Language certificate expiry is among the most commonly misunderstood aspects of language credentialing. Some certificates expire after two years. Others never expire. Getting this wrong can mean discovering your certificate is invalid at the moment you need it.
Certificates that expire
IELTS results are valid for two years from the test date. After two years, the Test Report Form is no longer accepted for UK immigration, most university admissions, and Australian and Canadian immigration routes. You must retake the test to obtain a current result. There is no renewal process, you sit the full exam again.
TOEFL scores also expire after two years. The policy matches IELTS: two years from the test date, after which a new test is required for any formal purpose.
TCF (Test de connaissance du francais) for French expires after two years. TCF results used for Canadian immigration (IRCC) and French citizenship applications are subject to the two-year validity period.
The rationale for expiry in these exams is that language proficiency changes over time. A score from five years ago may not reflect current ability. Two years is a pragmatic compromise, long enough to use the result for most purposes, short enough to require occasional retesting.
Certificates that do not expire
Cambridge English certificates. B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, do not have an expiry date. A certificate issued in 2005 remains valid in 2026. Cambridge takes the position that the exam is a record of what you demonstrated on a specific occasion, not a claim about your current level.
Goethe Institut certificates do not expire. This is particularly significant for German immigration and citizenship, where a B1 Goethe certificate from any year is accepted.
DELE (Spanish) certificates do not expire. DELF (French A1-B2) certificates do not expire, though DALF (C1-C2) expiry depends on the institution.
Examinizer certificates do not expire. The verification code remains active permanently.
Expiry summary by certificate
| Certificate | Expires? | Validity period |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS | Yes | 2 years |
| TOEFL | Yes | 2 years |
| TCF (French) | Yes | 2 years |
| Cambridge (B2, C1, C2) | No | Permanent |
| Goethe Institut | No | Permanent |
| DELE (Spanish) | No | Permanent |
| DELF (French A1-B2) | No | Permanent |
| CILS / CELI (Italian) | No | Permanent |
| Examinizer | No | Permanent |
What to do if your certificate has expired
For IELTS and TOEFL, the only option is to retake the test. There is no appeal or extension process. If you need the result for a deadline, register for the next available test date immediately.
Check the specific requirement of the institution or authority. Some UK universities accept IELTS results up to three years old for certain postgraduate programmes. Some employers do not enforce the two-year rule for non-immigration purposes. Always confirm directly rather than assuming the standard rule applies.
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