MAG 135 Is Not the Same as MIG 131 on Your Certificate

In ISO 4063, 131 = MIG and 135 = MAG are both sub-groups of group 13 (gas-shielded metal arc welding) in main group 1 (arc welding). The derivation of 131 is 1 (arc) + 3 (gas-shielded metal arc) + 1 (metal arc, inert gas).

Both processes are gas metal arc welding (GMAW): a continuously fed solid wire electrode, an arc between wire and workpiece, and shielding gas through the torch. The only difference between the two named processes is the shielding gas — inert for MIG, active for MAG.

The moment carbon dioxide or oxygen is in the shielding gas, the process is no longer MIG but MAG, because CO2 and O2 are not inert gases. The shielding gas exists to keep oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen away from the molten pool.

European terminology distinguishes MIG (inert gas, argon or argon/helium, typically for aluminium and non-ferrous metals) from MAG (CO2 or argon mixtures containing active components, the standard choice for carbon and low-alloy steels). In North America, "MIG" is commonly used for both variants. In European practice, MIG with argon is typical for aluminium and non-ferrous metals, and MAG with CO2/mixed gas for carbon and low-alloy steels. That means a steel-structure job in Germany or Austria will almost always be MAG 135 rather than MIG 131 in practice.

So the answer is code-level, not family-level. A 131 entry on your certificate is not automatic proof of a 135 qualification. Any claimed cross-cover must be verified against the standard or the certification body that issued the certificate before you apply.

German technical materials consistently treat MIG/MAG as one process family and list E-Hand and WIG alongside it, as in Fronius's training blog "MIG/MAG, E-Hand, WIG" and EWM's lexicon "E-Hand WIG MIG/MAG PLASMA". That family shorthand is useful context, but it is also the trap. "MIG/MAG" written together is not an ISO 4063 entry. A certificate never prints it as one combined process number.

When an advert says "MAG 135" or "MIG 131", match the number in the advert to the number on your certificate. When it says only "MIG/MAG", ask the employer for the exact process number.

Commonly met ISO 4063 numbers relevant to welders: 111 manual metal arc (MMA/stick); 114 self-shielded tubular-cored; 131 MIG; 135 MAG; 136 tubular-cored with active gas; 141 tungsten inert gas (TIG); 15 plasma arc.

"WIG" is the German name for TIG: Wolfram-Inertgas. The W stands for Wolfram, the German word for tungsten; it is process 141. "E-Hand" (Elektrodenschweißen, Lichtbogenhandschweißen) is the same process as MMA/stick and carries ISO 4063 number 111. The flux coating on the stick electrode produces the shielding gas and slag itself, so no external gas cylinder is needed.

You do not need a recruiter to summarise your certificate. The Slovenian IMK EN ISO 9606-1 certificate tool offers test-piece process numbers per ISO 4063: 111, 114, 131, 135, 136, 138, 141, 142, 143, 145, 311. A Slovenian welder's certificate names one tested process number per test piece, such as 131 or 135, not "MIG/MAG" as a combined term.

Find the process field on the certificate. That is where the ISO 4063 number is printed. Read that number and compare it to the number in the advert; do not compare the process you usually weld.

Under ISO 9606-1, a welder's qualification is defined by essential variables named on the certificate or test record: welding process (per ISO 4063), product type (plate P / tube T), joint type (butt BW / fillet FW), filler material group (FM1-FM6; FM1 = non-alloy and fine-grain steels), parent material group per ISO/TR 15608 (group 1 = steels with ReH ≤ 460 MPa), thickness, diameter, and position. A change of an essential variable outside its approved range is what triggers re-qualification.

The process number is the first gate, not the whole scope. Once you have located it, the ISO 9606-1 Welder Qualification: Revalidation Routes and Validity Rules guide explains how the certificate stays current within the tested scope.

The published abstract of ISO 9606-1:2012 states its purpose is to enable welder qualifications "to be uniformly accepted independently of the type of product, location and examiner or examining body". That purpose does not expand a specific certificate's scope for you.

Welding process is an essential variable under ISO 9606-1, and 131 and 135 are separate ISO 4063 sub-groups. This article cannot determine whether the approval range or extension rules on your individual certificate cover 135. Ask the issuing certification body to confirm that scope before relying on a 131 certificate for a 135 vacancy.

If you plan repeated cross-border postings, Maintaining EN ISO 9606-1 welder certificates in the Nordics shows how certification bodies administer scope and revalidation.

Informal TIG experience is not a TIG qualification. Applying for a WIG/TIG job without process 141 on the certificate is a mismatch, not a minor detail. WIG is the German name for TIG, process 141; E-Hand is the German/Austrian shop-floor name for MMA/stick welding, process 111.

An EN ISO 9606-1 certificate names one tested process per test piece. The process entry is part of qualification scope under ISO 9606-1. If the exact process number is absent, do not represent yourself as qualified for that process unless the issuing certification body confirms that your certificate's documented approval range or extension rules cover it.

Use this order every time an advert names a process. The stop-and-verify branch carries the same weight as the apply branch.

Step 3 is a hard gate. Evroproces places candidates who already have the right to work in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, or who hold a valid Slovenian or Croatian residence-and-work permit. This applies regardless of nationality; the company is not able to sponsor new work visas from outside the EU at this time. If you are unsure whether your work authorization qualifies, read Who we can place: Eligibility explained before sending a CV.

If the ISO 4063 process code on your certificate matches the code in the advert, and you already hold EU/EEA/CH work rights or a valid Slovenian or Croatian permit, submit your CV through the job-search form. Evroproces never charges a worker a placement fee; compensation comes from the employer. If the process codes do not match, do not send that CV until the certification body has answered the scope question or you have taken a new test. If the advert says only "MIG/MAG", ask the employer for the exact process number before comparing.

When the code matches, the welding industry practice page describes Evroproces's dedicated welding placement practice, and the placement process shows how a placement runs from application to site.

This article is general guidance for employers and workers, not legal advice. The final scope of any individual certificate is confirmed by the certification body that issued it.