TOEFL iBT scores lapse two years after the test date, while Goethe-Institut certificates from A1 to C2 carry unlimited validity. The TCF and TOPIK also run on two-year clocks, and SIELE on five. This guide maps language certification validity periods and renewal rules for ten certificates, the result-age limits Canada, the UK and Australia add on top, aviation’s ICAO cycles, and 2024–2025 candidate volumes.
Language Certification Validity Periods and Renewal Rules
Can an Expired Language Certificate Be Renewed?
For TOEFL, an expired result is replaced, not renewed. ETS will not report or send TOEFL iBT scores more than two years after the test date.
TOPIK applies the same two-year limit, counted from the results announcement rather than the test day, according to the official 2025 TOPIK IBT leaflet.
Source: ETS, Understanding TOEFL iBT Scores, accessed October 2026; TOPIK IBT leaflet, 2025
A partial resit does not restart the clock. IELTS One Skill Retake results stay valid for two years from the original test date, according to the British Council.
Resit Options Before a Result Lapses
| Certificate | Published resit rule |
|---|---|
| IELTS | One Skill Retake: one skill, once per original test, within 60 days |
| Goethe-Zertifikat B1 to C2 | Modular exams |
| JLPT | Full test twice a year; 2026 dates are 5 July and 6 December |
| TOPIK I and II | 12 sittings in 2026: 6 paper-based, 6 internet-based |
Source: British Council, IELTS One Skill Retake; Goethe-Institut FAQ; JLPT official site, 2026 test dates; Ministry of Education 2026 TOPIK plan, October 2025
Internet-based TOPIK sittings rose from 3 in 2024 to 6 in 2025. The 2026 plan expands the IBT from 13 to 17 countries.
Some JLPT cities outside Japan hold the test only in July or only in December, so the next local sitting can be a year away.
Level structure from N5 to N1 is set out in our JLPT exam guide for US learners.
Source: Ministry of Education TOPIK plans for 2025 and 2026, via Daehak Journal (October 2024) and CBS NoCut News (October 2025); JLPT official site
Issuer-Set Validity Periods, From Two Years to Lifetime
| Certificate | Validity set by the issuer |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 2 years from the test date |
| IELTS | 2 years recommended; organisations set their own period |
| TCF | Attestation valid 2 years |
| TOPIK | 2 years from the results announcement |
| SIELE | 5 years |
| DELF and DALF | Valid for life |
| DELE | Indefinite |
| Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2 | Unlimited |
| Cambridge English Qualifications | Do not expire |
| JLPT | Valid for life |
Source: ETS; IDP IELTS; France Éducation international, TCF candidate manual; Campus France; TOPIK IBT leaflet 2025; Instituto Cervantes DELE–SIELE comparison; Goethe-Institut FAQ; Cambridge English FAQ; University of Alberta JLPT test centre. Policies as published, October 2026
Four of the ten carry a two-year term or recommendation. SIELE, created by Instituto Cervantes with three universities, is the only fixed term beyond that, at five years.
Lifetime validity does not bind the receiver. Cambridge English says universities, colleges and employers can choose how long to accept its results.
IELTS takes the same line, recommending two years and leaving the final period to each organisation, according to IDP.
Speaker totals for the six languages tested here are compared in our ranking of the most spoken languages.
Five certificates in the table never expire at issuer level: DELF-DALF, DELE, Goethe-Zertifikat, Cambridge English and JLPT.
Language Certification Validity Rules for Canada, UK and Australian Visas
Immigration authorities set their own maximum result age. That limit applies even when the issuer’s certificate never expires.
| Authority | Route | Maximum age of the result |
|---|---|---|
| IRCC (Canada) | Express Entry | Under 2 years at profile creation and at the PR application |
| UKVI (UK) | SELT for visa and citizenship applications | Awarded in the 2 years before the application |
| Home Affairs (Australia) | Tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 | Taken in the 3 years before the visa application, depending on subclass |
| Home Affairs (Australia) | Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 | Usable until 6 August 2028, inclusive |
Source: IRCC, Express Entry language test results; GOV.UK, Secure English Language Test guidance; Department of Home Affairs, Competent English. Rules as published, October 2026
IRCC checks the result’s age at both stages and refuses permanent residence applications filed with expired results.
A test sat on 19 October 2026 stays inside the IRCC and UKVI windows until October 2028. Under Australia’s three-year rule it can stay usable until October 2029, depending on the visa subclass.
IELTS volumes by country are tracked in our IELTS test taker statistics by country.
Where Lifetime Certificates Still Run Out
Home Affairs lists Cambridge C1 Advanced in its table for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025. Those results count only until 6 August 2028, whatever Cambridge’s own policy says.
Home Affairs also requires a secure test centre and restricts at-home formats such as MET Digital.
IELTS One Skill Retake results cannot be used for UK Visas and Immigration, under the British Council’s retake terms.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, English language requirements, accessed October 2026; British Council, IELTS One Skill Retake terms, November 2023
What Happens to TOEFL Scores From Before 21 January 2026?
ETS moved TOEFL iBT score reports to a 1–6 scale in half-point steps on 21 January 2026, aligned with the CEFR.
For a two-year transition, reports also show a comparable overall score on the old 0–120 scale.
The two-year validity rule did not change. A test sat on 20 January 2026, the day before the switch, stays valid until January 2028.
Country-level results for English are compared in our national English proficiency statistics.
New-scale reports convert older 0–120 results inside MyBest scores. Reports for pre-change tests show only the old scale.
Source: ETS, Understanding TOEFL iBT Scores, accessed October 2026
Aviation English Validity Periods by ICAO Level, 3 to 9 Years
Aviation is the only system in this guide where a higher level buys a longer validity period.
ICAO Doc 9835 recommends reassessment every 3 years at Level 4 and every 6 years at Level 5. Level 6 needs no further assessment.
EASA’s FCL.055 sets 4 years for Level 4 pilots and 6 years for Level 5, and exempts Level 6 pilots from re-evaluation.
Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340 sets nine years for an English Level 6 endorsement, according to SKYbrary.
Academic tests work the other way. An IELTS band 9.0 carries the same two-year recommendation as a band 5.0.
Source: SKYbrary, English Language Proficiency Requirements; Regulation (EU) 2019/1747 amending Part-FCL, FCL.055 text, legislation.gov.uk
How Many Candidates Sit Two-Year vs Lifetime Certificates?
France: Lifetime DELF-DALF vs Two-Year TCF
France Éducation international registered 513,435 DELF-DALF candidates in 2025, a 3% rise on 498,463 in 2024.
The TCF drew 310,436 candidates in 2025 under FEI’s 2025 activity report, against 257,592 in 2024.
TCF Canada accounted for 124,650 of the 2025 TCF candidates, up from nearly 80,000 in 2024. FEI’s February 2026 newsletter gave different 2025 counts: 310,473 for the TCF and 124,667 for TCF Canada.
Source: France Éducation international, Rapport d’activité 2025; Lettre FEI, March 2025 and February 2026; calendar years 2024–2025
JLPT Applicants by Session, 2024–2025
JLPT certificates are valid for life, according to the University of Alberta’s JLPT test centre.
The December 2025 session drew 1,036,380 applicants, against 925,242 in December 2024. July applicants rose from 793,701 in 2024 to 904,472 in 2025.
JLPT counts examinees who sat only some test sections as examinees, so applicant totals are the cleaner volume measure.
Source: JLPT, Applicants, Examinees and Certification Results, July 2024 to December 2025 sessions
TOPIK Applicants, 2021–2025
TOPIK applicants rose every year from 2021 to 2025, while each result stays valid for two years.
NIIED data released by National Assembly member Yoon Yong-geun put 2025 applicants at 566,665, against 218,869 in 2020.
Korean’s position among the most-studied foreign languages by learner count is tracked separately.
The 2021–2024 figures come from the Ministry of Education’s October 2025 TOPIK plan release.
Source: Ministry of Education and NIIED data via The Fact, October 2025 and October 2026; applicants by calendar year
FAQs
Do IELTS results expire after 2 years?
IELTS partners recommend a two-year validity period, but each organisation chooses its own. Australia’s Home Affairs accepts tests taken in the 3 years before a visa application, depending on the subclass.
Can you renew an expired TOEFL score?
No. TOEFL iBT scores are valid for 2 years from the test date, and ETS will not report or send them after that. A new test is required.
Does the DELF certificate expire?
DELF and DALF are diplomas valid for life, per Campus France, while a TCF attestation lasts two years. France Éducation international registered 513,435 DELF-DALF candidates in 2025.
Why do Reddit threads say Cambridge certificates expire for visas?
Cambridge says its certificates do not expire, but receiving organisations set their own limits. Australia accepts C1 Advanced results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 only until 6 August 2028.
How long are language test results valid for Express Entry?
Results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you apply for permanent residence. IRCC refuses applications filed with expired results.
