How accreditation works
Seven stages from application to grant, then a four-year cycle of surveillance and reassessment. Indicative duration for a prepared applicant: four to six months.
Application and review
Submit form EQSAB-F-001 with your legal registration, management system documentation, auditor register, and intended scope. The registry reviews for completeness and eligibility within 15 working days.
Agreement and fees
On acceptance, the accreditation agreement is signed and the application fee falls due. Assessment does not begin before both.
Document review
An assigned assessor reviews your quality manual, procedures, impartiality mechanism, and competence records against ISO/IEC 17021-1. Nonconformities are raised in writing and must be closed before stage 4.
Office assessment
An on-site (or, where justified, remote) assessment of your head office: certification decision records, auditor competence evaluation, contract review, and complaint handling are examined against practice, not paper.
Witness audits
EQSAB assessors observe your audit teams conducting real certification audits — at least one per requested standard. This is where most applicants fail, and it is not waivable.
Decision
A decision panel independent of the assessment team reviews the full file and grants, defers, or refuses accreditation. Grants are entered in the public register the same day and take effect on publication.
Surveillance and reassessment
Annual surveillance including witnessed audits throughout the four-year cycle, with full reassessment before renewal. Missed surveillance leads to suspension and a public notice.
Fee schedule
Fees are payable in INR or USD. Travel and subsistence for on-site activity are charged at cost. No fee is contingent on a positive decision.
| Item | When payable | Amount (indicative) |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | On acceptance of application | ₹ 75,000 / $ 900 |
| Document review | Before stage 3 | ₹ 60,000 / $ 725 |
| Office assessment (per day) | Before stage 4 | ₹ 45,000 / $ 550 |
| Witness audit (per audit) | Before each witness activity | ₹ 55,000 / $ 660 |
| Annual accreditation fee | On grant, then annually | ₹ 1,20,000 / $ 1,450 |
| Annual surveillance (per day) | Before surveillance | ₹ 45,000 / $ 550 |
| Scope extension | With request (EQSAB-F-002) | Assessed per scope |
Amounts shown are placeholders for the published fee schedule and are revised annually. The controlling document is the current fee schedule in the document library.
Before you apply
Applicants must be legally registered entities, hold a documented management system meeting ISO/IEC 17021-1, employ or contract competent auditors for each requested standard, and have conducted (or scheduled) certification audits that EQSAB can witness. Bodies previously withdrawn by any accreditation body must disclose this in the application; concealment is grounds for refusal or later withdrawal.