• Smartcard certificates expire every two-to-three years even if your access has been granted to service/applications for longer than this.
• An expiring/expired card does not mean a replacement is required, only that the certificates on the card need to be renewed.

Smartcard expirying?

When you are notified that your smartcard certificates are expiring, please follow the prompts to self-renew:

You receive certificate expiry notifications at each login for the 90 days before the expiry date.

If your device prevents you from completing this process, raise an Incident with your normal IT support team as this is likely  desktop support issue (ICB users raise at ICB Service Desk). During this period, you can select No on the prompt above and continue using the card as normal. Once the issue is resolved, complete the self-renewal process.

Other options?

• Try to renew certificates on an alternative machine such as a nearby colleague
• Ask a "Sponsor" (users that allocate Care ID/"smartcard" access positions)

Smartcard already expired?

Once expired, self-renewal is no longer an option. A smartcard can expire because self-renewal was not completed or the card has gone unused for an extended period - such as during long-term leave. 

To renew; you must reach out to your Registration Authority to arrange an in-person smartcard certificate renewal (ICB users).

Renewal process

Important: Both RA Agent and the user must be present to renew a Smartcard; this process cannot be completed virtually. The RA Agent must be reasonably assured the user is the owner of the smartcard as they will set a passcode during the process.
RA advice:

1. Ensure the person requesting the renewal is indeed the Smartcard owner.

2. Check their photo ID and any identifying documents that match the name on the card.

   ⚠️ If you are not confident that the person is the card owner based on the provided information, do not proceed with renewal. Report the incident to your governance team.

3. Sign in to Care Identity Management with your RA Agent credentials.
4. Follow the instructions provided by NHS Digital to complete the Smartcard renewal process.