The wait is almost over. ISO has confirmed that the sixth edition of the world's most widely used quality management standard, ISO 9001:2026, will be published on 16 September 2026, replacing ISO 9001:2015. The Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) was approved with strong international support, and certified organisations will have a three-year transition period – until September 2029 – to move to the new edition.
The short version: this is an evolutionary revision, not a rewrite. The clause structure (Annex SL) stays the same, the core requirements stay the same, and your current QMS is the foundation for the upgrade – not something to be rebuilt.
What is changing
- Quality culture and ethical behaviour – a new expectation under Leadership (5.1) that top management promotes a culture of quality and ethical conduct, with guidance on how this can be demonstrated.
- Climate change – the 2024 amendment requiring organisations to consider whether climate change is a relevant issue is now formally built into the standard (Clause 4).
- Clearer risks and opportunities – Clause 6.1 has been restructured so that opportunities are addressed more explicitly, not just risks.
- Modern business realities – editorial updates reflecting digitalisation, resilience and stakeholder expectations around sustainability.
- New guidance Annex A – for the first time, ISO 9001 includes an informative annex explaining intent behind key requirements; the former Annex B has been removed.
- ISO 9000:2026 – the companion vocabulary standard was published in May 2026 with updated terms and definitions.
What is not changing
The process approach, risk-based thinking, the PDCA cycle, the ten-clause structure and the requirements for documented information all remain. Certificates issued to ISO 9001:2015 remain valid during the transition period.
Transition timeline
- 27 August 2025 – Draft International Standard (DIS) released for ballot
- May 2026 – ISO 9000:2026 published
- July 2026 – FDIS published, technical content fixed
- 16 September 2026 – ISO 9001:2026 published
- September 2029 – expected end of transition; ISO 9001:2015 certificates expire
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) will issue a mandatory transition document setting the exact rules certification bodies must follow. Q-Cert International will align its transition audits with that document as soon as it is released.
What certified organisations should do now
- Obtain the new standard once published and run a gap analysis against your current QMS.
- Review how top management demonstrates quality culture and ethical behaviour – this is the most visible new expectation.
- Check that climate change has been considered in your context and interested-party analysis.
- Revisit your risk and opportunity register to make opportunities explicit.
- Train internal auditors and the management representative on the changes.
- Plan your transition audit – it can be combined with a surveillance or re-certification audit.
Thinking about certification for the first time?
There is no advantage in waiting. A system built on ISO 9001:2015 today will move to the 2026 edition with minimal effort, and you gain the benefits of certification – customer confidence, tender eligibility and better processes – immediately.
Plan your ISO 9001:2026 transition with Q-Cert
Gap assessment, transition training and combined transition audits for certified clients.
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