Renewing your AMPP CIP or FROSIO certificate: deadlines and requirements
Passing the exam gets you certified; keeping the certificate is a separate process with its own deadlines. The AMPP CIP and FROSIO schemes handle renewal very differently, and missing a deadline can mean sitting an exam again. Here is how each one works, taken from the schemes' own renewal pages and guides.
The short answer: AMPP CIP certifications renew every 3 years through AMPP's certification portal, with work experience, professional development hours (PDHs) and the ethics-training requirement. Renewal opens 90 days before expiry, and there is a 90-day grace period after it. FROSIO certificates are valid for 5 years and are renewed through the FROSIO portal with an updated CV and an employer letter (Level III also needs documented inspection practice). A certificate not renewed within 6 months of expiry is invalid, and you must pass the examination again.
Side by side
| AMPP CIP | FROSIO | |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle | 3 years | 5 years from first issue |
| Where | AMPP certification portal | FROSIO inspectors' portal |
| What you submit | Work experience, PDHs, proof of ethics training, fee | Updated CV covering the last 5 years, a signed and stamped employer letter; for Level III, impartial proof of at least 2 years' inspection practice in the last 5 |
| When | From 90 days before expiry; processing typically 2–4 weeks | Before expiry; FROSIO invoices after receiving the application |
| If late | 90-day grace period; extensions can be requested; after that the certification lapses, with reinstatement fees and possibly re-examination | After 6 months past expiry the certificate is invalid; you must pass the examination again, but no new course is needed |
AMPP CIP in detail
- Work experience. The current Level 1 exam guide asks for 1.5 years of coating-inspection work per cycle. The July 2026 Level 2 guide asks for 18 months of coatings-related work since the last renewal.
- Professional development hours. PDHs are required for every certification and are logged in the portal, which you can do at any time during the cycle. For Level 2, the July 2026 guide sets 8 hours a year, 24 per cycle. AMPP's renewal guide requires the hours to relate to the certification and come from at least two categories.
- Ethics. Since 1 January 2021 every certification holder must show ethics training: AMPP's Ethics for the Corrosion Professional course or an approved equivalent.
- Audits. AMPP audits a substantial share of renewal applications at random, so keep evidence of your work and training.
- Linked certifications. Renewing a higher CIP level also covers the lower one; you don't renew Level 1 separately once you hold Level 2.
FROSIO in detail
- Documents. An updated CV with your relevant experience over the last five years, and a formal letter from your current employer confirming that experience, dated, signed and stamped. For Levels I and II that is enough.
- Level III. You must also document at least two years of relevant inspection practice in the last five, and the proof must be impartial. Your own employer does not count. Use FROSIO's reference-list form with external contacts from clients or projects, or letters from previous employers.
- Process and fee. Upload the documents in the portal and send a renewal request. FROSIO then issues an invoice, and you should not pay before you receive it. The listed renewal fee is 1,800 NOK (about €160). The renewed certificate is issued digitally.
- The 6-month rule. A certificate not renewed within six months of its expiry date becomes invalid, and you must pass the examination again, although a new course is not required.
- Upgrades. The same portal request handles a level upgrade: Level II needs at least 2 years of relevant experience, and Level III at least 5, including 2 of documented inspection.
A renewal checklist
- Put your expiry date, and the date 90 days before it, in your calendar the day you certify.
- Log inspection work and training as they happen, with dates, employers, projects and hours.
- For FROSIO Level III, collect external reference contacts while you are still on the projects.
- For AMPP, enter PDHs across the cycle, not in the last month, and complete the ethics course early.
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- AMPP — Renew your certification — portal process, PDHs, ethics requirement, 90-day window and grace period, processing time
- AMPP — Certification Renewal Guide (PDF) — PDH categories, random audits, higher levels superseding lower ones
- AMPP — Exam Preparation Guides: Basic Coatings Inspector (CIP Level 1) — renewal every 3 years with 1.5 years of coating-inspection work
- AMPP — Exam Preparation Guides: Certified Coatings Inspector (CIP Level 2) — July 2026 guide: 18 months of work, 24 PDHs per cycle
- FROSIO — Certificate renewal — documents, Level III impartial evidence, process and fee
- FROSIO — Training and certification — 5-year validity, the 6-month rule, level requirements
Checked on 23 September 2026.
Related guides: FROSIO vs AMPP CIP · The 2026 CIP Level 2 exam changes · What is the FROSIO inspector certification?.
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