First-aid certificates do not last indefinitely. Understanding when a certificate expires, what training is recommended between qualifications and which renewal route applies can help employers maintain appropriate first-aid cover.
Quick answer
First Aid at Work (FAW) and Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) certificates issued for the purposes of workplace first aid normally last for three years.1
Before the certificate expires, the first aider should undertake the appropriate training needed to obtain another valid three-year certificate.
HSE also strongly recommends annual refresher training to help first aiders maintain their basic skills, although annual refresher training is not itself a legal requirement.2
How long does a first aid certificate last?
For the purposes of workplace first aid, HSE states that first-aid certificates last for three years.1
This applies to the familiar workplace qualifications:
EFAW
Emergency First Aid at Work
Normally valid for three years.
FAW
First Aid at Work
Normally valid for three years.
BETWEEN COURSES
Annual refresher training
Strongly recommended by HSE to help first aiders maintain their basic skills.
The actual certificate should show the qualification awarded and the relevant validity or expiry date. Employers should retain appropriate training records rather than relying on memory or waiting until a certificate is close to expiry.
How do I check when my first aid certificate expires?
Start with the certificate itself.
Check the qualification title, the date it was awarded and the expiry or validity information shown by the training provider or awarding organisation.
Employers should ideally keep a central record of first-aider certification, including:
- the employee’s name;
- the qualification held;
- the date completed;
- the expiry date;
- any annual refresher training completed; and
- the planned date for requalification or renewal.
The Hive view
Do not wait until the final week of a certificate’s validity before arranging training. Course availability, employee absence and operational pressures can all turn a simple renewal into a gap in first-aid cover.
How do I renew an Emergency First Aid at Work certificate?
An EFAW certificate is normally valid for three years.
When EFAW certification needs renewing, the learner will normally complete an appropriate Emergency First Aid at Work course again to obtain a new certificate.
The dedicated FAW Requalification course should not be treated as an EFAW renewal course. Its principal purpose is the requalification of people who already hold First Aid at Work competence.
EFAW and FAW have different renewal routes.
A course described as “FAW Requalification” is principally designed for renewing First Aid at Work certification, not Emergency First Aid at Work.
How do I renew a First Aid at Work certificate?
FAW certificates are also normally valid for three years.
Where the learner remains eligible for the appropriate renewal route, a dedicated First Aid at Work Requalification course can be used to renew FAW competence and obtain another three-year certificate.
Because timing and eligibility can matter, employers should arrange FAW requalification before the existing certificate expires rather than assuming it can always be dealt with afterwards.
What is annual first aid refresher training?
Annual refresher training is different from formal requalification.
HSE strongly recommends annual refresher training to help first aiders keep their basic skills up to date.1
HSE’s frequently asked questions also make clear that annual refresher training is not a mandatory legal requirement.2
It can nevertheless be valuable because first-aid skills may not be used regularly in day-to-day work.
Annual refresher training is relevant to both EFAW- and FAW-trained first aiders.
What happens if a first aid certificate expires?
This is where certificate dates become operationally important rather than simply administrative.
HSE states that once the certificate has expired, the individual is no longer considered competent to act as a workplace first aider.1
That does not mean the individual suddenly forgets every first-aid skill they have learned. It means the employer should no longer rely upon that expired certification as evidence that the person currently satisfies the workplace first-aider role.
An expiry date can affect the whole first-aid arrangement
If the employer’s needs assessment requires a particular level and number of trained first aiders to be available, the expiry of one person’s certificate may reduce the organisation below the level of cover it intended to maintain.
The relevant question is therefore not only “Has the certificate expired?” but also “What does that expiry do to our first-aid provision today?”
What should employers monitor?
Employers should treat first-aid certification as part of the wider first-aid system rather than as an isolated training record.
HSE requires employers to use their needs assessment to determine whether trained first aiders are required, the appropriate level of training and how many people should be trained.3
In practice, useful monitoring should therefore include:
- qualification type;
- certificate expiry dates;
- planned requalification dates;
- annual refresher training;
- holidays and planned absence;
- sickness and unplanned absence;
- shift and location coverage;
- employees leaving or changing role; and
- whether the underlying first-aid needs assessment remains current.
Set reminders before expiry
A training matrix or HR system can help employers identify approaching expiry dates.
A useful system should create enough advance warning to arrange training without leaving the organisation dependent upon last-minute course availability.
What if our only first aider’s certificate expires?
The employer should revisit the first-aid arrangements immediately.
If the needs assessment established that a trained first aider was required, an expired certificate may mean that the organisation no longer has the trained provision upon which its assessment relied.
The appropriate response will depend on the circumstances, including the workplace hazards, number of employees, working arrangements, available competent personnel and how quickly suitable training can be arranged.
This is one reason why simply training the absolute minimum number of people can create vulnerability when certificates expire, employees are absent or staff leave.
Should more employees be trained in CPR and AED use?
The number of formally designated workplace first aiders and the number of employees who receive useful emergency skills training do not have to be the same.
Some organisations choose to provide CPR and AED training to a much wider proportion of their workforce.
This can increase general emergency awareness and give more people practical experience of responding to cardiac arrest and using an automated external defibrillator.
It is also one of those workplace training subjects with obvious value beyond work. The skills learned may potentially be used at home, in public, at a sports club or when somebody close to the learner becomes seriously unwell.
Group CPR and AED sessions are highly practical and participative. In our experience, they can also have a useful team-learning effect because employees are actively practising skills together rather than simply listening to a presentation.
Which first aid course should I book next?
The correct course depends on the qualification held, its current status and the level of competence your workplace requires.
I hold EFAW
If your EFAW certificate is approaching expiry and EFAW remains the appropriate level for your workplace, you will normally need to complete an appropriate EFAW course again.
I hold FAW
If your FAW certificate is approaching expiry, consider the appropriate FAW requalification route while your existing certification remains current.
I need to maintain my skills
Annual refresher training can support both EFAW and FAW first aiders between formal qualification cycles.
I am not sure which level I need
Start with your first-aid needs assessment and consider whether EFAW, FAW or another level of training is appropriate.
Related first aid guidance
Need to renew or refresh your first aid training?
The Hive Collaborative provides workplace first-aid training for organisations and individuals across our training locations and through onsite workplace delivery.
Choose the relevant route below, or view our main First Aid Courses page if you are unsure which course is appropriate.
References and authorities
- Health and Safety Executive,
Are you a first-aider?
. - Health and Safety Executive,
Frequently asked questions on first aid
. - Health and Safety Executive,
First aiders and training
. - Health and Safety Executive,
Are you an employer?
.
About this guidance
Author: Paul Deaves, The Hive Collaborative
Published: August 2026
Last evidence review: August 2026
Next scheduled review: August 2027, or earlier following a material change in legislation, HSE guidance or recognised professional practice.
This guide distinguishes between legal requirements, HSE guidance and The Hive Collaborative’s professional good-practice recommendations.
This article provides general workplace first-aid guidance and is not a substitute for legal, medical or workplace-specific competent advice. Employers remain responsible for assessing their own circumstances and maintaining adequate and appropriate first-aid provision.