You can move an SSL certificate to a new server if you still have its private key: copy the certificate, the private key and the CA bundle, then install all three on the new server. If you do not have the private key, generate a new CSR on the new server and ask your certificate provider to reissue the certificate, which most providers allow at no extra cost while it is valid. If you use a free certificate, simply issue a new one on the new host.<\/p>\n
An SSL certificate works as a pair. The certificate is public and is sent to every visitor’s browser. The private key stays secret on the server and proves that the server is the rightful owner of the certificate. A certificate without its matching private key is useless.<\/p>\n
The private key is created on the server when you generate a CSR (certificate signing request). It is never sent to the certificate authority. So if the old server is gone and you did not save the key, nobody can recover it. Your only option is a reissue.<\/p>\n
Use this when the old server is still running and you can reach the private key.<\/p>\n
Export the certificate as a .pfx file with the private key included, and protect it with a strong password. Import the .pfx on the new server, or convert it with OpenSSL if the new server runs Linux.<\/p>\n
Anyone who gets your private key can impersonate your site. Do not send it by plain email or paste it into chat apps. Move it over a secure channel and delete stray copies once the certificate is installed.<\/p>\n
Use this when the private key is lost or you would rather not copy it between servers. Many administrators prefer this route because a fresh key never leaves the new server.<\/p>\n
The reissued certificate normally keeps the original expiry date. For OV and EV certificates, the organisation checks have already been done, so a reissue is usually quick.<\/p>\n
Free certificates, such as those issued automatically by cPanel AutoSSL or Let’s Encrypt, are not usually moved. They are short-lived and renew automatically. Once your domain points to the new server, the new host issues a fresh one. See how to install a free SSL certificate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Visitors see a browser warning if they reach a server that has no valid certificate for your domain. To avoid that:<\/p>\n After installing, open the site in a private browser window and click the padlock to confirm the certificate details and expiry date. Use an online SSL checker to make sure the CA bundle is installed. A missing chain can work in one browser and fail in another, so it is worth checking.<\/p>\n No. A paid certificate belongs to your domain, not your host. You can move it with its private key or reissue it with a new CSR for the rest of its validity period.<\/p>\n No. The provider never receives your private key. If it is lost, reissue the certificate with a new CSR.<\/p>\n Technically yes, if both servers have the private key. Check your provider’s licence terms, as some limit the number of servers. During a migration, having the certificate on both servers is useful.<\/p>\n It stays on the old server until it expires. The new host issues its own free certificate once your domain points to it.<\/p>\n If you are moving your site to Tremhost, our team handles free cPanel-to-cPanel migration<\/a>, and free SSL is included on all hosting. Paid certificates bought through Tremhost SSL<\/a> are installed free on Tremhost hosting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Moving hosts does not mean buying a new SSL certificate. Copy the certificate with its private key, or reissue it with a new CSR on the new server.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ssl","tag-ssl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=813"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80680,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813\/revisions\/80680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tremhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Timing the move to avoid security warnings<\/h2>\n
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Check the installation<\/h2>\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
Do I have to buy a new certificate when I change hosts?<\/h3>\n
Can I recover a lost private key from my certificate provider?<\/h3>\n
Can I use the same certificate on two servers at once?<\/h3>\n
What happens to my free SSL when I move?<\/h3>\n
Next step<\/h2>\n