ISO 22301 certification in Germany

ISO 22301 certification in Germany at a glance

The BSI publishes its own business continuity standard, BSI-Standard 200-4, and maps its requirements catalogue to ISO 22301:2019 to show the two are compatible. That pairing matters more since the NIS-2 implementation act: § 30 of the BSI-Gesetz now lists maintaining operations — backup management, recovery after an emergency and crisis management — among the measures important and particularly important entities must take. Financial entities face parallel expectations under DORA, supervised by BaFin. ISO 22301 is the route to an independent certificate, issued by a certification body accredited by DAkkS or another recognised accreditation body, while BSI-Standard 200-4 supplies a German-language method many public bodies and regulated companies already know. A business impact analysis, recovery strategies, plans and a credible exercise programme are what auditors and supervisors look for. Sterling's Frankfurt office builds the BCMS so that it reads across to 200-4 and to the BSIG measures. German questions follow.

Who needs ISO 22301 in Germany, and what happens without it

In Germany 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.

• Particularly important and important entities under NIS-2§ 30 BSIG requires measures for maintaining operations, backup and recovery, and crisis management.
• Financial entities and their ICT providersDORA covers ICT business continuity and testing.
• Public bodies and companies using BSI guidanceBSI-Standard 200-4 provides a German BCMS method mapped to ISO 22301:2019.
• Operators of critical facilitiesMeasures must be proved to the BSI by audits, examinations or certifications.

ISO 22301 requirements in Germany

Strip away the vocabulary and ISO 22301 requires a company to prove six things about how it keeps operating when something goes wrong.

In Germany 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 22301 explained →

• ISO 22301 requirements, clause by clause in plain language
• The documents ISO 22301 expects

How to get ISO 22301 certified in Germany

One team from the Frankfurt office carries the work from scoping to certificate. All German states (Länder), on-site from Frankfurt; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against ISO 22301 and the German requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• The ISO 22301 certification process, step by step
• ISO 22301 internal audit

How long does ISO 22301 certification take in Germany?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Germany these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of critical activities and sites
• Business impact analysis and recovery strategies
• Exercise and test programme
• Alignment with BSI-Standard 200-4 where used

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does ISO 22301 certification cost in Germany?

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 Germany these factors move both.

• Scope of products, services and sites
• Recovery infrastructure and alternate sites
• Certification body fees quoted separately from consulting

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of ISO 22301

ISO 22301 consultants and certification bodies in Germany

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 22301 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Germany 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.

ISO 22301 in Germany: questions clients ask

More on ISO 22301 for German organisations

• ISO 22301: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement ISO 22301
• Sterling in Frankfurt
• ISO 22301 certification in Germany and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards German businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Germany often combine ISO 22301 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in Germany →