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World desk2 min

Fixing GitLab’s “Your SSH Key Has Expired” Error

Replace the expired SSH key, add its public half to the correct GitLab account, and ensure your local SSH client uses the matching private key.
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GitLab is rejecting the SSH key registered to your account because it has expired. Create a replacement key pair, add its public key to the correct GitLab account, and use the matching private key on your device. Retry Git after confirming GitLab has accepted the new key.

What the error means

The message remote: ERROR: Your SSH key has expired. means GitLab will not accept the registered key for Git actions. GitLab documented this enforcement in a 2022 merge request: GitLab’s SSH key expiry enforcement. The error can appear during a clone, pull, or push; it does not by itself prove that the repository URL is wrong.

GitLab also lists “SSH key has expired” among its user security email notifications, although its notification documentation does not specify exactly when that email is sent: GitLab user security notifications.

Replace the expired key

  1. Generate a new SSH key pair

    Use the SSH tooling available on your operating system and follow your organization’s security requirements. The appropriate algorithm, command, and filename depend on your environment; GitLab’s expiry guidance does not establish one universal choice. GitLab’s earlier implementation told users to generate a new key, but its informational-only behavior is historical and should not be taken to mean expired keys remain usable: GitLab’s SSH key expiry enforcement and the earlier expiry implementation.

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  2. Add the public key to GitLab

    Sign in to the GitLab account you use for the repository and add the replacement key’s public half in that account’s SSH key settings. Do not paste or upload the private key there; keep it on your device. If you have multiple GitLab accounts, make sure you are adding the key to the account that needs access.

  3. Use the matching private key locally

    Your local SSH setup must select the private key that belongs to the public key you registered. If you keep several keys or accounts, check key selection before treating the failure as a repository-permissions problem.

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  4. Retry the Git operation

    Try the same clone, pull, or push again. If the expired-key message is gone but the operation still fails, investigate the new error separately; a replacement key does not resolve unrelated permission, network, or SSH configuration problems.

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If the error continues

  • Confirm the account: Verify that the replacement public key is attached to the GitLab account with access to the project.
  • Confirm the selected key: Check that your SSH client is offering the private key corresponding to the registered public key, particularly if you use multiple local keys.
  • Ask your administrator about instance-specific rules: Self-managed GitLab installations can have deployment-specific context. If the key is registered and selected correctly but GitLab still reports it as expired, consult your instance administrator.

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