ISO certification for your organisation

Frequently asked questions

• A management standard is being revised. Should I get my organisation certified now?

  In most cases, getting certified now is a good idea. There is a transition period of two or three years after a revision. During that time, certification with the old version remains valid. It also means you're better prepared for the new version, as there are often only limited changes. If the revision is almost complete (less than six months) or if major changes are expected, it may be better to wait.

• Can NBN certify?

  Although NBN is jointly responsible for the development of standards, we do not conduct certification ourselves. For that you can turn to certification bodies. See all the certification bodies here. We do offer various training courses to prepare you for certification. See all the ISO management system courses here.

• What's the difference between certification and accreditation?

  Certification means an organisation is tested against a standard, such as ISO 9001, by an independent certification body. Accreditation is recognition that such a certification body is competent and reliable. The official accreditation body in Belgium is BELAC.

• I want to certify a standard or become an auditor

  An organisation that wants to develop certification activities must be accredited to do so. In Belgium, this is done through the government body BELAC. BELAC 's website compiles all information on accredited institutions. On the ISO website, you can find information about certification. A distinction is made between standards for which certification applies and those for which it does not.