Purpose
This instruction sets out how a valid management-system certificate issued by another certification body is transferred to General Group Co. It follows IAF MD 2:2017 — the international rule for transferring accredited certification.
Scope
It applies to valid, accredited management-system certificates being moved to us, covering the eligibility review, the transfer audit, and the certification decision.
Key terms
- Certificate transfer
- Recognising a valid management-system certificate issued by one certification body so that another body can take it over and maintain it.
- Issuing body
- The certification body that issued the certificate you currently hold.
Before we accept a transfer
We confirm the certification is genuine, accredited and current before anything else:
- The issuing body’s accreditation must be valid — not cancelled or suspended — and its scope must cover your management system, including the relevant EA / food-safety category.
- Your certificate must be valid and in scope, and not suspended or facing withdrawal.
- Your recent audit history is reviewed — previous audit reports, internal audits, management reviews, and the status of any open nonconformities.
How a transfer works
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Apply
You apply using a transfer order form, and we first screen the request for any impartiality concerns.
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Verify the body & certificate
We check the issuing body’s accreditation (validity and scope) and confirm your certificate is valid and in scope.
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Review your history
We examine the previous audit reports, the certificate scope and NACE code, and the status of any nonconformities, internal audits and management reviews.
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Transfer audit
A transfer audit — a Stage 1-style review of scope and records, plus a sample of sites for multi-site organisations — confirms the certification can be carried over.
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Decision
The Decision Committee makes the final certification decision, and your audit programme continues from where your cycle stands.
Where you are in your cycle matters
The next audit after a transfer is set by your certificate’s position in its three-year cycle — a first or second surveillance audit, or a recertification audit if it’s near the end of the cycle. A transfer can be declined, on reasonable grounds, if a due surveillance or recertification audit was missed.
What this means for you
A clean transfer keeps your certification continuous and credits the audits you’ve already passed — so you change certification body, not your whole programme.