China · Certification
ISO/IEC 20000-1 certification in China
Achieve ISO 20000-1 certification in China with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
- Accredited certification
- Shanghai office team
- Effivity software included
- Academy training included
Who asks for ISO 20000-1 in China
Clients include
ISO 20000-1 certification in China at a glance
One Chinese instrument bears on ISO/IEC 20000-1. It does not name the standard. So why do buyers in China keep asking for the certificate?
IT service providers bidding for enterprise outsourcing work in China are increasingly asked to prove how services are run, not only how data is protected. ISO/IEC 20000-1 answers that question with a certifiable service management system: service catalogue and levels, incident, problem and change management, capacity, continuity and supplier control. CNAS, the national accreditation body, lists service management certification under ISO/IEC 20000-1 as its own accreditation field, so accredited certificates are available from CNCA-approved certification bodies. The national adoption, GB/T 24405.1-2009, mirrors the 2005 edition, so projects should be built on the current international text described on the hub. Cloud, data-centre and managed-service companies usually combine it with ISO/IEC 27001, and technology suppliers to banks and insurers find it useful when the National Financial Regulatory Administration's data security expectations flow down to them. Sterling's Shanghai office designs the service management processes, sets up the records and prepares teams for audit, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in the engagement.
Who needs ISO 20000-1 in China, and what happens without it
In China the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.
- IT outsourcing and managed-service providersEnterprise and multinational clients use ISO/IEC 20000-1 to assess service management maturity.
- Cloud and data-centre operatorsService management certification complements ISO/IEC 27001 in client due diligence.
- Technology suppliers to banks and insurersFinancial institutions extend data security and outsourcing expectations to IT service providers.
Not sure which of these applies to you?Answer a short set of questions and your readiness report arrives by e-mail.
Take the ISO/IEC 20000-1 readiness checkISO 20000-1 requirements in China
Strip away the vocabulary and ISO/IEC 20000-1 requires a company to prove six things about how it plans and delivers IT services.
In China these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO/IEC 20000-1 explained →
How to get ISO 20000-1 certified in China
One team from the Shanghai office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Delivery from the Shanghai office, on-site across mainland China as the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.
- Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
- Gap assessment against ISO/IEC 20000-1 and the Chinese requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
- Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
- Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
- Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.
- End to end, from one team
- Effivity ISO & GRC software
- Preferential Sterling Academy access, with complimentary awareness training for your people
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
- Vulnerability assessment on ISMS engagements
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
How long does ISO 20000-1 certification take in China?
There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In China these are the factors that set the timeline.
- Number of services and service locations in scope
- Maturity of incident, change, problem and service-level processes
- Evidence of service reporting and customer reviews
- Certification body scheduling around public holidays
Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.
How much does ISO 20000-1 certification cost in China?
The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In China these factors move both.
- Number of services, sites and support teams in scope
- Tooling for service management records
- Certification body audit fees, quoted separately from consulting
- Integration with ISO/IEC 27001 in one system
Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.
ISO 20000-1 consultants and certification bodies in China
Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.
- Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 20000-1 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
- Ask the consultant how the local requirements in China are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
- Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
- Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.
Laws and regulations that drive ISO 20000-1 in China (3)
| Instrument | How it treats the standard |
|---|---|
| CNAS accreditation of service management system (ISO/IEC 20000-1) certification bodies (CNAS-CC01, ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 IDT) | Market driver Accredited certification for this field is available through China's national accreditation body; no mandate. |
| GB/T 24405.1-2009 Information technology — Service management — Part 1: Specification (identical adoption of ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005) | National standard Identical to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005; the international standard has since been revised. |
| Regulations on Certification and Accreditation (State Council Decree No. 390) | Does not name the standard Governs who may certify: only CNCA-approved certification bodies; foreign representative offices may not certify. |
Accreditation, audit language and remote audits in China
In China, certification may be carried out only by certification bodies approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) within their approved scope. Check the body's approval and that its accreditation — by CNAS or another accreditation body within the international mutual recognition arrangements (Global ACI — Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, formerly the IAF MLA) — covers ISO/IEC 20000-1 and your sector. No body is named here unless verified. The national adoption GB/T 24405.1-2009 is identical to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005; follow the hub for the current international edition used in certification. Edition and transition details: ISO/IEC 20000-1 hub →
Audit language
Chinese and English audits are both available from certification bodies operating in China; agree the audit language and the certificate language at application.
Remote and on-site
Remote audit elements are at the certification body's discretion; service desks and operations centres are normally visited on-site.
ISO 20000-1 in China: questions clients ask
Is ISO/IEC 20000-1 accredited in China?
Yes, accredited certification exists. CNAS lists ISO/IEC 20000-1 service management system certification bodies as an accreditation field, so accreditation is available through China's national accreditation body. It is a market driver rather than a mandate. Look at the accreditation scope of the body you are considering before you commit.
Which edition is used?
China's national adoption, GB/T 24405.1-2009, is identical to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005, which the international standard has since revised. The edition used in certification may therefore differ from the national text. Follow the standard's hub page for the current international edition, and ask the certification body which edition it audits against.
Can ISO 20000-1 and ISO 27001 be certified together?
Possibly. Whether a combined audit is offered is at the certification body's discretion, so ask when you apply. The practical gain is that processes shared between the two systems reduce effort, because you build and maintain them once rather than twice.
More on ISO 20000-1 for Chinese organisations
Other standards Chinese businesses ask Sterling for
Organisations in China often combine ISO/IEC 20000-1 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.
Start with a free discovery call from the Shanghai office
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- CNAS accreditation of service management system (ISO/IEC 20000-1) certification bodies (CNAS-CC01, ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 IDT) — cnas.org.cn (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- GB/T 24405.1-2009 Information technology — Service management — Part 1: Specification (identical adoption of ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005) — std.samr.gov.cn (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Regulations on Certification and Accreditation (State Council Decree No. 390) — gov.cn (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) — cnas.org.cn (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA) — the State Council's certification and accreditation supervision and administration department — gov.cn (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
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