Renewing the Smartcard Certificate
The digital signature on the Smartcard is valid for three years. It needs to be renewed before its expiry date so that you can continue to take full advantage of all features of your QES.
The signature must be renewed while the it is still valid - we cannot resurrect an expired certificate. Should that happen, a new digital signature needs to be issued requiring a face-to-face meeting with a Smartcard Operator again.
Installing the renewal application
The renewal tool is a stand-alone application that does not integrate with any of your other programmes and is safe to use.
In order to install and use the tool, please follow these steps:
- Place your Smartcard in the card reader.
- Click either of the links below, depending on your Operating System:
- Confirm "Open" when asked.
- Double-click on the file "Instalador_AcaRenovacion_V1-8"
You may see security warnings, but you should proceed. Your business may have restricted your ability to install programmes. If you are asked for an administrator password, you will need to consult your IT team.
The above steps will install the tool and then take you through the renewal process which takes under five minutes.
Prerequisites for renewing your Smartcard certificate
Please check that you have all you need before you attempt to renew your certificate.
If you have not yet used your Smartcard for electronic purposes, please follow the guide to install your card reader, card manager software and the certificates.
Once installed, please return to this page and continue the process.
Please be aware that you need to remember your PIN code in order to complete the renewal process. If you cannot recall your PIN, you can find a guide on how to check what it might be here.
Once you finished the process, the app will let you know that you have successfully renewed your QES. Please do not repeat the procedure after successful renewal; once is enough.
If you would like to see how it's done, we have a video walk-through: