How to check whether a certificate is valid
A PDF certificate on a supplier's website is a claim, not a proof. These six steps take a few minutes and tell you whether the certificate still covers what you buy.
- 1
Check the holder
The company name and address on the certificate must match the supplier you deal with. A certificate issued to a parent company or another site does not cover them automatically.
- 2
Check the scope
The scope says which products, services and sites are certified. A certificate for machining does not cover assembly or design.
- 3
Check the dates
Look for the validity date - often labelled "valid until" or "expiry date". Certificates run for three years with surveillance audits in between; once the date has passed, the certificate has lapsed unless a new one was issued.
- 4
Check the accreditation
An accredited certificate carries the mark of a national accreditation body. In Sweden that is SWEDAC, in the Netherlands the Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA), in Czechia ČIA, in Slovakia SNAS and in Romania RENAR. The accreditation body publishes which certification bodies it has accredited and for what.
- 5
Confirm with the certification body
Only the body that issued the certificate can confirm that it is currently valid - a certificate can be suspended or withdrawn after an audit. Most bodies answer a confirmation request by e-mail.
- 6
Keep track of the expiry date
Enter the date in your supplier register and ask for the new certificate about 90 days before it ends. Recertia can remind you automatically.