Impact to Clients in China from QMS Certification Rules_Ed 2025

Release of revised QMS Certification Rules

To enhance the credibility and effectiveness of certifications in China, the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) released the revised version of the Quality Management System Certification Rules on August 31, 2025. The revised rules will take effect from January 1, 2026. 

You can click here to access the original document of the rules in Chinese when this blog is posted, which may be revised by the authority later. On the other hand, the authority may release official interpretations to update the rules from time to time.

Scope of Applicability

Covering requirements for the whole certification process, the rules apply to all QMS certification activities in Mainland China. For a client with locations in different countries and regions, the rules apply to the certification activities for the client locations in Mainland China. 

The applicable QMS standards includes ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 13485, ISO 22163, TL 9000, AS91xx, QC 080000, etc. All of the clauses apply to ISO 9001 certification, while a few apply to other QMS standards.

Impact on Clients

While most of these rules apply to certification bodies, part of the requirements have impact on QMS certified organizations or those going for QMS certifications, which are primarily relevant to ISO 9001 certification. 

For reference, you can click on the button below to download a file of slides about some key changes to the rules with impacts on your organization. For reference, you can click on the button below to download a file of slides about some key changes to the rules with impacts on your organizations, which have addressed the official interpretations before Dec 24, 2025.

Note:

On Jan 9, 2026, CNCA released Notification [2025] No. 9 to certification bodies, with additional requirements for all management system certification services in China from 2026. The impact on clients in China is also included in the slides below.