The revision hub · updated 27 September 2026
ISO 9001:2026 — every change, the timeline, and how to get ready
ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026, and the transition rules are confirmed: ISO 9001:2015 certificates must transition by 30 September 2029. This page is the plain-English home of the revision: what changed, the dates that matter, and exactly what to do — with free tools for every step.
Published 16 September 2026
ISO published the sixth edition of ISO 9001 on 16 September 2026. The same day, Global ACI published the binding transition requirements: new certifications to ISO 9001:2026 only from 31 March 2028, and every transition complete by 30 September 2029. Our change guidance was checked against the published text on 27 September 2026 — the corrections are on the dated update log. ISO announcement · Transition requirements · Dated update log
The five changes at a glance
Most of the standard is unchanged. These are the areas that need your attention — each links to the full plain-English guide and the affected clauses.
1. Climate change in your context
Already mandatory via the 2024 amendment — you must consider whether climate change is relevant to your QMS and record the conclusion. 2026 carries it forward.
2. Quality culture & ethical behaviour
Leadership must actively promote a quality culture and ethical behaviour — evidenced in behaviour, management review and awareness training, not a new procedure.
3. Risk and opportunity, pulled apart
Clause 6.1 is restructured: risks and opportunities handled distinctly, each with its own actions, and a tighter thread to business strategy.
4. Management of change
A sharper expectation that changes to the QMS are planned and controlled — with the evidence trail auditors can follow.
5. Terms inside clause 3
Twenty core terms now sit in the standard itself, so fewer trips to ISO 9000 — but 'opportunity' is still not defined, so you define it. Annex A.2 also clarifies the words the requirements hinge on.
6. The expanded Annex A — and no Annex B
One much larger informative Annex A — clarification of structure, terminology and clauses — replaces both the short 2015 Annex A and Annex B. No new requirements, no worked examples; but it will shape how auditors read the clauses they do audit.
7. Clause 10 renumbered; management review re-tuned
There is no 10.3 in the published edition — continual improvement is folded into 10.1. Management review gains an explicit input on changes in interested-party needs and expectations, weighs risks and opportunities as two verdicts, and its outputs are now called results.
Every clause, 2015 vs 2026
The headline changes above are the shape of the revision. If you need it clause by clause — what the 2015 text said, what the 2026 text says, and what to change in your QMS — the full comparison is free, and every row was checked against the published text on 27 September 2026.
ISO 9001: 2015 vs 2026 — every clause compared →
11 clauses changed in substance, each with its own side-by-side breakdown and a “what to actually do” action. The other 38 are listed too, so you can see at a glance that nothing was missed.
The 3-year clock
Confirmed by Global ACI's transition requirements, published with the standard on 16 September 2026.
16 September 2026 — published
The transition clock starts. Both editions are valid from here.
By 31 March 2027
Accreditation bodies ready to assess certification bodies against the 2026 edition.
By 30 September 2027
Accreditation decisions on certification bodies complete. Until yours is accredited for 2026 it cannot transition you — ask when.
From 31 March 2028
New and initial certifications are to ISO 9001:2026 only.
30 September 2029 — deadline
Transitions complete, including the new certificate. ISO 9001:2015 certificates stop being valid; miss it and you are recertifying from scratch.
Full detail: the transition timeline, explained.
Get ready — free
Watch the free masterclass: every change in the published text, in ~21 minutes
Narrated slides, no fluff — the six changes ISO names, the renumbering, the transition dates and a six-step plan.
Get the free ISO 9001:2026 Readiness Scorecard
Free, instant download. We'll only email you the occasional practical quality update — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Ready to close the gaps?
The Transition Toolkit turns the changes into a working gap checklist, clause-by-clause guidance and a phased action plan — Version 2.0, aligned to the published text. Or start free with the readiness scorecard above.
Want the whole standard explained this way?
The Clause Companion is a plain-language field guide to ISO 9001, written to the published 2026 edition and mirror-numbered to the standard, with a box in every clause family showing what changed from 2015 and a phased transition checklist set against the transition dates.
Frequently asked questions
When was ISO 9001:2026 published?
On 16 September 2026. ISO published the sixth edition of ISO 9001 on the date ISO/TC 176/SC 2 had fixed when it approved the final draft (ISO/FDIS 9001) on 7 August 2026.
What are the main changes in ISO 9001:2026?
ISO's own foreword lists six: core terms defined inside clause 3; quality culture and ethical behaviour (5.1.1, 7.3 and a note in 7.1.4); risks and opportunities separated into 6.1.2 and 6.1.3; strengthened planning of changes (6.3); an expanded, clarifying Annex A; and the removal of Annex B. The climate-change requirement in 4.1/4.2 carries over from the 2024 amendment. Two smaller things to know: clause 10 is renumbered (no 10.3 — continual improvement is 10.1), and management review gains an explicit input on changes in interested-party needs and expectations. Most of the standard is unchanged.
Is the climate change requirement new in 2026?
No. It was added to ISO 9001:2015 by the February 2024 climate amendment and has been mandatory for every certified organisation since. ISO 9001:2026 simply carries it forward — if you haven't actioned it yet, do it now.
How long is the transition period?
Three years. Global ACI — the body that replaced the IAF and ILAC in 2026 — published the binding transition requirements on 16 September 2026: every certified organisation must complete the transition, including the issue of its new certificate, by 30 September 2029. From 31 March 2028, new and initial certifications can only be issued to ISO 9001:2026.
Will my ISO 9001:2015 certificate stay valid?
Yes — until 30 September 2029. After that, ISO 9001:2015 certificates are no longer valid, whatever expiry date is printed on them, so every certified organisation needs to move across before then.
When does my audit switch to the 2026 edition?
At a scheduled surveillance or recertification audit — or a separate transition audit if you prefer — once your certification body is accredited to certify to ISO 9001:2026 and you have updated your system. Accreditation bodies must be ready by 31 March 2027 and complete their decisions on certification bodies by 30 September 2027, so ask yours when it will be able to transition you.
What happens if we miss the transition deadline?
Your certificate lapses, and regaining certified status usually means a full recertification rather than a light transition assessment. Transitioning at a routine audit in year two is the cheapest, calmest path.
What should we do right now?
Three things: buy the published standard and run a gap check against it, make sure a climate-change assessment is recorded in your context analysis (mandatory since the 2024 amendment), and work out which audit in your calendar will carry the transition — the free transition deadline calculator does that in a minute. The free Readiness Scorecard on this page covers the gap check in about 10 minutes.
The full 2026 series
- What's changing, and how to get ahead of it (start here)
- ISO 9001:2015 vs 2026 — the side-by-side comparison
- The transition timeline: the 3-year clock, explained
- Climate change in your context: clauses 4.1 and 4.2
- Quality culture and ethics: the new 5.1.1 and 7.3 expectations
- Risk and opportunity, pulled apart: the restructured clause 6.1
- Management of change: the strengthened clause 6.3
- The terms that moved: clause 3 and the words that changed
- Annex A: the expanded guidance section
The change guidance was written against the approved final draft of ISO 9001:2026 and checked against the published text (SANS 9001:2026 Ed. 6, the identical South African adoption of ISO 9001:2026) on 27 September 2026. Transition dates are from Global ACI's transition requirements of 16 September 2026. Interpretive guidance only — not a substitute for the published standard, which organisations must obtain from ISO or their national standards body.