telc B1 Certificate Validity, Loss and Replacement
Last updated: August 2026 · 8 min read
A telc certificate does not state an expiry period. However, whether an older certificate is accepted for a particular purpose is decided by the institution requesting it, not by telc.
Is the certificate unlimited?
The result and certificate do not automatically expire. Nevertheless, a university, employer or authority may ask for more recent proof of current language ability.
It is therefore inaccurate to promise lifetime acceptance everywhere. telc imposes no expiry date; the receiving institution sets its own acceptance conditions.
What if the certificate is lost?
telc archives results digitally for 10 years. During that period you can apply directly to telc for a paid duplicate, which is marked as such.
A third-party application requires authorisation. The current fee table lists €40 for a duplicate certificate or result sheet; international transfer and shipping costs are additional.
Name or data errors
Personal data must match the spelling in the identity document. A correction can be requested through the examination centre within four months of the certificate's issue date.
A surname change after marriage or divorce is not added retrospectively; the legal name at the time of the examination remains on the certificate.
Digital certificates
telc announced that digital result notification would become standard from the first quarter of 2026. The certificate arrives as a PDF and can be checked through the verification portal.
Digital and paper certificates have equal validity. Editing the PDF invalidates its digital signature and integrity check.
Official sources
Dates, timings, scores and procedures were checked against the primary sources below.
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