How long is a qualified signature valid?
A Certum qualified certificate is issued for a set period — 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years, depending on the chosen plan. After this period, the certificate expires and can no longer be used to sign documents.
It is worth noting that documents signed before the certificate expired remain valid — expiry does not invalidate previously signed documents. You simply lose the ability to create new signatures.
Don't wait until the last moment. Renewing before expiry is simpler and faster — your identity does not need to be verified again. After expiry, you must go through the entire process from scratch.
How to check the certificate expiry date?
You can check the expiry date in several ways:
- In the Certum software — open the Certum application that was installed when you got the signature. The certificate expiry date is visible in the main panel.
- In Windows — open Certificate Manager (
certmgr.msc), find your Certum certificate, and check the "Valid to" field. - By asking us — if you can't find this information, call us and we'll help you check.
Renewal before expiry — how does it work?
This is the most convenient route. If your certificate is still valid, renewal is much simpler than getting a new signature from scratch:
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1
Contact us
Call or write — we'll tell you exactly what needs to be done and guide you through the entire process. If you got your signature from us, we can send you a reminder before the renewal deadline approaches.
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2
Meeting and renewal
We carry out the renewal at a meeting — remotely (online) or in person (we come to clients in Kraków and surrounding area within 50 km). No repeat identity verification is required if the certificate is still valid.
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3
New certificate active
After renewal, the new certificate is immediately active. You can continue signing documents without any interruption — business continuity maintained.
What to do if the certificate has already expired?
If the certificate has expired, it can no longer be renewed through the simplified procedure. You will need to obtain a new certificate — with a full identity verification. The process is the same as when getting a signature for the first time.
The good news: if you already have the Certum software installed and are familiar with the process, the appointment itself will take less time than the first time.
Renewal without identity verification. Quick and convenient.
A new certificate must be obtained with full identity verification.
How to keep track of your renewal
Certum sends an email reminder several weeks before the certificate expires — make sure your email address in your Certum account is up to date.
If you got your signature from us — we will remind you ourselves when the renewal deadline is approaching.
Call us — we'll help check the expiry date and guide you through the renewal.