EFNDT publishes clarification on ASNT 9712 and ISO 9712 certification in Europe
05/10/2026
The European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing (EFNDT) has published an official communication concerning the ASNT 9712 certification program and its relationship to ISO 9712 certification in Europe.The document is intended to support informed decision-making and prevent misunderstandings where ASNT 9712 certificates are presented or interpreted as equivalent to ISO 9712 certificates issued by accredited certification bodies.
Key message
Where ISO 9712 certification is required by legislation, regulation, harmonized standards, customer specifications, contracts, notified bodies or quality management systems, the certificate presented must demonstrably fulfil those requirements.
An ASNT 9712 certificate should not automatically be assumed to be equivalent to an ISO 9712 certificate issued by an accredited certification body. The relevant legal, contractual and accreditation requirements must be clearly met and documented.
Seven points requiring clarification
Before accepting a certificate, certificate holders, employers, customers and asset owners should consider:
- Accreditation status: Is the issuing certification body accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024 for the relevant scheme, method, level and sector?
- Regulatory recognition: Is the certification route recognized by the relevant regulatory framework, notified body, customer or competent authority?
- Scope of certification: Which NDT method, level and sector does the certificate cover, and which limitations apply?
- Equivalence to ISO 9712: Does the complete certification scheme meet the relevant requirements, including prerequisites, experience, examinations, certification decisions and surveillance?
- Training and prior qualification records: How are employer-based training or qualification records assessed and controlled?
- Practical examination scoring: Does the overall examination framework provide sufficient evidence of comparability, rather than relying on a single pass mark?
- Dual certification and recognition letters: Which certificate is being used to demonstrate compliance, and is that certificate independently acceptable under the applicable requirements?
Employers and asset owners are encouraged to verify accreditation, scope and acceptance before deploying personnel and to define certification requirements precisely in contracts and technical specifications.
Read the full EFNDT communication here.
