ISO 9001:2026 – What Has Changed

ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026 and replaces ISO 9001:2015. Certified organisations have until 30 September 2029 to transition. The revision puts quality culture, ethical behaviour and the management of change firmly on the leadership agenda, and Salvus can help you prepare.

What is ISO 9001:2026?

ISO 9001 is the world's most widely used quality management system standard, and this is its first full revision in eleven years. The new edition replaces ISO 9001:2015, including the climate change amendment issued in 2024. The changes are moderate and less extensive than the move to the 2015 edition, but every certified organisation will need to show how it has addressed them.

The main changes

• Quality culture and ethical behaviour. Top management must now promote both (Clause 5.1.1). They also appear in the requirements for awareness (7.3) and for the working environment (7.1.4).
• Risks and opportunities. Clause 6.1 has been restructured into three sub-clauses, so that risks and opportunities are determined and addressed separately.
• Planning of changes. Clause 6.3 has been strengthened, so that changes to the quality management system are planned, communicated and reviewed.
• Continual improvement. The improvement requirements have been consolidated into a new Clause 10.1.
• Climate change. The 2024 amendment is now built into Clauses 4.1 and 4.2.
• Guidance. Annex A has been significantly expanded and now gives guidance clause by clause. The vocabulary standard, ISO 9000, was also reissued in May 2026.

Key dates

• 16 September 2026: ISO 9001:2026 published.
• 31 March 2028: from this date, new accredited certificates can only be issued to ISO 9001:2026.
• 30 September 2029: all certified organisations must have transitioned. ISO 9001:2015 certificates are no longer valid after this date.

You can transition at a scheduled surveillance or recertification audit, or through a separate transition audit. Certification bodies must first be accredited to the new edition, so ask yours when transition audits will be available.

How Salvus can help

• Gap analysis. A clause-by-clause review of your quality management system against ISO 9001:2026, with a prioritised action plan.
• Leadership support. Practical help to define what quality culture and ethical behaviour mean in your business, and how you will demonstrate them.
• System updates. Revision of your risk and opportunity process, change planning, objectives and supporting procedures.
• Internal audit. An independent internal audit against ISO 9001:2026 ahead of your transition audit.
• Briefings. Short sessions for directors, managers and internal auditors on what has changed and what it means for them.

Our support is led by a qualified ISO 9001 lead auditor, and Salvus is itself certified to ISO 9001, so we are making the same transition as our clients. If you also hold ISO 14001, we can cover both revisions in a single review and a single action plan.