ISO 9001 certificate with IAF international accreditation

On average, a standard project takes 40-60 business days and includes: developing the full QMS documentation package, submitting to the certification body, undergoing the certification audit, addressing nonconformities, and receiving the certificate. For large companies (a headcount of more than 1,000 employees, more than 4 branches), the timeline is calculated individually. If you need the certificate urgently, we offer project acceleration options that can save up to 20 business days.

With IAF accreditation — yes, in every IAF MLA country: the EU, the US, the UAE, China, the EAEU — that's 97 countries. You can check the body's accreditation status on iaf.nu in 2 minutes.

Without IAF — for local needs and internal corporate requirements. This kind of certificate has no international recognition, but it is cheaper and faster. We select a certification body to match your goal.

For a specific country, we additionally provide an apostille and a translation into the destination language.

The certificate is issued for 3 years and includes 3 audits: the initial certification audit (after which you receive the certificate), the first surveillance audit (month 9–12, ≈70% of the initial cost), and the second surveillance audit (month 21–24). Costs fall into two parts: obtaining the certificate and maintaining its validity over the three years.

1. Obtaining the certificate (if there is no QMS yet):

Developing the documentation. Two paths.

— In-house: hiring a specialist (≈200 €), a workstation (≈500 €), salary (500–1 000 €/mo), purchasing standards and technical regulations (up to 200 €), training (≈500 €). Timeline ≥ 6 months. Total of 4 400–7 000 € over six months, excluding taxes.

— Bring in expertise: the cost depends on the scope of certification, the size of the company, and the consultant's experience. From 500 € (usually templates) up to 7 000 € (a full project). Timeline 3–4 months.

Certification audit. The cost depends on the size of the organization, geography, scope, and the body's fee, plus auditor expenses (days on site, transport, travel allowances). From 2 000 to 12 000 € for an internationally accredited body.

If you wish, you can run a preliminary documentation review or a trial audit on site to minimize risks and check your readiness without any consequences.

If nonconformities are found during the audit, the additional costs depend on their severity: ≈200 € for a minor one, up to 2 000 € for a major one + a possible repeat audit.

2. Maintaining the certificate (per year):

— Surveillance audit: ≈70% of the initial audit cost (1 400–8 400 €) + auditor expenses.

— Maintaining the QMS: the salary of the responsible specialist — 6 000–12 000 € over 12 months, excluding taxes.

— Staff training: about 500 € per employee per year.

— Verification and calibration of equipment: varies widely by industry.

From experience: if the documents are not maintained during the year, many nonconformities pile up at the surveillance audit — and if they are not addressed, the certificate's validity is suspended. It is also worth pursuing the areas for improvement the auditor points out — this significantly improves the auditor's opinion of the organization.

You can run your own estimate for your company in the calculator on the page in 45 seconds. We send an exact quote within 24 hours after a short call — the price is locked in tenge in the contract, payment 50/50.

Every certificate has a unique number and is verified in the certification body's registry — most often a public database that is accessible without registration.

For IAF-accredited certificates, there is an additional check in the international IAF CertSearch database and confirmation of the body's own status at iaf.nu. This is enough for foreign partners and for tender qualification abroad.

Some bodies issue certificates on unique numbered forms, which also helps strengthen trust in the certificate's authenticity

It depends on the tender's requirements. On goszakup.gov.kz and samruk.kz, they often additionally require ISO 14001 (environment), 45001 (occupational health and safety), or ST RK ISO standards for specific industries.

All of them integrate with 9001 through Annex SL — one audit for several standards, a shared documentation package. Send us the requirements — within an hour we'll tell you which set will cover them.

For a tight deadline, we issue a preliminary letter on the certification status — it is attached to the tender application to pass qualification.

The full certificate is issued in parallel, usually by the time the contract is signed. This hybrid scenario is standard for tenders with a tight deadline; we've done it many times.

Most clients don't allocate a dedicated QMS specialist in their staffing plan; instead, they distribute QMS responsibility among several employees. We prepare all the QMS documentation (policy, objectives, process maps, procedures) and train your QMS-responsible employees. This way, you don't need to hire a separate employee. It saves on payroll costs

Over the three years, the certification body conducts 2 surveillance audits — at month 9–12 and month 21–24 from the issue date.

Between audits, the company maintains the QMS on its own: keeping documents up to date, addressing nonconformities, pursuing areas for improvement, and training staff. If the documents are not maintained, violations are found at the surveillance audit — and if they are not addressed, the certificate's validity is suspended.

In the 3rd year — recertification under the full program. You can switch certification bodies without losing your track record — this is normal practice.