IAF MD 5 is the mandatory document governing the determination of audit time for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification. Accredited certification bodies are required to work to it.
The current issue is IAF MD 5:2023, Issue 4 Version 3, issued 14 June 2023.
Why you should care
It makes certification pricing checkable. Most of the cost conversation in this industry happens without reference to the document that actually determines the number, which leaves buyers unable to tell a fair quote from a padded one.
The core content is Table QMS 1, which maps the effective number of personnel to a baseline number of audit days, plus lists of factors that increase or decrease that baseline and a cap of 30% on total reduction.
A naming point worth getting right
IAF — the International Accreditation Forum — no longer exists. On 1 January 2026 it and ILAC were both replaced by a single body, Global ACI.
Legacy IAF mandatory documents moved across under their existing numbering, so “IAF MD 5” remains the correct name of the document even though IAF is no longer the correct name of the body. Both statements are true at once, which is why this catches people out.
Where to find it
It is published free by the accreditation community. Any organisation pursuing certification is entitled to read the rules its certification body is working to.