Changing certification body begins with determining whether an existing certification is eligible for transfer under the applicable arrangements. A certificate is not simply a document that another issuer can reprint without reviewing the underlying position.
Establish what you currently hold
Gather the certificate, scope schedules, standard and edition, current status and relevant audit information. Identify the actual certified entity, not only the brand used on its website. Record any changes that have not yet been reflected in the document.
If there are outstanding findings, a suspension or another unresolved issue, disclose it at the outset. A proposal based on an incomplete status description may need to be revised when the missing information emerges.
Check the receiving body’s fit
Ask whether the receiving body can undertake the relevant standard and activity, and what accreditation or recognition conditions apply. Consider the acceptance requirements of customers who rely on the certificate.
IAF publishes transfer requirements for accredited management-system certification. Those requirements concern the arrangements to which they apply; their existence does not establish that every certificate or accreditation body is within the relevant recognition system.
Questions for the review
- What evidence is needed to establish the certificate’s current position?
- Are the standard, activities and sites within the receiving body’s relevant scope?
- What information is needed about previous assessments and findings?
- Is any additional assessment necessary?
- How would the ongoing programme and effective dates be handled?
- What should the organization do about its existing agreement and public certificate references?
Ask for clear answers before cancelling an arrangement or promising a replacement certificate to a customer.
Transfer and a new application are different routes
The review may determine that the circumstances do not support the transfer route the applicant expected. An expired record, missing information or a scope mismatch can require a different discussion. Do not assume the result should be described as a transfer merely because an old certificate exists.
The relevant route should follow the evidence and programme, not the marketing label attached to a quotation.
Avoid an interruption caused by assumptions
Coordinate dates and responsibilities in writing. If surveillance is approaching, clarify which body is responsible and what will happen while the review is underway. If a buyer is waiting for documentation, explain the actual status rather than describing an incomplete review as approved certification.
Prepare a concise first enquiry
Provide the organization name, country, standard, certificate number, issuer, scope and expiry date, together with the reason for transfer. Ask how confidential reports should be supplied. Sending every audit file in an unsecured first message is not necessary to start the discussion.
Use EQRM’s transfer enquiry page and contact information. For a status check rather than a transfer request, follow Certificate Verification.
Prepare a transfer handover list
Separate documents already available from those that must be obtained from the current issuer. Include certificate schedules, audit-cycle information, relevant reports and the status of open findings. Agree how confidential material will be shared. Keep responsibilities for upcoming surveillance and public certificate references explicit while the receiving body reviews the proposed transfer.
Quick answers
Is transferring a certificate the same as reprinting it?
No. The receiving body must assess eligibility and the underlying certification position under the applicable arrangements.
What should a transfer enquiry include?
Supply the certificate, current status, scope, audit-cycle information, relevant reports and open findings. Confirm any additional evidence needed directly.