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Transfer.
Transfer recognises a certificate another accredited body issued. It is a review with defined minimum content — and several conditions turn it back into a new certification.
What actually happens.
- Confirmation that the scope falls inside the accredited scope of both the issuing and the accepting certification body
- Confirmation that the issuing body's scope falls within its accreditation body's recognised arrangement
- The reasons you are seeking the transfer, which are part of the required review
- Confirmation that every site wishing to transfer holds valid accredited certification
- The initial certification or most recent recertification report, the latest surveillance report, and the status of all outstanding nonconformities
- Complaints received by the issuing body and the action taken on them
- Any current engagement with regulatory bodies relevant to the certified scope
- A pre-transfer visit where the documentation review identifies it as needed — for example where major nonconformities are outstanding
- A certification decision taken by personnel other than those who conducted the pre-transfer review
The rules this runs under.
| The rule | What it requires | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Only valid accredited certification transfers | Transfer applies to existing, valid certification granted by an accredited body under a recognised multilateral arrangement. Certification outside such an arrangement is treated as a new client. | IAF MD 2:2023, Issue 2 Version 2, clauses 2.1.1–2.1.2 |
| Suspended certification is not transferred | Certification known to be under suspension is not accepted for transfer. | IAF MD 2:2023, clause 2.1.2 |
| The review has mandatory minimum content | Eight items must be covered, including the reasons for the transfer, the audit reports, the status of outstanding nonconformities, complaints, and regulatory engagement. | IAF MD 2:2023, clause 2.2.4 |
| Missing reports end the transfer route | If the required audit reports are not made available, or a surveillance or recertification audit has not been completed as required, the organisation is treated as a new client. | IAF MD 2:2023, clause 2.2.4(5) |
| A pre-transfer visit is not an audit | Where the documentation review identifies a visit as needed, it is carried out by someone with the competence required of an audit team for that scope — but it remains a review, not an audit. | IAF MD 2:2023, clauses 2.2.2–2.2.3 |
| Findings close before any certificate issues | No certification is issued until corrections for all outstanding major nonconformities are verified and plans for all outstanding minor nonconformities are accepted. | IAF MD 2:2023, clause 2.3.1 |
| A clean transfer keeps the existing cycle | Where the review identifies no problems, the certification cycle is based on the previous cycle and the audit programme is set for its remainder. Where the client is treated as new, the cycle begins at the certification decision. | IAF MD 2:2023, clause 2.3.4 |
| If the issuing accreditation has lapsed | Where the issuing body's accreditation has expired, been suspended or withdrawn, transfer must take place within six months or on expiry of the certification, whichever is sooner. | IAF MD 2:2023, clause 2.1.3 |
What you will be asked to produce.
- The current certificate and its scope statement, with the accreditation symbol shown on it
- The initial certification or most recent recertification audit report in full
- The most recent surveillance audit report in full
- The status of every outstanding nonconformity, including those you consider closed but which the issuing body has not verified
- The complaints received by the issuing body and what was done about them
- A statement of why you are transferring — this is a required review item, not a courtesy question
- Any current engagement with a regulator that touches the certified scope
Where this goes wrong.
Organisations approach a transfer expecting a paperwork exercise and discover it is conditional. The three conditions that most often convert a transfer into a full initial certification are: the audit reports cannot be obtained from the issuing body; a surveillance or recertification audit that was due has not actually been completed; or the certificate is under suspension. Note also what a transfer does not do — it does not reset the cycle. A clean transfer inherits the remainder of the existing cycle, so a certificate two years into its cycle is recertified next year, not in three years.
What the transfer does to your audit programme.
A clean transfer carries the existing certification cycle across, and the accepting body builds the audit programme for the remainder of that cycle. The original initial certification date may be quoted on the new documents, with an indication that a different body certified the organisation before a stated date. Where the organisation is treated as a new client, a fresh three-year cycle begins at the certification decision.
The rest of the certification route
Describe the claim — not the service.
Tell us what must be relied on, who will rely on it and by what date. We will confirm the correct programme, evidence requirement and responsible entity — or tell you it is outside our scope.