The window is 60 days
The FNMT puts it this way: the renewal of the citizen certificate may be carried out during the 60 days before the expiry date, provided it has not been revoked beforehand.
Two practical consequences. First: you cannot renew «in advance» months earlier. Second, and more painful: if you let the date pass, the expired certificate can no longer be renewed, you must request a new one from the start, identity check included.
Set a reminder. Put the expiry date in your calendar with 70 days' notice. It is the difference between five minutes online and going through the identity check again.
When online renewal is not available
Even inside the 60 days, the FNMT states that you cannot renew online if your certificate was obtained by identifying yourself with another digital certificate, with a DNIe, by video identification, or if you renewed it before.
In those cases the way out is to prove your identity again: in person at a Registration Office, through the video identification service, or by reading the DNIe.
In other words: online renewal is not endless. In practice assume that every so often you will have to prove your identity again, and plan it for when you have no urgent paperwork pending.
How to know when yours expires
No external tool is needed. On Windows, from the browser's certificate panel or the system certificate store; on macOS, from Keychain Access. Find your name, open the certificate and look at the validity field.
If you cannot find the certificate anywhere, it is probably not installed on that computer. Check whether you have a backup: exporting and restoring the certificate.
What to do if it has already expired
Request a new one. The process is the same as the first time: prior setup, request, identity check by one of the four routes and download. It is explained step by step in the digital certificate guide.
While it is being processed you are not left without options: a registered gestor administrativo can file your applications with their own professional certificate, so an expired certificate need not hold up paperwork with a deadline.
Does yours expire this week?
We renew it or request it again for you, and meanwhile we can file your paperwork with our professional certificate as a registered gestor.
Frequently asked questions
How early can I renew the digital certificate?
During the 60 days before the expiry date, as the FNMT states. Before that window the system does not allow it.
Can I renew it if it has already expired?
No. An expired certificate is not renewed: you must request a new one and prove your identity again.
Why will it not let me renew online if I am in time?
Because online renewal is not available if you obtained the certificate by identifying yourself with another digital certificate, a DNIe or video identification, or if you had renewed it before. In those cases you must prove your identity again.
Does renewal cost anything?
No. The FNMT individual certificate is free, and so is its renewal.
Do I have to renew on the same computer?
Yes. The valid certificate must be installed on the computer you renew from, and the new one is downloaded in the same browser.
Can I keep doing paperwork while I renew it?
If the current one is still valid, yes. If it has expired, a registered gestor can file for you with a professional certificate while you get the new one.
Legal basis
- Law 6/2020 regulating certain aspects of electronic trust services
- Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14 on electronic dealings with the administration
Official sources
- FNMT: individual certificate
- FNMT: renewing the individual certificate
- Importass, portal of the Social Security Treasury
- Tax Agency electronic office
Written by Irina Klein. Reviewed by Elena Alonso Volostnova, registered gestora administrativa (ICGA Valencia). Updated on 5 October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace personalised advice on your case.