification body change the certificate automatically. The short answer is that nothing changes immediately — but there is a clear roadmap to start preparing for.
Quick answer: ISO 9001:2026 was published by ISO on 16 September 2026, replacing ISO 9001:2015. Existing ISO 9001:2015 certificates do not lose validity immediately; enterprises have until 30 September 2029 to complete the transition, usually carried out in the coming surveillance or recertification audit. This article sets out the milestones, what to review, and the points commonly misunderstood in the transition.
What is ISO 9001:2026, and how does it differ from ISO 9001:2015?
ISO 9001:2026 is the 6th edition of the quality management systems standard, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on 16 September 2026 after a periodic review (a global survey in 2023 confirmed that a revision was needed for the standard to keep meeting users’ needs). On the same day, ISO 9001:2015 was officially given the status Withdrawn (no longer the current edition).
According to ISO’s official announcement, the 2026 edition keeps the familiar clause framework (context of the organization, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement), with these main adjustments:
- Clearer wording so that organizations of every size and level of maturity can more easily understand the requirements correctly;
- Greater emphasis on the role of leadership, quality culture and accountability;
- Risks and opportunities separated into two kinds of action to be handled clearly, rather than grouped together;
- A new Annex A explaining terminology and the intent of each requirement;
- Greater compatibility with other ISO management standards (ISO 14001, ISO 45001, etc.), helping organizations with multiple systems integrate them more easily.
This is an adjustment in expression and management focus on the old framework, not a completely different standard — but neither is it enough merely to change the version number on the document cover.
Transition milestones: who does what, and when
According to the official guidance of ISO/TC 176 (the technical committee responsible for ISO 9001) published at the same time ISO 9001:2026 was released, the transition roadmap for the whole international certification system is as follows:
| Milestone | What happens | Who must act |
|---|---|---|
| By 31 March 2027 at the latest | Accreditation bodies (ABs) must be ready to assess certification bodies against ISO 9001:2026 | Accreditation bodies (ABs) |
| Before 30 June 2027 | Certification bodies (CBs) submit their transition declaration and related dossier to the accreditation body | Certification bodies (CBs) |
| Before 30 September 2027 | Accreditation bodies complete the transition decision for each CB | Accreditation bodies (ABs) |
| From 31 March 2028 | New or first-time certificates are issued only to ISO 9001:2026; no new issuance to the 2015 edition | Certification bodies (CBs) |
| Through 30 September 2029 | Organizations holding an ISO 9001:2015 certificate must complete the transition to the 2026 edition | Certified enterprises |
Each enterprise’s transition is usually carried out in a periodic surveillance audit or a recertification audit already in the contract — a separate audit does not necessarily have to be opened, but the enterprise needs to proactively ask the certification body so that it is placed in the right cycle, to avoid crowding up against the 30 September 2029 deadline.
In Vietnam, the Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) — the sole national accreditation body — has issued a notice on the roadmap for transition to ISO 9001:2026 and ISO 14001:2026 applying to certification bodies (22 September 2026). The detailed milestone for each enterprise is still set by the certification body under contract.
What an enterprise holding ISO 9001:2015 should do first
- Obtain the latest audit report and the list of outstanding nonconformities. This is the starting point for comparing against the new requirements, not starting over from zero.
- Read the official summary of changes from ISO/TC 176, and compare it with how the current system actually operates: is the role of leadership shown in real records, are risks and opportunities handled separately.
- Ask the certification body under contract for the specific transition plan: which surveillance or recertification cycle will be used to assess against the 2026 edition, and whether an additional audit is needed.
- Update documents to reflect how work is really done, not just change the version number on the cover page of the quality manual and procedures.
- Conduct an internal audit and a management review before inviting the formal audit team, to discover gaps and leave time to correct them.
An enterprise without ISO 9001 that is considering starting
It is advisable to ask the intended certification body two things directly: whether it is ready to assess against ISO 9001:2026, and whether, if starting now to the 2015 edition, the enterprise would have to transition again almost immediately after obtaining the certificate. Since from 31 March 2028 new certificates will be issued only to the 2026 edition, building the system to the 2026 edition from the start (if the certification body is ready) will avoid redoing it.
Points commonly misunderstood
- Thinking the 2015 certificate expires on 16 September 2026. This is the date the 2015 standard was withdrawn at ISO level, not the date the enterprise’s certificate expires. The certificate remains valid during the transition period through 30 September 2029.
- Waiting until close to 30 September 2029 to start learning about it. Gap assessment, document updates and refreshing awareness training take time; leaving it close to the deadline can clash with other tasks in the enterprise and leave no time to correct nonconformities if there are any.
- Thinking the transition is only the certification body’s job and the enterprise need not do anything. The certification body assesses and makes the decision, but the enterprise must be the party that proactively updates its real management system before being assessed as conforming to the new edition.
- Treating the transition as an occasion to “redo the whole ISO dossier.” For a system that is running well, most of the work is reviewing and adjusting to the new points (the role of leadership, separating risks/opportunities), not rewriting from the beginning.
What Thái Tín can help with
Thái Tín receives information on the existing ISO 9001 certificate (if any) and the nearest surveillance or recertification schedule, helps the enterprise determine the right time to put the transition to ISO 9001:2026 into its plan, and connects a consulting unit to review the gap if needed. The assessment and the transition decision are made by the certification body (CB) and the accreditation body (AB) in their proper roles; Thái Tín is the coordinating point. See also What Should a Company Prepare to Obtain ISO 9001 Certification? and the ISO, standards and certification services.
If your enterprise holds an ISO 9001:2015 certificate and is unsure which cycle to transition in, send the issue date of the current certificate and the name of the certification body so we can help determine the suitable milestone.
Questions and answers
Does my ISO 9001:2015 certificate lose validity as soon as ISO 9001:2026 is published?
No. ISO 9001:2015 was withdrawn by ISO on the very day ISO 9001:2026 was published (16 September 2026), but this is a change at the standard level — certificates already issued to enterprises remain valid under the contract with the certification body, during the transition period. Under the ISO/TC 176 milestones, organizations holding an ISO 9001:2015 certificate have until 30 September 2029 to complete the transition to the 2026 edition.
Which edition should an enterprise starting ISO 9001 now choose?
It is advisable to ask the intended certification body directly whether it is ready to assess against ISO 9001:2026. Under the transition milestones, accreditation bodies (ABs) must be ready to assess the 2026 edition by 31 March 2027 at the latest, and from 31 March 2028 new or first-time certificates will be issued only to the 2026 edition — so build the system to the 2026 edition from the start to avoid redoing it.
How does ISO 9001:2026 differ from ISO 9001:2015, and must all documents be rewritten?
According to ISO's announcement, the 2026 edition keeps the framework of 7 main clauses (context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement), focuses on clarifying wording, emphasizes the role of leadership and quality culture, separates risks and opportunities, and adds Annex A explaining terminology. This is an adjustment in expression and management focus, not a change of the whole structure — but a real gap assessment is still needed, not just changing the version number on the document cover.
Where is the specific transition schedule in Vietnam?
The Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) has issued a notice on the roadmap for transition to ISO 9001:2026 and ISO 14001:2026 for certification bodies in Vietnam (22 September 2026). The specific milestone for each enterprise is set by the certification body under contract, usually tied to the nearest surveillance or recertification audit — so ask your own certification body directly and do not infer it from the general milestones.
What if the transition is not completed before 30 September 2029?
Under the general principle of the international certification system, a certificate to an edition of the standard that has been withdrawn and whose transition period has ended will no longer be recognized as a valid certificate under the current edition. It is therefore advisable to put the transition into the nearest surveillance or recertification schedule, rather than leaving the gap assessment until close to the 30 September 2029 milestone.
Legal basis · verification date
Verified 30 September 2026 · next review 30 December 2026. The content is general guidance and does not replace advice for a specific case.
- ISO 9001:2026 Quality management systems — Requirements (Edition 6), number 88464, published 16 September 2026, replacing ISO 9001:2015 (Withdrawn) (iso.org/standard/88464.html, accessed 30 September 2026).
- ISO/TC 176 — release announcement and transition guidance for ISO 9001:2026: ABs ready to assess by 31 March 2027 at the latest; CBs submit transition declarations before 30 June 2027; ABs make transition decisions before 30 September 2027; from 31 March 2028 new/first-time certificates issued only to the 2026 edition; organizations certified to ISO 9001:2015 have until 30 September 2029 to complete the transition (committee.iso.org/sites/tc176/home/news/content-left-area/news-and-updates/news.html, accessed 30 September 2026).
- Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) — notice on the Roadmap for transition to ISO 9001:2026 and ISO 14001:2026 for certification bodies in Vietnam, posted 22 September 2026 (boa.gov.vn/vi/lo-trinh-chuyen-doi-iso-90012026-va-iso-140012026, accessed 30 September 2026).
- Law on Standards and Technical Regulations No. 68/2006/QH11, amended and supplemented by Law No. 70/2025/QH15 (effective 1 January 2026): standards (including ISO standards) are documents applied voluntarily.
- Decree 107/2016/NĐ-CP on conditions for conformity assessment service business, amended by Decree 154/2018/NĐ-CP: conditions for registering the operation of certification bodies (CBs) in Vietnam.
