ISO-ZERTIFIZIERUNG FÜR KMU · DIGITAL · EUROPÄISCH
Does an ISO certification have to be accredited?
Nein. Von wenigen, gesetzlich klar geregelten Ausnahmen abgesehen verlangt weder die ISO noch das Vergaberecht in Deutschland oder der Schweiz eine Akkreditierung. Unsere Länderorganisationen arbeiten als unabhängige Zertifizierungsstellen - und wir erklären hier, was das bedeutet.
- Ist das Zertifikat gültig? Ja. Das hat ein Oberlandesgericht ausdrücklich festgestellt.
- Wird bei mir weniger geprüft? Nein. Dieselbe Norm, derselbe Massstab, dieselbe Zahl an Audittagen.
ISO Certifications
Is a certificate without accreditation sufficient?
For the vast majority of companies: YES.
And if it's not enough for you, we'll tell you before you get an offer from us.
The three questions customers come with
Eucerta is an independent, non-accredited certification body. What this means for you — and what it doesn't — is fully explained on this page.
Is the certificate valid?
Yes. A higher regional court has explicitly established this.
Will I be audited less thoroughly?
No. The same standard, the same benchmark, the same number of audit days.
Will my client accept it?
Mostly yes. Where it gets tight, we'll tell you in advance.
The short answer
What accreditation is really about
Accreditation says something about the organization of a certification body. Not about what is being audited at your company. You need these three answers.
- Yes — Is my certificate legally valid?
- No — Will I be audited less or more superficially?
- No — Is accreditation even required?
Are we a good fit for you?
Check it in thirty seconds
We are not the right body for every company. Better you notice this here than after placing the order.
- Yes — Your customers or their supplier questionnaires require an ISO certificate
- Yes — You have predominantly private-sector contracts
- Yes — You need the proof soon — for a deadline, a tender, a new customer
- Yes — You want a management system that keeps living after the audit — not just a document
- Yes — You want a price you know before you start
- No — You place high-risk medical devices on the market
- No — You need to certify construction products under the EU Construction Products Regulation
- No — You operate a calibration or testing laboratory
- No — public tenders are your main business and an accredited body is explicitly required there
If your customer asks
This answer you can share
Usually it's not your customer asking, but their purchasing or quality department. Here is an answer you can use directly — factual, with references.
our management system is certified to ISO 9001. Certification was carried out by an independent certification body operating in accordance with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO 19011 — the same set of rules under which accredited bodies also audit.
Accreditation of the certification body is not required for management system certifications. ISO itself states that accreditation is not mandatory and that its absence does not mean a certification body is not reputable. The Cologne Higher Regional Court ruled on 30 September 2015 (26 U 9/15) that the validity of a certificate does not depend on accreditation.
We are happy to provide you with the certificate copy, the certification guidelines, the auditor's proof of competence and the standard-compliant audit report as evidence of equivalence. The certificate can also be verified at any time via the certification body's public register.
Your evidence
Four sources that speak for you
All publicly accessible. You can look up any of them yourself or provide them to a client.
International Organization for Standardization
“Accreditation is not mandatory, and the absence of accreditation does not necessarily mean that the certification body is not reputable.”
iso.org/certification, section “Choosing a certification body”. The organization that issues the standards says so itself.
Cologne Higher Regional Court, 30.09.2015 — 26 U 9/15
“Under current law, in Germany anyone can establish and operate a certification body without needing accreditation.”
The court expressly finds that the validity of a certificate does not depend on accreditation. Decided regarding personnel certification; the reasoning applies equally to management systems.
Federal Office of Administration, Cologne
“Accreditation of certification bodies for quality management systems is not required.”
Information from the responsible federal authority, Division VIII 1.
ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015
“A certification body can be governmental or non-governmental, with or without regulatory authority.”
The standard that sets out the requirements for certification bodies expressly permits both forms of organization.
When applying for public contracts
What applies in your market
Between companies, the parties are free to decide which evidence they accept. Public tenders are governed by procurement rules — and these vary by country. We present them as they are.
Spain
The procurement law requires certificates for quality proof from bodies that comply with European certification standards — not from accredited bodies. For you, the most favourable position among the four markets. For ISO 14001, a stricter rule applies.
For reference: Art. 93 LCSP, for environment Art. 94 LCSP; Real Decreto 2200/1995, Art. 2.
Germany
The procurement regulation refers to accredited bodies. The way forward for you is via sentence 3 of the same provision: other evidence must be recognised if you were unable to obtain the certificate in time for reasons beyond your control. Outside of public procurement, the situation is clear.
For reference: § 49 para. 1 VgV; OLG Köln, 30.09.2015, 26 U 9/15.
Austria
Equivalent certificates from bodies within the European Economic Area must be recognised; the burden of proof lies with you. In 2024, the Federal Administrative Court applied a strict standard. For Austrian tenders, our German company is therefore certified.
For reference: § 87 BVergG 2018; Accreditation Act 2012, § 3 para. 2.
Switzerland
Procurement law does not provide for a mandatory accreditation requirement — nor is there a rule obliging recognition of equivalent certificates. What remains for you is a strong argument: suitability criteria must be objectively necessary. Anyone requiring accreditation must be able to justify it.
For reference: Art. 27 para. 1 BöB; supplementary Art. 30 para. 3 BöB.
Our offer for this: Send us the relevant section from the tender documents. We will review it and tell you before your application whether our certificate will help you there — or whether you should better go to an accredited body.
What you get from us
Five documents that answer every query
These five are part of our certification as standard. You don't have to ask for them, and you don't pay extra.
Your certificate, publicly verifiable
Digital, with an entry in our public register. Your customers and clients verify validity themselves — without calling us.
Our certification policies
The procedure by which we assess and decide, documented transparently. In accordance with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO 19011.
Your auditor's proof of competence
Who audited you, with what qualification and for which standard. You receive it before the audit, not only afterward.
The standard-compliant audit report
Every finding with a reference to the standard. This is the document that makes an audit traceable — and thus the actual counterpart to the accreditation certificate.
The document on equivalence
Legal situation in Germany, Austria, Spain and Switzerland, with all references. To forward to purchasing, the quality department or clients.
Frequently asked questions
What else customers ask us
Not necessarily. First ask what the requirement is based on. Between companies, what the parties agree applies — behind the wording there is often no obligation, just a habit in the questionnaire.
Use the text template further up on this page. In most cases, that settles the matter. If your client still insists, you need an accredited body — in that case, we'll tell you so openly.
No. We save waiting time, not audit time. The number of audit days is based on the same recognized methodology as everywhere else — number of employees, locations, complexity of your activity.
It becomes faster because appointments, queries and decisions don't sit around for weeks with us. If someone offers you a certification without an audit, without an internal audit and without a management review, that is not a serious offer, regardless of accreditation.
Let us know, and we'll take a look at the case. If an accreditation requirement arises for your industry, we will actively inform you — not only at the next invoice.
We review the legal situation on this page every quarter and clearly indicate the status.
Because accreditation causes effort and costs that ultimately you bear — without anything changing in the content of the audit. For a company with forty employees, that's a bad deal.
The decision also lies with each country organization itself. We tell you the association and accreditation status of the company with which you conclude the contract before signing.
Ask every body the same five questions: Who audits me and with what qualification? According to which set of rules does the procedure run? How is it ensured that the body does not audit its own work? How can a third party verify my certificate? What does it cost, and what will be added later?
Whoever answers these five questions cleanly delivers a solid certificate — with or without accreditation. You'll get our answers in the first conversation, in writing.
Tell us who is requesting proof from you.
Ideally in the exact wording. Then we'll tell you in a short conversation whether we are the right body for you — and if not, who is.
Legal status: June 30, 2026, verified for Germany, Austria, Spain and Switzerland. This page is a general classification and does not replace legal advice in individual cases. Certification is carried out by the Eucerta organization in your country; we will tell you the association and accreditation status of this organization before signing the contract.
