A new version of the world’s most widely adopted quality management standard is on the way. The Draft International Standard (ISO/DIS 9001) was released on 27 August 2025, and ISO member bodies voted to approve it in December 2025. Final publication is targeted for September 2026, with a three-year transition window expected to follow. Over 1.3 million organizations worldwide currently hold ISO 9001 certification. For every one of them, understanding what is changing, and what is not, matters. This guide covers the confirmed changes in the DIS, the full revision timeline, what the update means for currently certified organizations, and how to plan your transition. Whether you are managing an existing Quality Management System (QMS) or considering certification for the first time, this is what you need to know. What Is ISO 9001:2026? ISO 9001 is the international standard that defines requirements for a Quality Management System. Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), it provides a framework organizations can use to consistently deliver products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements, and to drive continual improvement. Certification to ISO 9001 is recognized in virtually every industry and country worldwide. ISO 9001:2026 is the sixth edition of the standard. It succeeds ISO 9001:2015 and is being developed by ISO/TC 176/SC 2, the technical subcommittee responsible for quality management system standards. The revision is being drafted by Working Group 29 (WG 29), a body of international experts convened specifically for this purpose. Why Is ISO 9001:2015 Being Revised? ISO standards undergo a formal review cycle every five years. Member bodies assess whether a standard remains relevant, needs updating, or should be discontinued. After a 2020 user survey led the committee to confirm ISO 9001:2015 without revision, a 2023 re-evaluation by a new task force reversed that decision. The conclusion: the world had changed enough since 2015 to warrant an update. Three broad forces are driving the revision. The first is sustainability and climate change. ISO formally amended ISO 9001:2015 in February 2024, requiring organizations to consider climate change as part of their context analysis. That amendment is now being embedded directly into the body of the 2026 standard. The second is digital transformation. Since 2015, AI, IoT, cloud computing, and remote auditing have moved from emerging technologies to standard business practice. The standard needs to reflect that reality. The third is stakeholder expectations. Customers, employees, suppliers, and communities now expect organizations to operate transparently and ethically, not just efficiently. The revision also reflects feedback from quality practitioners globally, who found certain parts of the 2015 standard, particularly the treatment of risks and opportunities, unclear in practice. Pro Tip: EU and UK Customers If your EU or UK customers ask for “an ISAE 3000 report” without specifying the assurance level, clarify upfront. A limited assurance engagement involves materially less testing and a lower fee, but some enterprise buyers will only accept reasonable assurance. Getting alignment early saves weeks of rework. Current Status of the ISO 9001:2026 Revision Draft International Standard (DIS) The DIS was published on 27 August 2025, marking the first time the revised text was available to ISO member bodies for formal review and ballot. The voting period closed on 4 December 2025, with member countries approving the proposal. That approval is a significant milestone: it confirms the standard will be published and locks in the broad direction of the changes, though minor editorial refinements are still possible before final publication. The DIS itself is not freely available, but its content has been widely discussed by national body experts, certification bodies such as DNV and Intertek, and quality management organizations globally. The picture of what is changing is now clear. Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) Following DIS approval, the working group addresses submitted comments before preparing the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS), expected in early 2026. This is typically a near-final text, with only minor adjustments possible at this stage. Once the FDIS is approved, the standard moves directly to publication. ISO 9001:2026 Publication and Transition Timeline Publication is targeted for September 2026. Following publication, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) will establish the official transition timeline and accreditation requirements for certification bodies. Important: The IAF has not yet formally confirmed the transition period. Based on precedent with previous major revisions, a three-year window is expected. Do not finalize your planning around any specific deadline until the IAF publishes its official transition rules after the standard is published. Key Changes in ISO 9001:2026 The DIS confirms that ISO 9001:2026 is an evolutionary update, not a rebuild. The core requirements in Clauses 4 through 10 have changed modestly. The most significant additions appear in the non-mandatory Annex A, which has been substantially expanded to provide clearer implementation guidance. For organizations currently certified to ISO 9001:2015, the transition burden is expected to be manageable. Ethics and Integrity Within Leadership Clause 5.1.1 now explicitly requires top management to promote and demonstrate a culture of quality and ethical behavior. Previous editions required leadership commitment to the QMS, but the 2026 version makes quality culture and ethical conduct formal leadership responsibilities,  not just implied expectations. Clause 7.3 adds a corresponding requirement at the workforce level: employees must be aware of what quality culture and ethical behavior mean in their context. This pairs leadership obligation with organizational awareness, creating accountability at both ends of the organization. Enhanced and Restructured Risk Management Risk-based thinking has been part of ISO 9001 since 2015, but practitioners consistently reported that the standard did not give enough guidance on how to handle risks and opportunities differently. The 2026 revision addresses this directly. Clause 6.1 is restructured into sub-sections: 6.1.2 for actions to address risks, and 6.1.3 for actions to address opportunities. This is not just editorial. The separation forces organizations to treat opportunity management as a distinct planning activity, not simply the positive counterpart to risk. Many organizations with mature QMS processes had already made this distinction informally,  the standard now makes it explicit. Greater Emphasis on Stakeholder Engagement