Expired IPAF PAL Card - How to Renew Your Qualification and Get Back to Work

An IPAF PAL Card has a specific validity period, so even many years of experience operating powered access equipment do not mean that you can use the qualification indefinitely. The issue often arises at the worst possible time: when changing jobs, starting a new project, or returning to the Netherlands after a longer break.

If your card is still valid, you may be eligible for the renewal route. If your PAL Card has already expired, the situation is different - IPAF requires you to complete the full training course again and pass the required tests.

IPAF PAL Card - What Is It and How Long Is It Valid?

The PAL Card, or Powered Access Licence, is issued after successfully completing the relevant IPAF training and passing the required tests. For MEWP operators, it covers the operation of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs), commonly referred to as aerial work platforms, access platforms, or powered access equipment.

The card shows the categories of machines for which the operator has been trained. The most common categories include:

• 3A - Mobile Vertical, e.g. scissor lifts,
• 3B - Mobile Boom, e.g. articulated boom lifts and telescopic boom lifts,
• 1A - Static Vertical,
• 1B - Static Boom.

A standard operator PAL Card is valid for 5 years, although IPAF notes that regional variations may apply. You can find the exact expiry date on your licence.

This is particularly important for people working in the Netherlands. MEWPs are widely used in construction, industry, logistics, installation work, servicing, and maintenance. If a client or employer requires a valid IPAF qualification, an expired PAL Card may prevent you from starting work on a particular machine.

Expired IPAF PAL Card - Can It Be Renewed?

Not through the standard renewal course. This is the most important point to understand if you notice that the expiry date on your card has already passed.

IPAF requires PAL Card renewal to be completed before the existing licence expires. If an operator or demonstrator PAL Card has already expired, you cannot use the standard shortened renewal route. You must complete the full training course again and pass the required tests.

You should therefore not assume that there is an additional “grace period” after the expiry date during which the card can still be renewed through the standard process.

If your card expired recently, do not postpone your training simply because you have many years of experience. Your professional experience remains valuable, but it does not change the status of an expired licence.

Renewing an IPAF PAL Card Before It Expires - What Are the Requirements?

The situation is more straightforward if your PAL Card is still valid but approaching its expiry date. IPAF provides a renewal course for operators who meet specific requirements. Practical experience gained during the validity period of the licence and recorded in a logbook is particularly important. This can include a digital logbook maintained through the ePAL app.

From 1 January 2026, an operator wishing to take the IPAF renewal course must have at least 60 logbook entries covering the 5-year licence period. This requirement was introduced gradually: it was 20 entries in 2023, 30 in 2024, and 40 in 2025.

If your card is still valid and you have the required documented experience, contact an IPAF-approved training centre before your licence expires. If you cannot provide evidence of the required practical experience, the standard renewal route will not be available. In that case, you will need to complete the full operator training course again.

How Many Logbook Entries Do You Need for IPAF Renewal in 2026?

In 2026, you need at least 60 logbook entries documenting practical operating experience gained during the five-year validity period of your licence.

This is particularly important for operators who spent part of that period doing a different type of work. Simply having a valid PAL Card does not automatically mean that you meet the requirements for the renewal course.

That is why it is worth maintaining your logbook from the start. If you regularly operate MEWPs, record your practical experience as you go rather than trying to reconstruct several years of operating history shortly before your licence expires.

If your card is close to its expiry date, check the number of entries now. This will help you determine whether you qualify for the renewal course or whether you should prepare to complete the full training course again.

IPAF Refresher or Full Training - What Do You Need to Do?

Operators often use terms such as “refresher,” “refresher course,” or “IPAF renewal.” However, you should not choose a training course based solely on the commonly used name. What matters is the status of your licence and your documented operating experience.

You can follow this simple process:

1. Check the exact expiry date of your PAL Card.
2. If the card is still valid, check the number of entries in your logbook.
3. If you have the required documented experience, contact an approved training centre before your licence expires.
4. If you do not meet the practical experience requirements, prepare to take the full course again.
5. If your card has already expired, enrol on the full training course for the category you need.

When contacting the training centre, provide your licence number, expiry date, and the categories you want to renew. This will make it easier to determine the correct training route.

Long Break from Operating MEWPs - Is Your IPAF Card Still Valid?

A break from operating MEWPs does not automatically shorten the validity period shown on your PAL Card. If the card is still within its validity period, it remains valid until the stated expiry date.

The issue may arise when you want to renew it. If you have hardly operated MEWPs for several years, you may not have the required number of logbook entries to demonstrate sufficient practical experience.

Imagine an operator who obtained 3A and 3B categories and then changed roles, using MEWPs only occasionally for several years. Their PAL Card may still be valid, but the lack of documented operating experience could prevent them from using the renewal route.

A long break also matters from a practical perspective. You may forget some of the procedures relating to pre-use inspections, workplace assessment, correct MEWP positioning, or emergency procedures.

If you are returning to MEWP operation after several years, completing the full training again may provide a valuable refresher of your practical skills rather than being merely a formality.

IPAF Categories 1A, 1B, 3A and 3B - Which MEWPs Can You Operate?

Having a valid PAL Card does not mean that you are trained to operate every type of MEWP. Your licence lists specific categories.

The most common categories are:

• 1A - Static Vertical
• 1B - Static Boom
• 3A - Mobile Vertical
• 3B - Mobile Boom

If you only hold 3A, do not assume that you can automatically carry out work requiring a 3B qualification.

This is particularly relevant when looking for work in the Netherlands. Job advertisements may specify a particular IPAF category because the company already knows what type of equipment you will be operating on the project.

If your card has already expired and you need to complete the full training again, use this opportunity to check which categories you actually need. If you previously held several categories, you may not necessarily need to obtain all of them again. Match your qualifications to the machines you currently operate or plan to operate.

ePAL and the IPAF Logbook - How Should You Record Your Operating Experience?

IPAF provides the ePAL app, which gives operators access to a digital PAL Card and a digital logbook.

For operators who regularly work with MEWPs, the logbook is particularly important. Documented practical experience is taken into account when determining eligibility for the renewal course.

Do not leave updating your logbook until the final weeks before your card expires. Entries should accurately reflect your actual operating experience.

It is also good practice to regularly check the expiry dates of all your professional qualifications. This is particularly important for people working as ZZP/self-employed contractors, through employment agencies, or on frequently changing projects.

Five years is long enough to forget the date printed on your card. In practice, operators often discover the problem only when a new employer asks to see their qualifications.

Expired IPAF Card and Working in the Netherlands - Can You Still Operate a MEWP?

If your employer, client, or project rules require a valid PAL Card, an expired card is no longer valid evidence of your qualification.

In this situation, many years of operating experience should not be treated as a substitute for a qualification required by the client.

This may mean that you have to stop carrying out tasks involving MEWP operation until you regain the required qualification. It does not necessarily mean that you will lose your job completely. If your employer has other tasks available that do not require this qualification, the situation may be managed operationally.

However, it is best to avoid this situation altogether. If you notice before starting a project that your PAL Card has expired or is about to expire, inform your employer or employment agency.

It is much easier to arrange training in advance than to discover the problem during a document check immediately before starting work.

Retaking the IPAF Course After Your PAL Card Expires - What Does the Training Involve?

Once your licence has expired, you must complete the full IPAF training course again for the required category and pass the relevant tests.

MEWP operator training consists of both theoretical and practical elements. The theory section covers topics including the safe use of MEWPs, operator responsibilities, hazards, and preparation for work.

During the practical section, you work with the relevant category of machine and must demonstrate that you can correctly and safely perform the required operating tasks.

Full operator training can take between one and three days, depending on factors such as the scope of the course and the categories involved. After successfully completing the training and passing the required tests, you receive a new PAL Card and certificate.

If you are returning to MEWP operation after a long break, the practical section offers additional value. It allows you to practise procedures that become routine when you operate MEWPs regularly but may need refreshing after several years away from the equipment.

How Can You Prevent Your IPAF PAL Card from Expiring?

The best approach is to keep track of the expiry date and document your practical experience from the beginning of the licence validity period.

If you regularly operate MEWPs:

• Maintain your logbook in ePAL,
• Record your actual operating experience,
• Keep track of your PAL Card expiry date,
• Do not wait until the final few days to contact a training centre,
• Check whether you have the required 60 logbook entries,
• Confirm which categories you want to retain,
• Check the requirements of your new employer or project before changing jobs.

Maintaining your logbook is particularly important. If you fail to document your practical experience throughout most of the five-year validity period, you may find that you do not meet the renewal course requirements when your licence is approaching expiry.

A good solution is to set a reminder several months before the expiry date. This gives you enough time to check your documentation, contact an approved training centre, and arrange your course without an unnecessary interruption to your work.

IPAF Renewal in the Netherlands - Don’t Wait Until Your PAL Card Is About to Expire

If your PAL Card is approaching its expiry date, check it now and count the entries in your logbook. If you meet the requirements, arrange your renewal before the card expires. If your card has already expired, prepare to complete the full training course again for the category you need.

Up-to-date operator qualifications increase your availability to employers and allow you to take on tasks involving MEWP operation on construction sites, in warehouses and industrial facilities, and during technical installation work.

Check out IPAF training courses at Bonapi and choose a course that matches the categories of machines you use in your work. Planning your training well in advance can help you avoid a situation where an expired PAL Card prevents you from starting a new project.

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