Sign in Subscribe

On this page

How to Import an Existing SSH Key to AWS as a Key Pair?

Vikas Yadav

• 2 min read

Introduction

Managing multiple AWS PEM files quickly becomes messy in real-world environments. Reusing existing SSH keys across EC2 instances is often a simpler and more secure approach for DevOps teams.

In this guide, we’ll show how to import an existing SSH public key into AWS EC2 using both the Console and AWS CLI.

How to Import an Existing Public Key to AWS

0:00
/0:42

Loom: https://loom.com/share/216cefe795ba49218cd3d7d907725fff

Step 1: Copy Your Existing Public Key 0:00

  • Locate your existing public key.
  • Copy the public key to your clipboard.

 

Step 2: Import the Key Pair to AWS 0:07

  • Go to your AWS account.
  • Navigate to the section for key pairs.
  • Click on 'Import Key Pair'.
  • Paste your copied public key into the designated field.

 

Step 3: Confirm the Import 0:22

  • After pasting, confirm the import.
  • The key pair is now available in your AWS account.

 

Step 4: Use the Key Pair When Creating an EC2 Instance 0:35

  • When launching a new EC2 instance, specify the imported key pair.
  • You can now access your instance using this key without creating a new one.

Conclusion 0:42

  • You have successfully imported your existing public key to AWS.
  • No need to create new key pairs or worry about storage.

Here are some common questions engineers ask when importing existing SSH keys into AWS EC2.

Why import an existing SSH key into AWS EC2?

Importing an existing SSH key lets teams reuse trusted keys across environments instead of generating and managing new key pairs for every EC2 instance.

What type of SSH key can AWS import?

AWS EC2 supports importing standard SSH public keys such as RSA and ED25519 public keys in OpenSSH format.

Is importing SSH keys more secure than downloading new PEM files?

Using existing managed SSH keys can reduce operational overhead and improve centralized access management compared to downloading multiple PEM files.

Can imported SSH keys be reused across multiple EC2 instances?

Yes. Once imported into AWS as a key pair, the same SSH key can be attached to multiple EC2 instances during launch.

Can SSH keys be imported using AWS CLI?

Yes. AWS supports importing SSH public keys through both the AWS Management Console and AWS CLI using the import-key-pair command.

Read More

Recent