You may have been asked to submit a calibration certificate during a quality audit or safety inspection. What does a KOLAS calibration certificate prove, how long is it valid, and how do you get one? Ace Electronics, a KOLAS-accredited laboratory (accreditation no. KC23-416), explains.
What is a KOLAS calibration certificate?
It is the official document issued by a KOLAS-accredited laboratory after calibrating under ISO/IEC 17025. It states how the instrument reading deviates from national measurement standards — proving the readings can be trusted.
A certificate typically contains:
- Instrument identification (model, serial), calibration date, and environmental conditions
- Results — reference values, readings, and the deviation (error)
- Measurement uncertainty — the confidence range of the result
- Traceability — which reference standards link the result to national standards
- The KOLAS accreditation mark and number
The most common misconception: validity period
So where does the next-due date come from? The user sets it through their own management rules — commonly a 12-month cycle — or follows the interval demanded by an auditor or client. See the calibration cycle guide for details.
Recognized worldwide — ILAC-MRA
KOLAS is a signatory of the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement. A KOLAS-accredited certificate is therefore accepted as equivalent to domestic certificates across member economies — usable as-is in overseas quality audits and export compliance.
How to get one — three steps
- 1. Request — submit your instrument details and preferred method (inbound, courier, on-site) on the calibration request page.
- 2. Calibration — the instrument is calibrated against reference standards and the results recorded.
- 3. Certificate — the KOLAS-accredited certificate is issued on completion. See the full calibration process.
