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How to Check if an ISO Certificate is Valid?

Published on: August 26, 2024

Organisations across a variety of industries seek to establish their credibility in the market by achieving Certification to one or more ISO Standards. Serving as a hallmark of best practices, Certification signifies a commitment to meeting internationally recognised standards for business processes, products, and services.

One of the criteria for assessing potential partners and suppliers might be that their management system holds certification to one or more ISO Management System Standards. Suppliers are then expected to provide their Certificate(s), typically as a PDF document issued by the Certification Body. However, obtaining the certificate is just the first step, as ensuring their validity is crucial.

Steps to check if a Certification to an ISO Standard is valid

In this blog, you’ll learn about how to check if an ISO Certificate is valid:

The Different Types of Management System Certifications

Among the most popular Certifications are:

  • ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems (QMS): Focuses on enhancing customer satisfaction by establishing robust quality management systems. It helps organisations consistently meet customer requirements and continually improve their processes.
  • ISO 27001 – Information Security Management Systems (ISMS): Dedicated to protecting sensitive information and ensuring data security. It helps organisations manage risks related to information security, prevent data breaches, and comply with data protection regulations, fostering trust among stakeholders.
  • ISO 14001 – Environmental Management Systems (EMS): Addresses environmental concerns by providing a framework for organisations to minimise their environmental impact, comply with regulations, and improve sustainability practices. It emphasises resource conservation, waste reduction, and environmental risk management.
  • ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS): Focuses on creating safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injuries and illnesses. It helps organisations comply with occupational health and safety regulations, prioritise employee wellbeing, and improve overall productivity.
ISO standards quality control assurance warranty business technology concept.
Check out our blog article to read more about what the ISO Management System Standards are and what is the process for businesses to achieve Certification.

Risks of an Invalid Certification

Working with suppliers with an invalid Certification poses significant risks to organisations across various fronts. Firstly, it can lead to operational disruptions and financial losses. Suppliers with forged or outdated Certifications may fail to meet expected quality standards, resulting in unsatisfactory outcomes such as delayed deliveries, and unhappy customers, just to name a few. In addition, businesses may face damage to their reputation if products or services provided by uncertified suppliers do not meet regulatory requirements or industry standards.

In addition, invalid Certification can also expose organisations to legal risks and contractual disputes. Regulatory authorities may impose penalties or sanctions on organisations that rely on invalid certification to demonstrate compliance with industry standards.

By verifying the validity of Certificates, organisations demonstrate their dedication to due diligence and transparency, fostering trust among stakeholders. Customers, suppliers, and partners can have confidence in the reliability and consistency of products and services provided by certified organisations.

Checking to See if a Certificate is Valid

There are a few ways to verify the authenticity of a Certificate. The three below can be conducted online: 

  • Verify a Certificate on the International Online Register

Since 2020, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) made available a global online register. Any Certificate worldwide can be verified on the platform by searching the business name.

Go to IAF CertSearch and type the business name in the search bar. If the business is certified, it should show up. You can then click on the listing to validate the currency of the Certificate(s), accessing information like the Accreditation and Certification Body and the scope of the Certification.

Expert Tip:
Designed to balance environmental protection, pollution prevention, and socioeconomic needs, the ISO 14001:2015 Standard is also supporting many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The SDGs comprise an action plan to enhance peace and prosperity, eradicate poverty, hunger and inequality, and ultimately protect the planet by 2030. The plan is globally recognised as a crucial step towards the world’s future sustainability.

This is considered the simplest and easiest way to verify that a Certificate is valid. However, it is important to note that you have a limited number of daily searches, and when that threshold is reached you’re requested to sign up.

  • Verify a Certificate on the Regional Online Register

You can also verify a Certification via the local Accreditation Authority websites. For Australia and New Zealand, the local authority is the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, also known as JASANZ.

To check if the Certification is valid, head to the JASANZ Certified Organisations Search on the JASANZ website. You can simply type in the organisation name and country and then click “apply”. All the valid Certifications for that business will appear, and again, you can click on the one(s) that you’re interested in to verify whether the status is active.

  • Check a Certificate on the Certification Body Online Register

Another alternative is to verify an ISO Certificate directly with the Accredited Certification Body.

The first step here is to check that the provided Certificate holds the logo of a local Accreditation Authority for that region, such as JASANZ for Australia and New Zealand. A certificate holding an Accreditation Authority logo and/or IAF logo is recognised internationally.

Go to the website of the Accredited Certification Body, and look for a Certification search tool. Please note that this search process can vary significantly from Certifier to Certifier, with different website structures and required information. Also, not all Certifier websites provide this tool, and in these cases, contacting them could also be an option to ask for the validation of a Certificate.

Steps to check if a Certification to an ISO Standard is valid

For a thorough approach, as you do the online verification through the methods described above, be sure to look for the key points below:

  • The Certification Body: Look for the name of the Accredited Certification Body, i.e. the company issuing the certificate.
  • The Accreditation Authority: Look for the stamp of the Accreditation Authority. In Australia and New Zealand, this will usually be JASANZ (The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand).
  • International Accreditation Forum (IAF) recognition: Look for the IAF logo on the certificate, as this indicates the Accreditation Body is a member of the IAF, providing confidence that the certificate has international recognition. However, note that this can vary from Certifier to Certifier – even if recognised by IAF, not all certificates will display the IAF Logo.
  • The expiration date: Is the certificate expired or close to expiring? Certificates remain valid for three years, and organisations are required to go through yearly surveillance audits to maintain their Certifications.
  • The scope of certification: The certificate should detail the scope of business operations certified and the locations certified. Sometimes only a small part of the business operations or only selected locations are certified – so check if the part you need is certified.

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Conducting regular Internal Audits of the Management System is a requirement of the Standards in order to maintain Certification. As the business undergoes the annual audits with the Certifier, the auditor will also verify that the organisation is meeting this Internal Audit requirement. 

Our Management System Internal Auditor Training is a practical eLearning course that teaches how to conduct effective Internal Audits of the main ISO Management System Standards. With our course, you can achieve three levels of internationally recognised certificates, giving you the skills, competency, and tools you will need to perform effective Internal Audits.

Check out our Management System Internal Auditor training page to download the course guide, or give us a call at 1300 614 007 to find out more about the training.

Erica Smith
Erica Smith
Managing Director at ICExperts Academy and ISO Certification Experts

Erica is the Managing Director of ISO Certification Experts and ICExperts Academy. She has been helping businesses with their ISO Certification needs for over 20 years. Erica is also a Certified trainer, implementer and auditor for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 standards. Erica primarily heads up the day-to-day operations of the businesses, and is also a current member of the Australian Organisation for Quality and Brand Integrity Committee.

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