How to renew your digital certificate in 2026

We’re sure you’ve found yourself in the following situation at some point: you need to complete an urgent official procedure (such as filing your tax return, applying for financial assistance or signing an employment contract) and, just as you’re about to sign, you realise your digital certificate has expired. As a result, not only are you unable to complete the procedure, but you also waste valuable time having to go in person to apply for a new one. This is a situation that could easily have been avoided if you’d known how to renew your digital certificate in good time. For that reason, it’s best to stay one step ahead of any setbacks and renew your certificate before it expires. This process is critical to the continuity of your activities, as an expired certificate paralyses your ability to interact with the authorities and third parties: from the healthcare sector to the signing of private documents. In short, it is best to renew the certificate before it expires, ensuring that your digital activities are never held up by an administrative oversight.

When should a digital certificate be renewed?

Although many people tend to wait until the last day before the expiry date, it is best to renew it in advance to avoid unnecessary complications. Depending on the type of digital certificate, its validity period will vary (while certificates for natural persons are valid for 4 years, certificates for legal entities expire after 2 years). However, most organisations allow you to start the renewal process up to 60 days before the expiry date. It is important to note that if you wish to renew your certificate, you can do so online. If this period has passed, you will need to apply for a new one and visit in person or verify your identity via video identification.

How do I check the expiry date in my browser?

You can check when your certificate is due to expire in two ways:

• From your browser: Go to security or privacy settings and check the ‘Manage certificates’ section.
• Via management tools: If you use a platform such as Viafirma, you don’t need to search for it manually; the system shows you an up-to-date list with the expiry dates of all your certificates.

How to renew your digital certificate in 3 steps

To renew your digital certificate, simply follow the 3 steps explained below:

1. Prerequisites. Download the necessary software: FNMT-RCM Configurator.
2. Renewal application. With your digital certificate installed in the browser you are using to apply for renewal, use it to access this link. At the end of the process, you will receive an OTP code which you must enter to download the new certificate.
3. Download and installation. An hour later, using the OTP code, you will be able to download and install your certificate.

The challenges of manually managing digital certificates in businesses

Even today, the predominant way in which businesses and individuals manage digital certificates is still the manual method. Although this management system is deeply ingrained in many organisations, it is not the best choice. In practice, having a digital certificate downloaded onto a local device presents a number of challenges:

The confusion caused by multiple expiry dates

Manual management forces users to remember the expiry dates of each of the certificates they are using. In many cases, a digital certificate may expire without the organisation even realising that the expiry date was approaching.

Dependence on a single device

Even if users do remember the expiry date of their digital certificate, they face another major inconvenience on a daily basis: the digital certificate is stored on a specific device. This means that if a department manager has it installed on their office computer and needs to access a web portal in the afternoon, they will have to wait until the following morning to do so.

Security risks when sharing certificates in .p12 or .pfx files

There may be occasions when a person needs to sign using a digital certificate installed on a device that does not belong to them. In such cases, the quickest solution to allow several employees to use the same digital certificate is to export it to a file (usually with a .p12 or .pfx extension) and send it by email or save it to a shared folder. Although this may seem the quickest option, it creates significant security gaps as you lose track of who has it once it leaves the original device, and it breaks the chain of custody. This constitutes a serious regulatory breach, as regulations such as eIDAS require the certificate to be under the sole control of the signatory to ensure its legal validity. Furthermore, if an employee leaves the company and has the file in their personal email, they will still have access to it.

Benefits of automating your certificates’ lifecycle

Given the major drawbacks of managing digital certificates in the traditional way, automating the certificate lifecycle presents itself as an ideal alternative. Viafirma’s electronic signature solution offers a wide range of options and security for carrying out procedures and processes digitally. Because it is not just a matter of priority, but of strategic efficiency:

• Automatic inventory: With Viafirma, you can track and manage all your organisation’s certificates.
• Alerts and notifications: Set the notifications you wish to receive before your digital certificate expires – 30 days, 7 days or 1 day in advance.
• Cloud-based use: You won’t be tied to a specific computer to renew or use your digital signature.

Benefits of centralised certificate renewal

By automating the entire lifecycle, you’ll see how your daily routine improves, leading to better organisation:

• Faster processes. If we add up every minute spent manually renewing each certificate, configuring browsers and resolving installation issues, it amounts to a significant number of hours. Automating this process frees up your team for higher-value tasks.
• Centralisation and total control. Thanks to centralised management, you know at all times which certificates the company holds, who is authorised to use them and when each one expires, all from a single control panel.
• Audit trail. Full traceability of your certificate will be recorded: you will know who is using which certificate and for what purpose.
• High standards of security and data protection. The confidentiality and privacy of the documents being signed are guaranteed.

Viafirma is your partner in centralised management and renewal

Are you looking for a secure and reliable tool to electronically sign documents following the renewal of your digital certificate? At Viafirma, we can help you. Our digital tools are user-friendly, secure and flexible when it comes to using different digital certificates. With them, you won’t have to worry about your digital certificate expiring, or having expired at the worst possible moment: when you need to complete an urgent official procedure. With reminders sent before the expiry date and centralised, controlled management, Viafirma is the solution you need. Contact our sales team today and they will be happy to answer any questions you may have.