ISCC Certification Process: Steps to Get Certified 2026

ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) is a certification system for the implementation and certification of sustainable, deforestation-free and traceable supply chains of agricultural, forestry, waste and residue raw materials, non-bio renewables and recycled carbon materials and fuels. Independent third-party certification ensures compliance with high ecological and social sustainability requirements, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings (on a voluntary basis under ISCC PLUS) and traceability throughout the supply chain. ISCC can be applied globally in all markets, including food, feed, chemical and energy.

ISCC operates two systems. ISCC EU demonstrates compliance with the legal sustainability requirements of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II. ISCC PLUS is a certification system for all markets and sectors not regulated by RED II, such as food, feed, energy and diverse industrial applications. Because the two schemes are widely harmonized, a single “One-Stop-Shop” audit can deliver both an ISCC PLUS and an ISCC EU certification. This article sets out the ISCC certification process, drawn directly from the ISCC PLUS Standard (Version 3.3) and the ISCC PLUS System Structure (Version 1.2).

Step 1: Choose the Right ISCC System

The first step is to identify which ISCC system applies to your market. ISCC EU is for operators demonstrating compliance with RED II legal sustainability requirements, primarily biofuel markets in the EU. ISCC PLUS covers all markets and sectors not regulated by RED II — including food, feed, energy markets and diverse industrial applications such as chemicals and packaging. The ISCC EU System Documents in general apply for ISCC PLUS, and this document serves as an additional compulsory source of information for a certification under ISCC PLUS.

Because the schemes are widely harmonized, the One-Stop-Shop solution lets a single audit certify both ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS. Choosing both at once is often the most efficient route for companies serving regulated and non-regulated markets. Within ISCC PLUS, no certification schemes other than ISCC are currently accepted; only ISCC certified material with the “ISCC Compliant” statement can feed the chain.

Step 2: Confirm Eligible Materials and Supply-Chain Scope

Next, confirm the materials you intend to certify and the supply-chain elements that must be covered. Under ISCC PLUS, all types of agricultural and forestry raw materials, bio wastes and residues, and fossil materials contributing to the circular economy and bioeconomy can be certified. At the beginning of the supply chain, three raw material categories can be certified: bio feedstocks (virgin biomass), circular feedstocks (bio-circular and technical-circular), and renewable feedstocks (produced using renewable electricity). Materials and products not stated on the eligible-material lists may still be certifiable after consultation with and confirmation by ISCC.

You also need to map which elements of your supply chain require certification. The main supply-chain elements are farms and plantations; points of origin for waste material; collecting points and first gathering points; processing units; warehouses; and brand owners. A brand owner that receives a finished product and wishes to make an ISCC claim must hold certification with the trader scope (if no physical change is made) or participate in the ISCC licensing scheme. “Sites” refer to locations of individual legal entities while “scopes” refer to market activities such as collecting, trading and processing sustainable material.

Step 3: Prepare Documentation and the Mass-Balance Setup

Before the audit, you must establish the documentation and traceability systems that ISCC requires. Every delivery of certified material must be accompanied by a sustainability declaration carrying mandatory general and product-related information, including the “ISCC Compliant” statement. Farms and plantations covered under a certificate conduct an annual self-assessment and provide signed self-declarations; a list of all farms/plantations with names and contact persons who signed within the past twelve months must be available at audit.

For mass balance, the sustainability characteristics remain assigned to batches of material on a bookkeeping basis. Key rules for the audit: the maximum timeframe for a mass balance calculation is three months; a mass balance must be site- and scope-specific (separate balances for every production site and scope); the conversion factor (CF) must be determined from the operational data of the processing unit (not theoretical data) and may not exceed 1, even when taking the tolerance level of neglect into account; and receiving material under “mass balance” means you cannot switch to “physical segregation” for the same material afterwards. Under ISCC PLUS, free attribution is allowed — the sustainable share can be attributed to one or several output materials.

ISCC provides supporting documents to facilitate the process: lists of eligible materials, document checklists for audit preparation, audit procedures for relevant supply-chain elements, self-declaration templates, the sustainability declaration template, the certificate template and the Summary Audit Report template. The audit procedures (Farm/Plantation, Forest Sourcing Area, Chain of Custody) can be used for internal preparation — their application is voluntary but recommended.

Step 4: Select a Certification Body and Register

Certification is carried out by Certification Bodies (CBs) accredited to conduct ISCC certifications. The ISCC EU System Document 103 “Requirements for Certification Bodies and Auditors” specifies the requirements for CBs to be allowed to conduct certifications under the ISCC standard, as well as the duties of CBs and the qualifications for auditors. Fees for audit and certification are set by the CB, not by ISCC; the standard does not publish a fixed fee schedule, so the quote depends on your sites, supply-chain elements, material categories, selected add-ons and audit scope.

The registration and certification processes are described in the ISCC EU System Document 201 “System Basics”, which applies equally for ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS. This document outlines the set-up of the ISCC system and the certification criteria regarding sustainability, traceability, chain of custody and (voluntary under ISCC PLUS) GHG emissions, as well as the description of supply-chain participants, registration, audit and certification processes and the requirements for the issue and validity of ISCC certificates.

Step 5: Undergo the Risk-Based Audit

Audits are conducted according to the ISCC EU System Document 204 “Risk Management”, which covers how ISCC audits are conducted at different supply-chain elements and applies the risk management process to all ISCC activities. Risk determines how thoroughly each element is examined. Warehouses, for example, can be audited remotely when they present the lowest risk under ISCC EU 204 — with fully verifiable documentation, low complexity of market activities, clear traceability documentation and a structured management system. Country dealers / limited risk distributors (LRDs) also do not need a separate on-site audit if all relevant data can be accessed from the business principal’s system where the audit takes place.

During the audit, the CB verifies compliance with the ISCC requirements applicable to your certified scopes — the six sustainability principles at farm and plantation level, traceability and chain of custody, sustainability declarations, mass-balance records and any voluntary add-ons included in your certificate. If ISCC receives information about potential non-compliance, the system user and/or the CB is obliged to immediately demonstrate compliance and provide all evidence required to verify it.

Step 6: Receive the Certificate and Maintain Continuity

After a successful audit, the CB issues the ISCC certificate and a Summary Audit Report, as described in ISCC EU 201. The certificate confirms certification of the certified scopes and materials. The requirements for the issue and validity of ISCC certificates are governed by ISCC EU 201; the standard does not specify a fixed validity period, and the precise validity and any surveillance audits are applied by the CB according to ISCC EU 201. To maintain continuity, a company should ensure it is continuously certified, i.e. that no time gaps between certification periods occur.

If you include voluntary add-ons in your certificate, compliance with all their requirements becomes mandatory. The add-on documents applicable to the PLUS system include Electricity and Heat from Biogas Plants, EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Food Security Standard, Non GMO Food Feed, Non GMO Technical Markets, GHG Emissions, EN 15343 and Low ILUC Risk Feedstock Certification. Within ISCC PLUS, GHG verification is voluntary and added via add-on 205-01; where applied, the calculation can cover cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-gate, but the GHG add-on must be implemented in the entire supply chain up to the entity claiming a value on the outgoing product.

Note for 2026: the ISCC PLUS standalone documents already exist and will become mandatory from 1 January 2027, after an 18-month transition period. During this period both the current ISCC PLUS System Documents and the newly published standalone documents may be used. Aligning early with the standalone structure reduces rework before the deadline.

If you are preparing for ISCC certification, our team can help you choose the right ISCC system, confirm eligible materials and scopes, and build the documentation and mass-balance setup needed for audit. Contact us today for a free consultation.

FAQ: ISCC Certification Process

The following are frequently asked questions about the ISCC certification process. Each answer is verified against the official ISCC PLUS system documents.

Q: How long does the ISCC certification process take?

A: The ISCC standard does not specify a fixed timeline from registration to certificate. The duration depends on your readiness — the completeness of documentation and mass-balance records, the number of sites and supply-chain elements, the material categories and add-ons selected, and the Certification Body’s audit scheduling. Preparing documentation and the traceability setup in advance is the most effective way to shorten the process.

Q: What is the One-Stop-Shop audit?

A: The One-Stop-Shop is an ISCC solution based on the wide harmonization of the ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS schemes. With only one audit, an operation can obtain both an ISCC PLUS and an ISCC EU certification. This is especially useful for companies that serve both RED II-regulated biofuel markets and non-regulated markets such as food, feed, chemicals and packaging.

Q: Who conducts the ISCC audit and certification?

A: Certification is performed by accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) according to the ISCC EU System Document 103 “Requirements for Certification Bodies and Auditors”. The CB selects and assigns qualified auditors. Audit conduct follows the ISCC EU System Document 204 “Risk Management”, which applies the risk management process to all ISCC activities and determines how audits are carried out at each supply-chain element.

Q: What documents do I need before the audit?

A: You need a sustainability declaration system covering every delivery of certified material (with the mandatory general and product-related fields and the “ISCC Compliant” statement), annually signed farm/plantation self-declarations with a twelve-month signatory list, and mass-balance records that are site- and scope-specific with conversion factors based on operational data. ISCC provides checklists, self-declaration and certificate templates, and a Summary Audit Report template to support preparation.

Q: Can warehouses and distributors be audited without an on-site visit?

A: Yes, in defined low-risk cases. Under ISCC EU 204, warehouse sample audits can be conducted remotely when all relevant documentation can be fully verified, market activities are of low complexity, traceability is clearly documented and a structured management system is in place. Likewise, limited risk distributors (LRDs) do not need a separate on-site audit if all relevant data are accessible from the business principal’s system where the audit takes place.

Q: How long is an ISCC certificate valid?

A: The issue and validity of ISCC certificates are governed by the ISCC EU System Document 201 “System Basics”, which applies equally for ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS; the standard does not state a single fixed validity period, and the CB applies the specific validity and any surveillance requirements per ISCC EU 201. What the standard does require is continuity: a company should ensure it is continuously certified, with no time gaps between certification periods.

Q: Do I have to pay ISCC directly for certification?

A: No. ISCC does not publish a fee schedule; certification and audit fees are quoted by the Certification Body you choose, under the duties set out in ISCC EU 103. The cost depends on factors such as the number of sites and supply-chain elements, the raw material categories, any voluntary add-ons, and whether low-risk elements can be audited remotely. Request a CB quotation for your specific scope.

Conclusion

The ISCC certification process follows a clear, document-driven path: choose the right system (ISCC EU, ISCC PLUS or both via One-Stop-Shop), confirm eligible materials and the supply-chain elements to certify, prepare sustainability declarations and a site-specific mass-balance setup, register with an accredited Certification Body, pass the risk-based audit under ISCC EU 204, and receive the certificate and Summary Audit Report issued under ISCC EU 201. Validity, surveillance and fees are applied by the CB according to ISCC EU 201 and ISCC EU 103, while the standard itself focuses on requirements rather than fixed commercial terms. For companies entering the system in 2026, the most efficient approach is to confirm the right system early, lock in materials and scopes, and prepare documentation before the audit — particularly ahead of the 1 January 2027 standalone-document transition.

If you need support mapping the ISCC process to your supply chain and preparing for certification, our team can guide you end to end. Contact us today for a free consultation.

References

1. ISCC System GmbH. ISCC PLUS, Version 3.3, Valid from 31 August 2021.
2. ISCC System GmbH. ISCC PLUS System – Structure and Overview of ISCC PLUS Documents, Version 1.2, Valid from 13 November 2025.
3. ISCC Association (ISCC e.V.) — International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. https://www.iscc-system.org/