Move to a new edition with a clear plan

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

The starting point

A new standard edition, a certification body’s accreditation transition and a client’s certificate transition are separate events. Identify the dates that apply to your organisation and plan the evidence before booking the assessment.

Understand which date answers which question

Publication identifies when an edition becomes available. Withdrawal identifies the status of the previous standard in the publisher’s catalogue. Accreditation transition concerns the certification body. Client transition concerns the organisation holding or seeking certification.

These dates can differ. Our recommendation is a transition register that names the event, affected party, source, publication or revision date, deadline and owner. Avoid recording a single “ISO deadline” without explaining what must happen by that date.

Key transition positions at 1 November 2026

For UKAS accredited certification, the ISO 9001:2026 certified-client transition deadline is 30 September 2029. UKAS’s cutoff for new applications to the 2015 edition is 16 March 2028; the initial accredited certification issue cutoff is 31 March 2028. The difference matters when scheduling a new application.

For ISO 14001:2026, the UKAS certified-client deadline is 30 April 2029 and the certification body deadline is 30 April 2027. New certification to the previous edition stops on 31 October 2027 under the published arrangements.

The UKAS ISO/IEC 27701:2025 bulletin gives 31 October 2027 for certification bodies and 31 October 2028 for certified clients. The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 to 2022 transition already ended on 31 October 2025. ISO 45001’s revision is still a draft at this review date; a draft is not a new published certification edition.

Confirm the programme before planning backwards

Ask your certification body which transition arrangements apply to your certificate, scope and accreditation. Confirm whether the transition can be combined with a scheduled visit, what additional work is required and when the certification decision must be completed.

Our recommended planning date is earlier than the final deadline by enough time to resolve findings and administrative issues. The appropriate buffer depends on the organisation and body; this guide does not prescribe a universal number of months. Obtain written confirmation rather than relying on a sales conversation or an old web page.

Map changes to processes and evidence

Obtain the new licensed standard and compare it with the implemented system. For each relevant change, identify the affected process, owner, document or control, operating evidence and review method.

Our practical change register distinguishes three states: analysis complete, implementation complete and evidence checked. This prevents a revised policy from being treated as the entire transition. Train people where responsibilities or working methods change, then use internal audit and management review to assess whether the updated system is operating as intended.

Update certification claims after the decision

After the certification body confirms the outcome, check the issued certificate and schedule for the correct entity, scope, edition and dates. Update relevant supplier portals, tender records and public statements consistently.

Preserve the transition evidence and the source documents used to plan it. Assign a review owner for changes in official guidance. Dates on this page describe an editorial review of published sources, not a promise that a particular organisation has completed or qualified for transition.

Related guidance and practical next steps