ISO 9001:2026 was published today, 16 September 2026. The revised edition of the world’s most widely adopted quality management system standard is now live - and with it, the formal transition period has begun.
Organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015 have three years to complete their transition, with the period running to the 30 September 2029. After that, ISO 9001:2015 certifications will expire or be withdrawn.
The question facing every certified organisation is no longer whether to transition, but when - and the earlier it is answered, the more choice you have over timing.
What is changing
The 2026 revision is a targeted evolution of ISO 9001:2015. The process approach, Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and risk-based thinking remain central. The key changes include:
- Quality culture and ethical behaviour - now embedded within the requirements, particularly in relation to leadership, awareness and the environment for the operation of processes
- Separation of risks and opportunities - a clearer distinction between the two, with separate requirements for determining and addressing each
- Strengthened change management - reinforced requirements for planning, communicating, monitoring and reviewing changes to the quality management system
- Terms and definitions - a limited set of core QMS terms introduced directly within the standard, drawing from ISO 9000
- Enhanced Annex A - expanded informative guidance on the structure, terminology and intent of the requirements, without adding new obligations
For a full breakdown, download our ISO 9001:2026 gap analysis checklist and our transition guide.
What this means for certified organisations
Your ISO 9001:2015 certificate remains valid throughout the transition period, so you have a genuine choice about timing. Transition audits can now be scheduled - completed alongside your next surveillance or recertification visit, or independently, ahead of your cycle.
There are good reasons not to leave it late. Audit capacity is always most constrained in the final year of a transition window, and early adopters are among the first to hold certification to the new standard - a clear signal to customers, regulators and supply chain partners that quality culture and leadership are taken seriously.
Take the first step: the free self-assessment
To help you plan, we have launched a free online ISO 9001:2026 self-assessment - open to any certified organisation, whoever your certification body is. It takes around 15 minutes and gives you an immediate readiness report across six areas of the revised standard: highlighting where your quality management system already aligns, and where to focus first.
Once you have completed it, a member of our team will be in touch to talk through your results and the options available to you.
Complete your self-assessment now
Switch to LRQA
Organisations certified elsewhere transfer to LRQA for clearer visibility across their sites and suppliers, consistent auditing with reliable resourcing, and a team that takes on the coordination – from expiry dates and scheduling to logistics - so theirs can stay focused on the work that matters.
Transferring your accredited certification is straightforward: a three-step process in which we review your current certification and reports, confirm your transfer plan, and issue your LRQA certificate. We manage the dates and logistics so there is no disruption and no repeat effort. Transfers can take place at whatever stage you have reached in your certification cycle, and we will plan your ISO 9001:2026 transition alongside the move, so both are handled in one conversation.
Transfer your certification to LRQA
How LRQA can support your transition
Support is available at every step:
- Training - our ISO 9001:2026 courses run from a short awareness briefing to a full transition course, helping your team understand the changes and what they mean for your system
- Gap analysis - a structured assessment of your quality management system against the revised requirements, confirming priority focus areas before your transition audit
- Transition audit - now being scheduled; speak to your LRQA account manager or contact us to discuss the right timing for your organisation
If you are also certified to ISO 14001, the two transitions can be planned together - ISO 14001:2026 is already live, with its window running to the end of April 2029.
For updates, tools and webinar invitations throughout the transition, join our free Transition Club.
