Recognised across IIW member countries
- One harmonised syllabus means a diploma earned in India is read the same way abroad.
- Removes the need to re-qualify when a project or an employer moves across borders.
// International Institute of Welding
IIWCertification
International welding qualifications and manufacturer certification to ISO 3834, EN 15085 and EN 1090.
IWE · IWT · IWS · IWP · IWIISO 3834 · EN 15085 · EN 1090IIW harmonised syllabus
// Overview
What is IIW certification?
The International Institute of Welding runs a harmonised qualification system recognised by its member countries, so a diploma earned in India carries the same meaning abroad. The personnel route certifies people; the manufacturer route certifies companies.
For fabricators, ISO 3834 quality requirements and EN 15085 railway welding certification are increasingly written straight into tender conditions -- which makes them a commercial requirement as much as a technical one.
// Why certify
Why IIW certification
Written into tender conditions
- ISO 3834 and EN 15085 are increasingly pre-qualification conditions, not optional extras.
- Certified fabricators clear vendor registration with EPC contractors and railway suppliers faster.
A qualified welding coordinator
- ISO 14731 requires a named welding coordinator with demonstrable competence; the IIW diplomas are the accepted proof.
- Puts responsibility for WPS, welder qualification and records with someone formally trained to hold it.
Fewer rejections and less rework
- A documented quality system catches defects at the process stage instead of at final inspection.
- Traceable records shorten third-party audits and customer inspections.
A clear career ladder
- IWP to IWS to IWT to IWE is a defined progression, each step with its own entry requirement.
- Opens welding coordination, QA/QC and consultancy roles in export-oriented fabrication.
// Programmes
IIW & Manufacturer Certifications
Download the guide for any programme below, or use it to tell us which qualification you are enquiring about.
ISO 3834
Quality Requirements for Fusion Welding
Certifies the shop, not the individual. Three levels — comprehensive, standard and elementary — so a fabricator certifies at the depth its work actually demands.
EN 15085
Railway Vehicle Welding Certification
Railway vehicle and component welding, in classes CL 1 to CL 4 by the safety relevance of the joints. Builds on ISO 3834 rather than replacing it.
EN 1090
Execution of Steel and Aluminium Structures
Factory production control for steel and aluminium structures, in execution classes EXC1 to EXC4 — the certification behind CE marking for structural steelwork.
IWE
International Welding Engineer
The full theoretical route, for engineering graduates taking responsibility for welding coordination under ISO 14731.
Alternate route for IWE
Already an engineer with substantial welding experience? The IIW Alternate Route recognises your existing education, training and professional experience. After an assessment by IIW-India, eligible candidates may follow a reduced training/assessment pathway towards the IWE examination.
Typical eligibility: Engineering degree + minimum 4 years of welding-related experience at engineering level within the previous 6 years, subject to IIW-India's access conditions and assessment.
Why alternate route?
Leverage your experience
Your existing knowledge and experience are recognised.
Reduce unnecessary training
A structured pathway for experienced professionals.
Internationally recognised qualification
Enhance your career opportunities in India and abroad.
Talk to our IWE team to check your eligibility for the Alternate Route.
Course Structure
All personnel courses follow the IIW harmonised syllabus, delivered in four parts and examined part by part.
- Part 1 - Welding processes and equipment
- Part 2 - Materials and their behaviour during welding
- Part 3 - Construction and design
- Part 4 - Fabrication, applications engineering and quality assurance
Who Certifies: IIW India ANBCC
Manufacturer certification is not something any auditor can issue. IIW India holds the authorisation from the IIW International Authorisation Board (IAB).
- IIW India is the only Authorised Nominated Body for Company Certification (ANBCC) in India for the IIW Manufacturer Certification Scheme to ISO 3834.
- ANBCC-India is authorised to audit organisations to EN 15085 and EN 1090 in collaboration with IIS Cert, Italy.
- IIW India is also the only Authorised Nominated Body (ANB) in India for the international personnel diplomas above.
ISO 3834 - Quality Requirements for Fusion Welding
Certifies the manufacturer, not the individual. Three levels let a shop certify at the depth its work actually demands.
- ISO 3834-2 - Comprehensive quality requirements, for pressure and safety-critical fabrication.
- ISO 3834-3 - Standard quality requirements, the common structural-fabrication level.
- ISO 3834-4 - Elementary quality requirements, for simple non-critical work.
- Requires a responsible welding coordinator, qualified WPS/PQR, qualified welders and traceable records.
EN 15085 - Railway Vehicle Welding
The certification Indian Railways and rolling-stock suppliers ask for. Certification classes follow the safety category of the components being welded.
- CL 1 - Full certification, including high-stress safety-relevant joints.
- CL 2 - Components with medium stress and safety relevance.
- CL 3 - Low-stress, low safety-relevance components.
- CL 4 - Fabrication with no welded safety-relevant components.
EN 1090 - Execution of Steel and Aluminium Structures
The certification behind CE marking for structural steelwork and aluminium structures. It certifies the factory production control (FPC) system, and it sits on top of ISO 3834 rather than replacing it.
- EXC1 to EXC4 - execution classes, set by the consequence of failure and the loading the structure carries. EXC2 covers most ordinary building steelwork; EXC3 and EXC4 cover higher-consequence and fatigue-loaded structures.
- EN 1090-2 governs steel structures and EN 1090-3 aluminium; EN 1090-1 covers conformity assessment of the components themselves.
- The welding quality requirement rises with the execution class, referencing the matching ISO 3834 level.
- Required by European clients and increasingly written into export tender conditions for Indian fabricators.
How a Manufacturer Certification Runs
ISO 3834, EN 15085 and EN 1090 all follow the same audit shape, which is why a shop preparing for one is most of the way to the others.
- Stage 1 - document review: the quality manual, WPS/PQR set and procedures are assessed against the standard, remotely or on site.
- Stage 2 - site assessment: the auditor tests whether the documented system is what the shop actually does.
- Certification decision: the assessment file is reviewed independently before the certificate is issued.
- Surveillance and recertification: the certificate runs a maximum of 3 years, with annual surveillance and recertification before expiry.
Why choose WeldFab Tech
- Gap assessment against the target standard before the certification body is engaged.
- Welding coordinator support, WPS/PQR preparation and welder qualification planning.
- Documentation and quality-system build-out for the audit.
- Training for the shop team ahead of the surveillance audit.
// Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IIW certification?
The International Institute of Welding runs a harmonised qualification system adopted by its member countries. It covers both personnel qualification (the IWE/IWT/IWS/IWP diplomas) and manufacturer certification (ISO 3834, EN 15085).
What is the difference between IIW personnel and manufacturer certification?
Personnel certification qualifies an individual against the IIW syllabus. Manufacturer certification audits a company against a standard such as ISO 3834 or EN 15085 and certifies the organisation, its welding coordination and its quality system.
Which IIW diploma should I apply for?
IWE is the engineering-graduate route, IWT suits diploma holders and technologists, IWS suits supervisors and inspectors with shop-floor experience, and IWP is the practical-track entry point. Entry requirements are set by the authorised national body.
What is ISO 3834?
ISO 3834 sets the quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials. It has three levels: comprehensive (3834-2), standard (3834-3) and elementary (3834-4), so a shop can certify at the depth its work actually demands.
Which ISO 3834 level do we need?
It follows the criticality of what you fabricate. Pressure and safety-critical work is usually certified to 3834-2, general structural fabrication to 3834-3, and simple non-critical work to 3834-4.
What is EN 15085 and who needs it?
EN 15085 is the welding certification for railway vehicles and their components. Rolling-stock manufacturers and their suppliers are certified in classes CL 1 to CL 4 according to the stress and safety relevance of the joints they weld.
How long does manufacturer certification take?
Typically three to six months, depending on how much of the quality system, WPS/PQR set and welder qualification is already in place. A gap assessment before the certification body is engaged is what usually decides the timeline.
How long is the certification valid?
ISO 3834 and EN 15085 manufacturer certificates run for 3 years with an annual surveillance audit. IIW personnel diplomas are awarded for life, with periodic proof of continued practice where the national body requires it.
What is the alternate route for IWE Certification?
The alternate route is designed for experienced professionals who already have relevant education, welding experience and knowledge. Their existing competence is assessed instead of automatically requiring them to complete the entire standard training programme.
Who can apply through the IWE alternate route?
For IIW-India's current IWE/IWT alternate route guidance, candidates need the required educational qualification and at least 4 years of relevant welding-industry experience within the previous 6 years, equivalent to the IWE/IWT job function.
Ready to get certified?
Tell us which programme you are aiming for and we will come back with the schedule, the fee and what you need to have ready.