Laboratories and Inspection Bodies in Morocco: Accreditation

Which standard for which conformity assessment body?

The one that matches what you hand to your client: a measurement result, a conformity judgement or a certificate. SEMAC accredits each against a different standard, and one organisation can hold several accreditations.

Two confusions come up often. ISO 9001:2026 certification of a laboratory attests its management system, not its technical competence for a given test: a client who wants reliable results asks for accreditation (see ISO 9001 certification). And a technical centre that inspects an installation and then runs the related tests falls under both standards: one documented system can then serve both accreditations.

How does SEMAC accreditation work?

Through the same procedures for laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies: procedure A 110.03 for decisions and follow-up, procedure A 120.03 for assessments. The Ministry of Industry and Trade defines accreditation as the formal recognition of a conformity assessment body’s competence and impartiality for specific activities.

Four milestones shape a project:

1. Admissibility. SEMAC only registers an application once the file is complete; the applicant has one month to complete it, and the admissibility decision follows within five working days.
2. Initial assessment. After an optional pre-assessment of one day at most, the team assesses the system and the scope. Findings call for a root-cause analysis within two weeks, then evidence of implementation within two months at most.
3. Decision. The head of SEMAC decides on the advice of an accreditation committee; the certificate, signed by the Minister, states the version of the standard, the scope and the expiry date.
4. Surveillance. First assessment no later than twelve months after the decision, then every fifteen months, never more than twenty-four months apart; reassessment at least six months before expiry. A surveillance nonconformity not cleared within six weeks can lead to suspension.

For laboratories, the application file, scope, traceability and uncertainty are covered in detail on our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation page; for inspection bodies, see ISO/IEC 17020.

Is a SEMAC-accredited result recognised abroad?

Not automatically: it depends on recognition arrangements and on what your client accepts. Since 1 January 2026, international recognition of accreditation runs through Global ACI, which took over the former roles of IAF and ILAC and administers a multilateral recognition arrangement (MRA). According to its Q&As, specified IAF and ILAC documents remain in use until equivalent Global ACI documents are adopted.

On 6 November 2026, the Global ACI associate members page listed the “Moroccan Accreditation Service” for Morocco, and defined associate members as accreditation bodies not yet accepted as MRA signatories. This is consistent with SEMAC document A 410 (February 2023), which describes its membership of ILAC, IAF and ARAC, the Arab Accreditation Cooperation, as an associate member.

That document describes the situation in February 2023: if your export customer relies on the ARAC arrangement, check SEMAC’s current status with SEMAC.

For a buyer in Europe, the Gulf or West Africa relying on a Moroccan laboratory, and for the laboratory itself:

• get the client to state in writing which accreditation it accepts, before the project starts;
• separate what can be claimed (“accredited by SEMAC for this scope”) from what cannot be promised (automatic recognition outside Morocco);
• for a food exporter choosing a laboratory, settle the question in the specification: see the food and beverage sector.

How do you demonstrate impartiality?

With a written, maintained analysis of risks to impartiality and a measure for each risk identified. An organisation chart is no longer enough.

For inspection bodies, this is the heart of the revision. According to the Singapore Accreditation Council, ISO/IEC 17020:2026 replaces Types A, B and C with a Type A and Type non-A approach, and its clause 4 requires risks to impartiality to be identified, documented and monitored on an ongoing basis. The October 2026 SEMAC list of accredited inspection bodies still shows the 2012 types (A, C or A/C).

What does SEMAC require on proficiency testing?

Planned participation covering every technical field of the scope, and real use of the results. SEMAC policy A 006.01 sets the rules:

• before initial accreditation, at least one interlaboratory comparison in one of the main technical fields of the requested scope, as a condition of admissibility;
• in each accreditation cycle, at least one comparison in each main accredited technical field;
• a written participation plan, reviewed when methods, equipment or staff change, with a frequency based on a needs analysis;
• prior participation for any extension to a new field or to a non-standard method validated by the laboratory;
• for unsatisfactory results, analysis of causes and of the impact on results already issued, up to stopping work or recalling reports where needed;
• without effective corrective action within three months of the assessment, an additional assessment or, in extreme cases, suspension for the field concerned.

The policy recommends a provider accredited to ISO/IEC 17043 or, failing that, a comparison with at least three accredited laboratories; for calibration, the other participants’ uncertainty must be equal or better. It points to the EPTIS database to find schemes. Where none exists, the laboratory uses reference materials, correlation with other laboratories or repeat testing by equivalent methods.

The published version of this policy dates from September 2012 and still refers to the 2005 edition of ISO/IEC 17025: check the version in force with SEMAC before building your participation plan.

What should inspection bodies prepare for ISO/IEC 17020:2026?

A gap analysis, a transition plan and new thinking on impartiality, before 31 March 2029. The standard, published on 27 March 2026, is now titled “Requirements for bodies performing inspections”. According to the Singapore Accreditation Council, it also brings risk-based thinking to inspection processes and to the validity of results, beyond impartiality alone.

Accreditation bodies do not all use the same day: the Singapore Accreditation Council sets the end of transition at 27 March 2029. Aim for the earliest date and confirm SEMAC’s own transition timetable with SEMAC.

Changes in detail and our transition method are on the ISO/IEC 17020:2026 for inspection bodies page. Construction inspection bodies will find their sector issues under construction and infrastructure.

Outsourcing your testing: what should you check?

That the accreditation covers exactly what you are buying. The SEMAC list of accredited laboratories (September 2026 revision) shows each laboratory’s status, expiry date and scope reference.

• The accreditation is active and expires after your testing dates.
  
• The test, method, matrix and measuring range appear in the current scope.
  
• The report carries the accreditation symbol and separates accredited from non-accredited tests.
  
• The laboratory shows its latest proficiency testing results on your parameters.
  
• Uncertainty is stated where you must decide on a batch’s conformity.
  
• Your export client accepts this accreditation, in writing.
  
• The contract sets turnaround times, confidentiality and sample retention.