Cloud Certifications That Expire in 2026: Renewal & Recertification Guide

Cloud certifications do not last forever. Every major provider enforces expiration dates, and the renewal process varies significantly between AWS, Azure, GCP, and PMI. If you earned certifications in 2023 or 2024, some of them may expire this year.

Letting a certification lapse is costly. You lose the credential from your profile, your digital badge becomes inactive, and you may need to retake the full exam at full price. This guide covers every provider’s renewal process so you can maintain your certifications without surprises.

Quick Reference: Expiration Policies

Provider	Validity Period	Renewal Method	Cost	Key Deadline
AWS	3 years	Pass current exam or higher-level cert	$150-$300	3 years from issue date
Azure	1 year	Free online renewal assessment	Free	6 months before expiry (renewal window opens)
GCP	2 yrs (Professional), 3 yrs (Associate/Foundational)	Renewal exam (CDL, ACE, PCA, PDE) or full exam	$60-$200	Validity end date
PMI (PMP)	3 years	Earn 60 PDUs	$60 renewal fee	3-year cycle end date
PMI (CAPM)	3 years	Earn 15 PDUs	Renewal fee	3-year cycle end date

AWS Certification Renewal

How AWS Renewal Works

AWS certifications are valid for 3 years from the date you pass the exam. To recertify, you must pass the current version of the same exam or a higher-level exam in the same path before your certification expires.

For example:

• If your AWS Solutions Architect Associate expires in August 2026, you can recertify by passing the current SAA-C03 exam before that date
• Alternatively, passing the AWS Solutions Architect Professional exam will also renew your Associate certification
• Passing any specialty exam (Security, Database, Machine Learning, etc.) renews all lower-level certifications

Key Details

• Renewal window: You can retake the exam at any time during your 3-year validity period. There is no early or late penalty.
• Cost: Standard exam fee applies ($150 for Associate, $300 for Professional/Specialty). AWS provides a 50% discount voucher when you pass an exam, which you can use for your renewal.
• What happens if it expires: Your certification becomes inactive. You must pass the current exam to reactivate it. Your exam history is preserved but the credential is no longer valid.
• Digital badges: Issued through Credly. Badges remain in your Credly profile but show as expired. They reactivate when you recertify.

Which AWS Certs Are Expiring in 2026?

If you earned or renewed any AWS certification between January and December 2023, it will expire in 2026. Common scenarios:

• SAA-C03 passed in Q1 2023: Expires Q1 2026 — act immediately if you have not already renewed
• CCP passed in mid-2023: Expires mid-2026
• DVA-C02 passed in Q3 2023: Expires Q3 2026

Check your exact expiration date at aws.amazon.com/certification under “Your Certifications.”

AWS Renewal Strategy

The most cost-efficient AWS renewal strategy is to pass a higher-level certification. If your SAA is expiring, passing the Solutions Architect Professional renews both your Associate and Professional credentials. If you hold multiple Associate certs, passing one Specialty exam can renew all of them.

For a complete overview of AWS certification paths, see our AWS Certification Path Guide.

Azure Certification Renewal

How Azure Renewal Works

Microsoft changed the game with their renewal policy. Azure certifications are valid for 1 year, but renewal is free and does not require retaking the full exam. Instead, you complete an online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn.

Key Details

• Renewal window: The renewal assessment becomes available 6 months before your expiration date. You receive email notifications from Microsoft.
• Assessment format: An open-book, untimed, online assessment. You can use Microsoft Learn documentation during the assessment. The assessment covers updates and new features added to the certification scope since you last certified.
• Cost: Free. No exam fee, no registration fee.
• Passing score: 70% on the renewal assessment. If you do not pass, you can retake it immediately.
• What happens if it expires: You must retake the full certification exam at full price. There is no grace period after expiration.

The Annual Cycle

Azure’s 1-year validity means you will renew every year. While this sounds burdensome, the free renewal assessment typically takes 30-45 minutes and is significantly easier than the original exam.

Azure Certs Commonly Expiring in 2026

Because Azure uses annual renewal, most Azure-certified professionals have renewals every year. If you earned or last renewed in mid-2025, your renewal window opens in early 2026.

Key certifications to watch:

• AZ-104 (Azure Administrator): One of the most widely held Azure certs
• AZ-204 (Azure Developer): Common among developers in Microsoft ecosystems
• AZ-305 (Azure Solutions Architect Expert): Requires AZ-104 and has its own renewal assessment
• AI-900, DP-900, AZ-900 (Fundamentals): These do not expire and do not require renewal

Important: Azure Fundamentals certifications (AZ-900, AI-900, DP-900, SC-900) do not expire. Only role-based and specialty certifications require annual renewal. Note that “does not expire” refers to a certification you already hold — it is separate from exam retirement. AI-900 itself was retired for new candidates on June 30, 2026 and replaced by AI-901; if you already hold the AI-900 credential, it remains valid and does not need renewal.

GCP Certification Renewal

How GCP Renewal Works

Google Cloud Professional certifications are valid for 2 years; Foundational and Associate certifications (Cloud Digital Leader, Associate Cloud Engineer, Generative AI Leader) are valid for 3 years (Google Cloud certification FAQ, checked October 2026).

How you renew depends on the certification:

• Renewal exam: a shorter renewal exam exists for Cloud Digital Leader, Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect and Professional Data Engineer. For example, the ACE renewal exam is 1 hour, 20 questions, USD 75; the PCA renewal exam is 1 hour, 25 questions, USD 100.
• Continuing education: for the same four certifications, completing designated Google Skills content adds one year; it must be done within the last year before expiry.
• Full exam: for the other certifications (for example Professional Cloud Security Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer and Cloud Developer), the renewal exam is listed as “coming soon”, so today you renew by passing the current full exam.

Key Details

• Renewal window: check Google’s renewal FAQ for the current eligibility window before you book.
• Cost: renewal exam (USD 60-100 where available) or the full exam fee (USD 99 Foundational, USD 125 Associate Cloud Engineer, USD 200 Professional)
• What happens if it expires: Your certification becomes invalid. You must pass the current exam to recertify. Google updates exam content regularly, so the exam you retake may cover different topics than the one you originally passed.

GCP Certs Expiring in 2026

If you earned a Google Cloud Professional certification in 2024, it expires in 2026. Associate and Foundational certifications earned in 2023 expire in 2026.

Plan your renewal 2-3 months ahead, especially for certifications that still need the full exam.

PMI Certification Renewal

PMP Renewal (PDU-Based)

PMP certification uses a 3-year cycle. To maintain your certification, you must earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during each 3-year cycle. PDUs are earned through:

Education PDUs (minimum 35 required):

• Courses, webinars, and training programs
• Self-directed learning (reading books, watching videos)
• Maximum 8 PDUs from self-directed learning per category

Giving Back PDUs (maximum 25):

• Mentoring, teaching, or coaching
• Creating knowledge (writing articles, developing courses)
• Volunteering for PMI chapters or other organizations
• Working as a project manager (up to 8 PDUs)

Key Details

• Cycle duration: 3 years from certification date
• Renewal fee: $60 for PMI members, $150 for non-members
• What happens if it expires: Your PMP enters a 1-year suspension period. During suspension, you can still earn PDUs and renew by paying the renewal fee plus a reactivation fee. After the suspension period, you must retake the PMP exam.
• PDU reporting: Log PDUs through PMI’s CCRS (Continuing Certification Requirements System) at pmi.org

CAPM Renewal

CAPM is valid for 3 years. To renew, you earn 15 PDUs during the three-year cycle and pay the renewal fee; you do not need to retake the exam.

PMI Certs Expiring in 2026

If you earned your PMP in 2023, your 3-year cycle ends in 2026. Make sure you have earned all 60 PDUs before your cycle end date.

If you earned CAPM in 2023, make sure you have earned your 15 PDUs before your cycle end date.

Cost Comparison: Annual Maintenance Costs

When calculating the true cost of maintaining certifications, consider the annual equivalent:

Certification	Validity	Renewal Cost	Annual Equivalent
AWS Associate	3 years	$150 (exam)	$50/year
AWS Professional	3 years	$300 (exam)	$100/year
Azure Role-Based	1 year	Free (assessment)	$0/year
GCP Associate (ACE)	3 years	$75 (renewal exam)	$25/year
GCP Professional	2 years	$100 (renewal exam) to $200 (full exam)	$50-$100/year
PMP	3 years	$60-$150 (fee) + PDU costs	$20-$100/year
CAPM	3 years	Renewal fee + 15 PDUs	see pmi.org

Azure is the clear winner on maintenance costs. AWS is moderate. GCP Professional certifications have the shortest cycle (2 years).

Building a Renewal Calendar

If you hold certifications across multiple providers, create a calendar to track all expiration dates. Here is an example format:

Certification	Earned	Expires	Renewal Opens	Action Required
AWS SAA-C03	Mar 2023	Mar 2026	Anytime	Schedule exam by Feb 2026
Azure AZ-104	Jun 2025	Jun 2026	Dec 2025	Complete renewal assessment
GCP PCA	Sep 2024	Sep 2026	See Google FAQ	Begin study in Jun 2026
PMP	Jan 2024	Jan 2027	Ongoing	Track PDU progress quarterly

Set calendar reminders 6 months, 3 months, and 1 month before each expiration date.

Using StudyKits for Renewal Prep

The same practice question sets you used for your initial certification work for renewal preparation. When it is time to renew, check that the app follows the current exam version, then use the question banks to refresh your knowledge. The spaced repetition system will quickly identify concepts you have forgotten since your initial certification and prioritize them for review.

For AWS and GCP renewals that require passing the full exam, plan 2-4 weeks of focused review using practice questions. You will need less time than your initial preparation because the foundational concepts are still in your long-term memory — you just need to refresh the details and learn any new services added since you last certified.

For a broader perspective on certification strategy, see our Multi-Cloud Certification Strategy guide.

Key Takeaways

1. Check your expiration dates now. Log into each provider’s certification portal and note every expiration date for 2026.
2. Azure renewals are free but annual. Do not ignore the emails — the free assessment takes 30 minutes and saves you from retaking a $165 exam.
3. AWS renewal is best done by leveling up. Pass a higher-level cert to renew lower ones and advance your career simultaneously.
4. GCP Professional certs last 2 years. Use the shorter renewal exam where it exists (CDL, ACE, PCA, PDE); otherwise plan for the full exam.
5. PMP PDUs accumulate over 3 years. Track them quarterly, not annually, to avoid a year-end scramble.
6. Do not let certifications lapse. The cost of re-earning an expired certification (study time + exam fee + lost credential value) far exceeds the cost of timely renewal.