How to get NABL accreditation: process, documents and fees

What is NABL accreditation?

NABL accreditation is formal recognition, by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, that a lab is competent to carry out specific tests at a specific location. NABL is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India, and testing labs are assessed against ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Accreditation covers a defined scope of products, parameters, methods and ranges. NABL 100B states that it is location specific, so each site applies separately.

What must a lab have in place before applying?

A lab must already be working to ISO/IEC 17025 before it applies, not planning to. NABL 100A lists conditions that applicants have to meet before submission.

• A working management system. NABL 100B says the application must be accompanied by the Management System Document or Quality Manual. NABL publishes NABL 160A as a guide to preparing one.
• At least one internal audit and one management review. NABL 100A says the applicant must have conducted at least one internal audit covering all activities and a management review covering all agenda points before submitting.
• Satisfactory proficiency testing. NABL 100A asks for satisfactory participation (Z score below 2) in a PT programme by an accredited provider before applying. NABL 163 adds that the lab must take part in at least one PT programme in each discipline applied for.
• Calibrated, traceable equipment. NABL 142 requires equipment that significantly affects results to be calibrated before use, with metrological traceability.
• Qualified people to sign reports. NABL 151 sets minimum qualification and experience for the staff declared to review, report and authorise results.
• Validated or verified methods and measurement uncertainty. ISO/IEC 17025 clauses 7.2 and 7.6 apply to every test in the scope you apply for.

What are the NABL accreditation process steps?

The NABL accreditation process has eight steps, shown in the flow diagram in NABL 100B. Pre-assessment is optional for testing labs.

1. Apply online. Submit NABL 151 on the NABL web portal with the quality manual, the scope and the application fee. NABL 100A says hard-copy applications are not accepted.
2. Acknowledgement. NABL issues a unique ID. NABL 100B notes that this acknowledgement is not acceptance; NABL may ask for more information or reject an incomplete application.
3. Document review. An assessment team reviews your quality manual and procedures. NABL 100B gives the lab seven days to correct the inadequacies found.
4. Pre-assessment (optional). NABL 100B describes it as a readiness check and sample audit. The lab submits corrective actions on its findings within fifteen days.
5. Initial assessment. A lead assessor and technical assessors visit, witness tests and check records. NABL 100B says it generally takes two days, depending on scope.
6. Corrective action. The lab answers each non-conformity with root cause analysis and evidence within 30 days.
7. Accreditation committee. NABL scrutinises the report and the committee recommends a decision.
8. Certificate. NABL approves the decision and issues the accreditation certificate with its scope.

For the findings assessors raise most often at step 5, see our guide to common NABL non-conformities.

What documents are required for NABL accreditation?

The documents required for NABL accreditation are the enclosures listed at the end of NABL 151. Prepare them before you open the portal. The table below maps each enclosure to where it usually comes from in a working lab.

NABL 151 also asks for proof of premises, owned or on registered lease, and the applicable regulations for the tests in scope. The scope sheet takes the most work: each line needs the latest method reference and, where applicable, measurement uncertainty. Our ISO 17025 requirements checklist lists the records behind each clause.

How much does NABL accreditation cost?

As per NABL's fee document NABL 100A (Issue 01, Amendment 08 dated 31 August 2026), an Indian testing lab pays an application fee, assessment charges, an annual accreditation fee and a mid-cycle fee, plus GST at 18 %. Check the current version before you budget, because NABL revises it.

Forensic, software and IT testing, and integrated-assessment labs have higher fees in the same table.

A worked example of assessor honorarium

Suppose NABL deputes one lead assessor and one technical assessor for a two-day initial assessment of a small water lab in one discipline. At NABL 100A rates, honorarium alone is 2 × ₹5,500 plus 2 × ₹5,000, which is ₹21,000. Add the overhead charge, the document review, travel and lodging, the application and annual fees, and GST. NABL decides the team size and days, so treat this only as a way to read the table.

From 1 October 2026, NABL's upfront payment announcement (9 September 2026) says honorarium, overhead and the annual fee come on one consolidated invoice after scrutiny. The application fee is still paid with the application, and travel is still invoiced after the visit.

The bigger costs are often inside the lab: calibration, certified reference materials, PT fees, staff time and any consultant.

How long does the NABL accreditation process take?

NABL does not publish a total time for accreditation. The overall timeline depends mostly on how ready the lab is when it applies. NABL 100B does fix the lab's own response times inside the process.

Before applying, run the system long enough to have real records: PT rounds, an internal audit, a management review, method verification and uncertainty estimates. Labs with thin records spend longer at steps 3 to 6.

How long is NABL accreditation valid?

NABL accreditation is valid for four years. NABL 100B (Amendment 03) states that the certificate is valid for four years, and NABL 100A records the cycle's increase from two years to four.

NABL's assessment programme for the four-year cycle, posted on 24 June 2026, sets three assessments within it:

• Surveillance 1 within 12 months of grant, on site or as a desktop review.
• Mid-cycle assessment between months 13 and 24, always on site.
• Surveillance 2 between months 25 and 36, on site or desktop.

Desktop surveillance is allowed only for labs with ten years of uninterrupted accreditation and no adverse decision in the last cycle. NABL may raise surveillance to quarterly where findings or complaints call for it.

What must an accredited lab keep doing?

Accreditation brings ongoing duties under NABL 100A and NABL 131. The main ones are:

• notify NABL within 15 days of changes in legal status, ownership, top management, key personnel, scope or premises;
• follow NABL 133 when using the NABL symbol and claiming accreditation;
• keep a two-year PT plan covering the accredited groups, as NABL 163 requires;
• cooperate with unannounced visits and complaint investigations;
• pay the annual fee and apply for renewal at least six months before expiry.

Our guide to the NABL test report format covers the NABL symbol, ULR numbers and amendments.