If you're trying to decide whether or not to pursue ISO 9001 certification for your organisation, you'll probably want to know:

How long will my certificate remain valid once I've got it?

The answer is 'it depends'. When you apply for ISO certification, you will have to go through a certification body, and different certification bodies provide different services. Most certificates are valid for 3 years, although some must be renewed annually.

Note that, regardless of how long your ISO 9001 certificate is valid for, your organisation will be subject to ongoing surveillance audits. These audits are normally carried out annually, and they serve to ensure that your quality management processes are still effective.

How long does ISO Accelerator certification last?

Here at ISO Accelerator, we provide a fast-track ISO certification service that enables small/medium UK businesses to get certified within 7 days (find out how it works here).

If you get certified via ISO Accelerator, your ISO 9001 certification will need to be renewed once a year. Once you have received your certificate, you will need to pay an annual re-certification fee to retain your certified status. However, as long you continue to meet the conditions of ISO and your own quality management system, you will remain certified indefinitely. (Bear in mind that the ISO 9001 standard is revised every 6-8 years; you will need to migrate to the latest version of the standard each time this happens.)

For more information about the costs involved in getting certified via ISO Accelerator, please see our How Much Does it Cost? page.

Get certified with ISO Accelerator >

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Wondering whether to pursue ISO 9001 certification for your business? Getting certified takes time and effort, and many business owners are understandably reluctant to commit to this endeavour because, well, what tangible difference does ISO certification actually make?

In fact, implementing a quality management system and obtaining ISO 9001 certification can benefit your organisation in a number of different ways. Read on to find out more.

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When you're new to the world of quality management and ISO certification, it's easy to feel a little confused by some of of the associated jargon. For instance, you probably know that ISO 9001 is the globally-recognised standard for quality management systems, but perhaps you've heard people using more complicated-sounding terms like 'ISO 9001:2008' and now you're feeling a bit lost again.

If so, we hope this simple guide makes things a little bit clearer.

ISO 9001 is updated periodically.

The standards collectively known as ISO 9001 are constantly evolving, and as a result, ISO 9001 is overhauled every so often in order to reflect the latest advancements and the current state of the market. Once a new version of ISO 9001 is brought into effect, organisations who were certified under the previous version usually have a few years to transition to the new one.

ISO 9001:2008 is an outdated version of ISO 9001.

ISO 9001:2008 (itself the successor to ISO 9001:2000) was rendered obsolete in September 2015 by the newly-introduced ISO 9001:2015 standard.

• If you already hold ISO 9001:2008 certification, you have until the end of September 2018 to migrate to ISO 9001:2015.
  
  
• If you do not hold any ISO 9001 certification, there's no need to worry about ISO 9001:2008 - you should focus on getting certified according to the requirements laid out by ISO 9001:2015.

Looking to get ISO certified as soon as possible? Click here to find out how ISO Accelerator can help!

Read more on this topic: ISO 9001:2008 vs. ISO 9001:2015

The ISO 9001 standard for quality management systems is revised every few years to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and continues to reflect the requirements of the modern marketplace. The current version of the standard, which rolled out in September 2015, is known as ISO 9001:2015.

If your organisation achieved ISO 9001 certification prior to September 2015, you were probably certified under the previous version of the standard, known as ISO 9001:2008. This version is no longer in use, and the deadline to switch over (the end of September 2018) has now passed - so you might be overdue for recertification.

Differences between ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001:2015 has ten clauses, whereas ISO 9001:2008 had just eight clauses. The most recent version of ISO 9001 aims to put greater emphasis to the importance of continuous improvement.

Under ISO 9001:2008, customers were treated as the only party of interest. However, the ISO 9001:2015 standard takes others into consideration, e.g. shareholders and suppliers.

Want to get certified to the latest ISO 9001 standard? ISO Accelerator makes the certification process quick and easy - click here to get started!

How to Get Certified with ISO Accelerator >

Are you thinking of hiring an ISO-certified company? Before you do, it may be worth checking to ensure that they really do hold ISO 9001 accreditation.

In order to verify your potential supplier's ISO certificate, you will first need to request a copy of the certificate itself. Most companies will have no qualms about providing this - after all, if they've genuinely put in the effort to get certified, what do they have to hide?

There are a number of things that will give you a clue as to the validity (or otherwise) of the certificate. These include the name and stamp of an accreditation body, date on the certificate, and specific details on which processes and premises are certified. In particular, be wary of any certificate that is out of date or was not actually issued by the certification company named on the certificate (indeed, you may wish to contact the certification company yourself to check whether the certificate in question is a fake).

However, if the certificate was issued by ISO Accelerator, you don't have to worry about any of the above.

Check ISO 9001 certificate validity now >

Here's how to check the validity of an ISO 9001 certificate using our handy ISO Certificate Checker:

1. Obtain a copy of the certificate in question.
   
   
2. Go to iso-accelerator.co.uk/learn-more/iso-certification-checker and enter the certificate number.
   
   
3. Click Check Certificate to find out whether or not the certificate is valid.

It really is as simple as that! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us for assistance.

Looking to achieve ISO certification for your own organisation? ISO Accelerator can help you to get certified fast - click here to find out how it works.