ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026 and replaces ISO 9001:2015. The revision is an update, not a rewrite. The structure stays familiar and the core of a quality management system is unchanged.
Most organisations with a working ISO 9001:2015 system will need to update and evidence a small number of areas rather than rebuild. This page sets out what changed, the transition dates, and how the move is audited.
What are the main changes in ISO 9001:2026?
The changes most organisations will notice are these:
- Climate change in your context. You must decide whether climate change is a relevant issue for your organisation, and recognise that interested parties may have climate-related requirements. This first appeared as a 2024 amendment to ISO 9001:2015 and is now part of the standard.
- Quality culture and ethical behaviour. Top management is expected to promote a quality culture and ethical behaviour, and awareness of culture and behaviour extends to everyone working under the organisation's control.
- Risks and opportunities treated separately. The standard now asks you to determine, analyse and evaluate risks and opportunities as separate things rather than as one combined phrase. A formal or documented method is still not required.
- Management review inputs. The listed inputs to management review must all be covered, including changes in the needs and expectations of interested parties.
- Clearer guidance. An expanded informative annex explains the structure, terms and clauses. It helps interpretation but does not add requirements.
- Alignment with other standards. ISO 9001 now follows the latest structure shared with ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 42001, which makes integrated systems and integrated audits simpler.
When does ISO 9001:2015 stop being valid?
Certification bodies follow international transition rules issued for ISO 9001:2026. The key dates are:
- 16 September 2026: ISO 9001:2026 published.
- 31 March 2028: from this date, new and initial certificates are issued to ISO 9001:2026 only.
- 30 September 2029: ISO 9001:2015 certificates are no longer valid.
A certificate that has not moved to the 2026 edition by 30 September 2029 cannot remain valid, so plan the transition into your audit programme early.
How is the transition audited?
The move to the new edition is assessed in a transition audit. It can be combined with a scheduled surveillance or recertification audit, or carried out as a separate visit.
The transition audit covers the changed requirements, any changes to your context, and any other changes you have made to your management system. Remote audit methods can be used where the audit objectives can still be met. The certification body decides whether extra audit time is needed and records why; there is no fixed minimum.
What should you do now?
- Obtain a copy of ISO 9001:2026 and compare it with your current system, clause by clause.
- Review your context, including whether climate change is relevant, and record your conclusion either way.
- Separate how you identify and evaluate risks from how you identify and evaluate opportunities.
- Check that your management review covers every required input.
- Show how leadership promotes quality culture and ethical behaviour, and how people are made aware of it.
- Agree with your certification body which scheduled audit will include the transition.
Seeking ISO 9001 for the first time?
If you are planning your first ISO 9001 certification, starting on the 2026 edition avoids a transition audit later in your certification cycle.
Discuss your transition
Tell us which edition you hold, your certificate expiry date and your next audit date. We will show where the transition fits in your audit programme and any extra audit time it needs, within one fixed three-year price.
Related information:
- ISO 9001 certification
- Can ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 be audited together?
- Certification process
- Start an enquiry