Short answer: For an Australian organisation that uses or provides AI with up to 20 people involved in AI work, ISO/IEC 42001 certification with us costs $15,000 to $18,000 for the full three-year cycle, excluding GST, at one site and typical complexity. An organisation that builds AI systems pays more: $19,200 to $25,200 for the same team size. Audit time follows ISO/IEC 42006, which sets it by your role in the AI supply chain and the number of people involved in AI work.
ISO 42001 certification prices by AI role and team size
One site, one AI system, typical complexity. People counts are the people involved in AI work, not your whole workforce:
| People in AI work | Use or provide AI | Build AI systems |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $15,000 | $19,200 |
| 20 | $18,000 | $25,200 |
| 40 | $22,200 | $29,400 |
| 80 | $26,400 | $36,000 |
Year one, the certification audit and certificate, is $5,900 for 5 people who use or provide AI, and $7,700 for 5 people who build AI systems.
What is included?
Every figure on this page is the full three-year certification cycle, in Australian dollars, excluding GST. It covers:
- the stage 1 and stage 2 certification audit;
- the certification decision and certificate;
- a surveillance audit in year two and in year three, with the annual certification fee;
- the recertification audit before the certificate expires.
There is no application fee. Travel is charged at cost and shown in the quote. Prices are as at October 2026.
What drives the price of ISO 42001 certification?
- Your AI role. ISO/IEC 42006 sets more audit time for organisations that develop AI systems than for those that use or provide AI built by others.
- People involved in AI work. The starting time scales with the people who work under the AI management system, including contractors.
- Number of AI systems. More systems in scope add time. In our example, 20 people with eight AI systems is $26,400, against $18,000 with one.
- High-impact systems. Each system that can affect health, safety or people's rights adds time. One such system adds about $3,000 to a 20-person scope.
- Complexity. Regulated sectors and complex supply chains add time. Unlike ISO 27001, the ISO/IEC 42006 table is a minimum and is never reduced for simplicity.
Is ISO 42001 cheaper if we already hold ISO 27001?
Often, yes. ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 share the same management system structure, so much of the system can be reused. When both run as one integrated system and are audited together, the combined audit time can be reduced. For 30 people who use AI tools, the two standards cost $33,300 for three years as one integrated system, against $40,500 when run separately. See ISO 42001 vs ISO 27001.
What is not in the certification price?
Your own costs sit outside the certification fee: staff time to run the management system, any tools you choose, and any outside help you buy to build the system. As a certification body, we audit and certify. We do not design, implement or maintain management systems, and we do not recommend consultants, because that would compromise the independence of the audit.
How do I get a fixed price?
Use the price calculator for an estimate in under a minute, with no call and no email needed. Then send us your scope, sites and headcount. We confirm one fixed price for the full three-year cycle in writing, and it changes only if your scope changes or a major nonconformity needs a return visit to verify. See our commitments.
Common questions
Is ISO 42001 certification worth it if we only use AI tools such as Copilot?
It can be. ISO/IEC 42001 applies to organisations that use AI as well as those that build it, and the audit time for AI users is the lowest in the ISO/IEC 42006 table. See our article on ISO 42001 for businesses using AI tools.
How much does an ISO 42001 audit cost?
With us, the year-one certification audit and certificate starts at $5,900, excluding GST, for an organisation that uses or provides AI with a small AI team at one site.
Does every employee count towards ISO 42001 audit time?
No. ISO/IEC 42006 counts the people involved in AI work under the AI management system, including contractors, rather than your whole workforce.
How long does ISO 42001 certification take?
Once the AI management system has run long enough to show an internal audit and a management review, the certification audit itself usually takes a few weeks from stage 1 to certificate, depending on how quickly any nonconformities are corrected.
Can ISO 42001 be combined with ISO 27001?
Yes. The two standards share their structure, and an integrated audit reduces duplicated work and audit visits.
Related information:
- ISO/IEC 42001 certification
- What an ISO/IEC 42001 audit checks
- ISO 42001 for businesses using AI tools
- ISO 42001 vs ISO 27001
- ISO 27001 certification cost in Australia
- ISO 9001 certification cost in Australia
- ISO certification price calculator
- Our commitments
- Start an enquiry
Sources
Prices are estimates for the scope described, in Australian dollars excluding GST, as at October 2026. Your fixed price is confirmed in writing after a short scope review, and the signed agreement governs.