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Short answer: ISO does not issue or verify certificates itself, so an ISO certificate lookup means checking two links in a chain: the certification body named on the certificate and the accreditation body behind it. The ISO help centre points to IAF CertSearch, a global database of accredited certificates, or to contacting the certification body or accreditation body directly, checked 2026-11-03.
General information for supplier and quality staff, not legal or regulatory advice. This page is for a buyer or quality reviewer who holds a PDF certificate from a supplier and needs to confirm it is real and current before it goes in a qualification file.
What an ISO certificate lookup can and cannot confirm
ISO’s own help article states that ISO itself does not perform certifications or accredit certification bodies. An “ISO-certified” claim therefore always traces back to a certification body (the organisation that audited the supplier and issued the certificate) and, for an accredited certificate, an accreditation body that assessed that certification body.
The IAF CertSearch FAQ describes the database as covering accredited management systems certification. It does not cover product certification or certification of persons. Its data flows in layers: IAF provides data on accreditation bodies and scopes, accreditation bodies provide data on certification bodies, and certification bodies provide data on the certified entities and their certifications. The FAQ adds that a certification can only be validated if the certified entity is already known to the user, so have the company name and certificate number from the PDF ready (IAF CertSearch FAQ, checked 2026-11-03).
How to verify an ISO certificate
Option 1: IAF CertSearch, one certificate at a time
The IAF CertSearch support page says to enter a company name, certificate number or related identifiers in the search bar, and the system returns matching records with certificate validity details (IAF CertSearch support, checked 2026-11-03). Start with the certificate number exactly as printed.
Option 2: bulk upload or API
The same support page describes a bulk upload (CSV or Excel) that returns a report with validation results for each entry, and an API that gives real-time validation responses. ISO’s article likewise says certificates can be verified individually, in bulk or via API. These options suit a procurement team re-checking a whole approved-supplier list.
Option 3: ask the issuer or the accreditation body
ISO’s article also says you can contact the relevant certification body, accreditation body or IAF directly to confirm the respective statuses. Use this route when the database returns nothing, or when the certificate was issued by a body that is not accredited.
How to check if an ISO certificate is valid
A certificate in your hands and a record in the database are two separate pieces of evidence. Compare them field by field, and treat any mismatch as a question for the issuer rather than a conclusion.
| Check | On the PDF certificate | In the lookup or issuer reply |
|---|---|---|
| Who is certified | Company name and site address | Same entity name; if the legal entity differs, ask the issuer |
| Which certificate | Certificate number | The number you searched returns a record |
| Who issued it | Certification body named on the certificate | Record shows the same body; contact it if it does not |
| Who accredited the issuer | Accreditation mark or statement, if one is shown | Confirm with the accreditation body or via CertSearch |
| Which standard | Standard named on the certificate | Confirm the same standard with the issuer |
The IAF CertSearch support page does not publish a list of status values or record fields, so this table compares what you hold with what the issuer or database tells you, without assuming particular field names.
ISO 13485 certificate verification
For medical device suppliers, the certificate you most often meet is ISO 13485. IAF’s published material does not state that ISO 13485 certificates appear in the database, so do not assume they do. Verify an ISO 13485 certificate with the certification body that issued it and with that body’s accreditation body, as ISO’s help article describes, and confirm on the database itself whether the entity is listed. For the standard and the certification process, see ISO 13485 certification; for the broader set of device standards, see ISO standards for medical devices.
What a not-found result means
A not-found result is a reason to ask the issuer, not proof that a certificate is fake. Three documented facts explain why. The database only contains accredited certifications. Data uploaded by certification bodies was described as voluntary at the time of IAF’s August 2023 announcement. That announcement also reported about 1.1 million certificates uploaded against an estimated 2 million management systems certifications worldwide (IAF News, 30 August 2023, figures may have changed). Our reading: absence from the database is incomplete evidence in either direction, so escalate to the certification body and record its written answer.
Buyer checklist
- Copy the company name, site address, certificate number, standard and issuing body from the PDF.
- Search IAF CertSearch by certificate number, then by company name.
- If a record is found, compare the entity, issuer and standard with the PDF.
- If nothing is found, contact the issuing certification body and ask it to confirm the certificate and its status in writing.
- If the issuer is not accredited, ask the issuer which body, if any, oversees it, and check with that body.
- File the lookup result, the date and the issuer’s reply with the supplier record. See the vendor onboarding documentation checklist and factory audit guide for the wider file.
Common misunderstandings
- “ISO certified” means ISO checked the company. ISO does not certify; a certification body does.
- The database covers every certificate. It covers accredited management system certificates only, and only those whose certification body has uploaded them.
- It verifies products or people. Product certification and certification of persons are outside the database.
- A found record settles supplier quality. It confirms a certificate; it does not replace an audit. Related checks: GMP certification for medical supplies and CE certificate verification.
FAQ
How to verify an ISO certificate?
Search IAF CertSearch by company name or certificate number, or contact the certification body or accreditation body named on the certificate (ISO help centre, checked 2026-11-03).
How to check if an ISO certificate is valid?
Match the certificate number, entity, issuer and standard on the PDF to the lookup record or the issuer’s written confirmation. The database returns validity details for matching records (IAF CertSearch support, checked 2026-11-03).
Does IAF CertSearch cover ISO 13485?
IAF’s published material does not say so. Confirm with the issuing certification body and check the database for the entity.
Is every ISO certificate in IAF CertSearch?
No. The FAQ states the database only contains accredited certifications.
Sources
- ISO help centre, How to verify an accredited certification, checked 2026-11-03.
- IAF CertSearch Support, Search and verify company certificates, checked 2026-11-03.
- IAF CertSearch FAQ, General, checked 2026-11-03.
- IAF News, IAF CertSearch: a global database for verification of accredited management systems certifications, 30 August 2023, checked 2026-11-03.
