What ISO 9001 is
ISO 9001 sets out requirements for a quality management system: how an organisation plans its work, controls its processes, handles customer complaints and improves. It is the most widely held of the four standards on this site.
Who needs it
Organisations of any size that supply customers who ask for it, often in tenders and supply chains. Whether you need it is usually set by your customers and contracts.
New edition. ISO 9001:2026 has been published. One certification body says the expected transition deadline for ISO 9001:2015 certificates is in 2029. See the transition guide.
How certification works
Certification is carried out by an independent certification body. The usual shape is a first-stage audit that checks your documents and readiness, a second-stage audit that checks the system is working in practice, then a certificate valid for three years. In between, surveillance audits happen at least annually, and a recertification audit closes the cycle. The certification bodies we read describe the same cycle (three-year certificate, annual surveillance).
Cost and time: the short version
- What ISO 9001 costs: published ranges, who published them, and what moves the number.
- How long ISO 9001 takes: from about three months for a small, prepared organisation, to a year in some accounts.
- Certification bodies for ISO 9001: 14 listed from their own pages, with the page we checked for each.
Some bodies that certify to ISO 9001
Choose the right certification body
Accreditation matters, and it is checked per standard and sector. GOV.UK says the UK national accreditation body is UKAS and that government only recognises UKAS accreditation of organisations operating in the UK. Read the checklist.