Transferring your certification to a new certification body

Why organisations transfer

Organisations change certification body for many reasons: a different geographic footprint, a need for auditors with specific sector experience, combining several standards under one body, or dissatisfaction with service. Whatever the reason, a transfer should not weaken the integrity of the certification or reset the work you have already done.

The rules for transferring accredited certification are set out in IAF Mandatory Document 2, known as IAF MD 2. Accredited certification bodies are required to follow it, which gives you a predictable process wherever you are.

Transfer is a normal part of the market. The rules exist to make sure that changing body is neither a way to avoid findings nor a reason to lose the record of past audits.

Who is eligible

Only accredited certification can be transferred under IAF MD 2. The current certificate must have been issued under accreditation by an accreditation body that is a signatory to the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement, and the receiving certification body must be accredited for the same standard and the relevant technical area.

Certificates that are suspended, or where the issuing body has started a suspension process, cannot be transferred. Certificates issued without accreditation cannot be transferred either; the receiving body treats the organisation as a new client with a full initial audit.

If you are unsure whether your certificate was issued under accreditation, look for the accreditation mark on it and check the certificate in IAF CertSearch or in the issuing body's register. We also check this independently during the review.

• The certificate is current and issued under recognised accreditation.
• The scope falls within the receiving body's accreditation.
• The certificate is not suspended or subject to a pending suspension.
• You can provide the recent audit reports and nonconformity records.
• The receiving body has competent auditors for your sector and sites.

The pre-transfer review

Before accepting the transfer, the receiving certification body carries out a pre-transfer review. A competent person checks the documents you provide and, where the review raises questions, may visit the site. The review is not a new audit, but it must be thorough enough to justify continuing the certification.

The aim is to confirm that the certification is valid, that nothing has been left unresolved and that the receiving body can take over the audit programme responsibly. We tell you in writing if anything in the review would stop or change the transfer.

A site visit is more likely when reports are missing, when there are open major nonconformities, or when the scope is changing at the same time as the transfer. Otherwise the review is usually completed from documents and a conversation with your management representative.

• Validity of the current certificate and its accreditation, checked independently.
• The reasons for transfer.
• Sites and scope, and whether they match the receiving body's accreditation.
• The most recent initial or recertification report and subsequent surveillance reports.
• Open nonconformities and the status of corrective actions.
• Complaints received and any action taken, and any involvement with regulators relevant to the scope.

Open nonconformities

Ideally, open nonconformities are closed with the issuing body before you move. If that is not possible, the receiving body reviews them as part of the pre-transfer review and must verify that corrective action has been taken, usually at the first audit after transfer or sooner for anything serious.

Be open about any findings. A pre-transfer review that discovers an undisclosed major nonconformity is likely to lead to a longer process, not a shorter one.

Transfer does not cancel findings. Nonconformities raised by the issuing body remain your responsibility until they are verified as closed, whichever body verifies them.

What happens to your audit cycle

A transfer continues your existing certification cycle. The receiving body generally follows the audit programme already established, so if you were due for your second surveillance, the next audit is that surveillance, carried out by the new body.

If the review shows gaps, such as a missed surveillance or missing reports, the receiving body may treat the next audit as a recertification or, in more serious cases, as an initial certification. That decision is made on the evidence and explained to you before you commit.

Transfer is also a good moment to review the scope and sites. If you want to add a site or change the scope, raise it during the review, so the first audit with the new body can cover the change.

Certificate continuity

Once the pre-transfer review is complete and the certification decision has been made, the receiving body issues its own certificate. It normally keeps the expiry date of the current cycle and becomes the body responsible for your certification from that point.

To avoid a gap, do not cancel your contract with the issuing body until the new certificate has been issued. Once it has, notify the issuing body so that the old certificate is withdrawn and the register entries are correct. The new certificate appears in our public register, where customers can verify it by QR code or at /validate.

Customers and partners may notice the new certification body on your certificate. A short note to key customers, with the new certificate and its register link, avoids questions in their supplier reviews.

Timing the move

The simplest time to transfer is a few months before a scheduled surveillance or recertification audit, so the new body can complete the review and plan the next audit without pressure on the dates. Transferring in the last weeks before expiry is possible but leaves little room if the review raises questions. Send us your current certificate and recent reports and we will confirm eligibility before any commitment.

Transfers of integrated or multi-site certifications take more planning, because each standard and site is reviewed. If your certifications sit with different bodies today, a transfer can also be the point at which you bring them together and align their cycles.