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What does ISO 27001 certification cost?

For an SME with 10-50 employees, ISO 27001 certification usually costs €5,000 to €15,000 in the first year. After that you pay €2,000 to €5,000 a year for surveillance audits.

On this page
  1. Cost items overview
  2. Price indication per company size
  3. What influences the price?

What does ISO 27001 cost?

The costs vary greatly. They depend on your company size, IT complexity and whether you engage a consultant. ISO 27001 is generally more expensive than ISO 9001 due to the more intensive audit.

Rule of thumb for SMEs: Count on €5,000 - €15,000 in the first year, then €2,000 - €5,000 per year.

Cost items overview

Indication

Certification audit (year 1) € 4.000 tot € 10.000

Surveillance audit (per year) € 2.000 tot € 5.000

Recertification (every three years) € 3.500 tot € 8.000

Consultant (optional) € 10.000 tot € 25.000

Tooling/software (optional) € 1.000 tot € 5.000

Not on the axis, as there is no fixed amount: Internal hours (150 - 300+ hours).

Price indication per company size

Per company size, on one axis
  • First year
  • Annually thereafter

Small (up to 10 FTE) First year: € 4.000 tot € 8.000 Annually thereafter: € 2.000 tot € 3.500

Medium (10-50 FTE) First year: € 6.000 tot € 15.000 Annually thereafter: € 3.000 tot € 6.000

Large (50-250 FTE) First year: € 10.000 tot € 25.000 Annually thereafter: € 5.000 tot € 10.000

Enterprise (250+ FTE) First year: € 20.000 tot € 50.000+ Annually thereafter: € 8.000 tot € 15.000+

Prices indicative, excl. VAT, excl. consultant and internal hours.

What influences the price?

Five factors determine your costs:

  1. Number of employees (more = more audit time)
  2. IT complexity (in-house development, cloud, data centers)
  3. Number of locations (each location is assessed)
  4. Current maturity (starting from scratch is more expensive than optimizing)
  5. Certification body's choice (prices vary 20-40%)

Questions about ISO 27001

What is the difference between ISO 27001:2022 and the previous version?

ISO 27001:2022 has a revised Annex A with 93 controls in four categories (previously 114 in fourteen categories). Eleven new controls have been added, including for cloud security and threat intelligence. The transition deadline was 31 October 2025.

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What does ISO 27001 certification cost?

For an SME with 10-50 employees, ISO 27001 certification usually costs €5,000 to €15,000 in the first year. After that you pay €2,000 to €5,000 a year for surveillance audits. The exact price depends on your company size, IT complexity and number of locations.

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How long does it take to get ISO 27001 certified?

On average six to twelve months for most organisations. If you already have a well-functioning quality system (such as ISO 9001), it can be done in five to six months. Complex IT environments may need twelve to eighteen months.

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Can I switch to another certification body?

Yes, you can switch at any time. Your new certification body takes over your file and plans a transfer audit. Your certificate remains valid during the switch.

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Is ISO 27001 mandatory?

No, ISO 27001 is voluntary. But more and more clients do require it, especially in IT, finance and healthcare. It also helps you comply with the GDPR and the new NIS2 directive.

Can I get ISO 27001 without a consultant?

Yes, especially if you already have experience with management systems. For smaller organisations with a manageable IT environment it is feasible. A consultant can speed up the process, but is not required.

How often is there an audit after certification?

After your initial certification, a surveillance audit follows every year. After three years you need a full recertification. This cycle then repeats.

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