VeriSHEQISO 9001:2026 is here. Get ready to migrate from ISO 9001:2015.
The new edition of the world's quality management standard was published on 16 September 2026. It keeps the structure you know and sharpens a handful of requirements: climate change, interested parties, quality culture, risks and opportunities, and how changes are managed. Here is what changed, the dates that matter, and how VeriSHEQ gets you ready to migrate.
The dates that matter
ISO 9001:2026 starts a three-year transition. You can keep your ISO 9001:2015 certificate while you prepare, but not past the deadline.
ISO 9001:2026 published
The sixth edition of ISO 9001 replaces the 2015 edition.
First 2026 certificates expected
Certification bodies must first be accredited for the new edition (in South Africa, usually by SANAS). Until then, use the time to close your gaps.
ISO 9001:2015 certificates lapse
Certificates to the 2015 edition are no longer valid after this date. Book your transition audit well before it.
Your certification body sets your transition audit date. Confirm it with them early: audit slots fill up as the deadline approaches.
What changes from ISO 9001:2015
The high-level structure is the same, so a working 2015 QMS carries across. These are the changes most organisations will need new evidence for.
Climate change
Decide whether climate change is a relevant issue for your organisation, and bear in mind that interested parties can have climate-related requirements. This arrived with the 2024 climate amendment and stays in the 2026 edition.
Interested parties' requirements
Listing what interested parties need is no longer enough: determine which of their requirements your quality management system addresses.
Quality culture and ethical behaviour
Top management promotes a quality culture and ethical behaviour, and people need to be aware of what is expected of them.
Risks and opportunities, separately
Risks and opportunities now have their own sub-clauses, with more emphasis on pursuing opportunities. You still plan actions and evaluate whether they worked.
Planning of changes
Planning a change to the QMS now also covers how it is communicated, how its effectiveness is monitored and evaluated, and how the results are reviewed.
Continual improvement, consolidated
The old 10.1 (general) and 10.3 (continual improvement) are merged into one clause, 10.1. Update your clause references and keep the improvement work that works.
This is a summary in our own words, not the text of the standard. For the exact requirements, buy ISO 9001:2026 from ISO or the SABS.
How VeriSHEQ gets you ready
Run ISO 9001:2015 in VeriSHEQ today. The records the 2026 edition adds are already live, and every 2015 clause is mapped to its 2026 counterpart, so your records move across with you when you switch.
Climate change decision log (4.1)
Record whether climate change is relevant, why, and which context issues it touches. Every decision is kept with who made it and when, so an auditor can see you revisited it.
Interested parties linked to processes (4.2)
For each interested party, name the processes that address its requirements, and record any requirements left outside the QMS, with the reason.
Effectiveness of risk and opportunity actions (6.1)
Once a risk or opportunity is approved and its actions have run, record whether they worked: the result, the date, the evidence and who evaluated it.
Planned changes, start to finish (6.3)
Plan how each change will be communicated and how you will judge its success, then record the outcome once the change is completed.
Clause-by-clause mapping from 2015 to 2026
Every 2015 clause is mapped to its 2026 counterpart, including 10.3 folding into the new 10.1, so records linked to a clause come with you when you move.
Everything else your QMS runs on
Document control with approvals, internal audits, management review, nonconformity and corrective action, objectives and training, with ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 in the same system.
A practical migration plan
Seven steps from a 2015 QMS to a successful transition audit.
Get the standard and brief top management
Buy ISO 9001:2026, agree who leads the transition, and set a target date well ahead of 30 September 2029.
Run a gap analysis against your current QMS
Work through the changes above. Most clauses need no change; note where you have no evidence yet.
Update context and interested parties
Record your climate change decision and the reasoning behind it, and link interested parties' requirements to the processes that address them.
Strengthen risks and opportunities
Make sure opportunities are identified and acted on, not only risks, and evaluate whether your actions worked.
Tighten how you plan changes
For each change, plan the communication and the success criteria, then review the outcome.
Build awareness of culture and ethics
Update your policy and training so people know the quality culture and ethical behaviour expected of them.
Audit, review, then book the transition audit
Run an internal audit and a management review against the 2026 requirements, close the findings, and schedule the transition audit with your certification body.
Frequently asked questions
Has ISO 9001:2026 been published?
Yes. ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026. It is the sixth edition of the standard and replaces ISO 9001:2015 after a three-year transition.
When do ISO 9001:2015 certificates expire?
ISO 9001:2015 certificates are no longer valid after 30 September 2029. Agree your transition audit date with your certification body well before then.
Can we be certified to ISO 9001:2026 now?
Usually not yet. Certification bodies must first be accredited for the new edition (in South Africa, usually by SANAS). The first ISO 9001:2026 certificates are expected from the second half of 2027. Use the time to close your gaps.
Do we have to rebuild our quality management system?
No. ISO 9001:2026 keeps the same high-level structure as ISO 9001:2015, so most of a working QMS carries across. Focus on the changed requirements.
Is climate change a requirement in ISO 9001:2026?
You must determine whether climate change is a relevant issue for your organisation. The requirement arrived with the 2024 climate amendment to ISO 9001:2015 and stays in the 2026 edition. If you decide it is not relevant, record why.
Is VeriSHEQ ready for ISO 9001:2026?
VeriSHEQ is ready for your migration. You can run ISO 9001:2015 in it today, the records the 2026 edition adds are already live, and every 2015 clause is mapped to its 2026 counterpart so your records move across when you switch.
Does VeriSHEQ cover ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 as well?
Yes. ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 run in the same system, so one set of registers serves an integrated management system.
Start your ISO 9001:2026 migration with VeriSHEQ
Run ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 in one system today, with the records the 2026 edition adds already in place.