First Aid Certificate Renewal: When and How to Requalify

Workplace first aid certificates last three years. To keep a qualified first aider in place, you should requalify before the certificate expires, not after. Here is how renewal works for the two main workplace courses, and what the HSE recommends in between.

How long a certificate lasts

Both Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) and First Aid at Work (FAW) certificates are valid for three years from the course date. After that, the holder is no longer counted as a current first aider for your first aid needs assessment, so renewing on time keeps your workplace compliant without a gap in cover.

How requalification works

The route depends on the course:

• First Aid at Work (FAW) is renewed with a two-day requalification course, shorter than the original three days, provided you complete it before your current certificate expires.
• Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) is renewed by retaking the one-day course.

If you leave it too late and the certificate has already lapsed, you will usually need to sit the full course again rather than the shorter requalification, so it pays to plan ahead.

The annual refresher in between

The Health and Safety Executive strongly recommends that first aiders complete a short annual refresher during the three-year certificate period. It is not a legal requirement, but skills like CPR fade without practice, and a half-day refresher keeps your team confident and your provision defensible if it is ever scrutinised.

Keep track and renew on time

The simplest way to avoid a lapse is to diary each first aider's expiry date and book renewal a couple of months ahead. We can deliver requalification and refresher training on-site for your team, and set up a reminder so your certificates never fall out of date. Request a free quote or see our first aid courses.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice.