Welder qualifications under EN ISO 9606-1 are valid for two or three years, depending on the chosen revalidation method. To maintain this certificate validity, an approved supervisor or employer must confirm the qualification every six months. This signature verifies that the welder has continued to work within their qualified range.
Employers can choose between three main revalidation methods under the standard. These options include retesting the welder every three years, revalidating every two years with volumetric testing evidence on production welds, or maintaining ongoing validity if the welder remains with the same manufacturer certified to ISO 3834-2. However, revalidation based on ISO 3834-2 certification is not permitted for pressure equipment under categories II, III, and IV of the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED).
