<p>Tools -> Import Private Keys</p>

<p>Create a file with the private key inside it. If you do not add the time of creation of this address, you get this message:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"There were missing dates. Have to go back to genesis block."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think this date should be the first transaction date registered in the block chain.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Key createdAt is in UTC format as specified by ISO 8601
  e.g: 2011-12-31T16:42:00Z . The century, 'T' and 'Z' are mandatory</p>
</blockquote>

<p>To be safe, turn the date back a few days.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-29T20:49:34.883Z
This was perfect, created a file that contained:
user7352
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-29T21:10:18.447Z
I you like this answer, please mark it as answered, to give me better "reputation" and you will also get more http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/help/whats-reputation
Jonas Oestman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-29T20:14:18.890Z
2013-10-29T20:14:18.890Z
Jonas Oestman
<p>Importing private keys into MultiBit:</p>

<ol>
<li>Create a file with the extension ".key" (like "mybitcoinkeys.key")</li>
<li>Put each private key on a separate line.</li>
<li>Next to each private key, type a space and then the date that the private key was created (in UTC format).</li>
</ol>

<p>(this last step is important because MultiBit will only check the blockchain from that date forward)</p>

<p>Here's a sample file that I dug up:</p>

<pre><code># KEEP YOUR PRIVATE KEYS SAFE !
# Anyone who can read this file can spend your bitcoin.
#
# Format:
#   &lt;Base58 encoded private key&gt;[&lt;whitespace&gt;[&lt;key createdAt&gt;]]
#
#   The Base58 encoded private keys are the same format as
#   produced by the Satoshi client/ sipa dumpprivkey utility.
#
#   Key createdAt is in UTC format as specified by ISO 8601
#   e.g: 2011-12-31T16:42:00Z . The century, 'T' and 'Z' are mandatory
#
THIS_IS_THE_PRIVATE_KEY 2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

# End of private keys
</code></pre>

<p>P.S. The date can be as early as you want but should absolutely be before the first transaction involving the address. The time of day doesn't matter because MultiBit will check starting with the beginning of the day anyway.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-08T07:43:59.857Z
Should be "before the first transaction", not "after".
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-08T22:26:45.453Z
Ah, yes, thanks for pointing that out. Fixing that now.
Ryan Shea
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-08T05:13:23.377Z
2014-01-08T22:26:56.327Z
2014-01-08T22:26:56.327Z
Ryan Shea
<p>also I think the same process is described at <a href="https://multibit.org/help_importingPrivateKeys.html" rel="nofollow">https://multibit.org/help_importingPrivateKeys.html</a></p>

<p>it didn't work for me at first, but I changed the private key format to Bitcoin-Qt Format instead of Base58 and it worked.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-24T09:14:15.920Z
2014-01-24T09:14:15.920Z
Casla
<p>Importing a private key into MultiBit Classic is not hard at all.</p>

<p>Open a text file and copy in the following line:</p>

<p>5JinrCK2zeijdidLmjxCfpRWMbfXNS8i6XdUbmQAvW7CC55LQcU 2014-08-01T00:00:00Z</p>

<p>Replace my private key with yours, leave a single space after the key, and don’t change the date, leaving it as 2014-08-01T00:00:00Z</p>

<p>When saving the file replace the extension .txt with .key.</p>

<p>Open MultiBit Classic and import the key, and you are done.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-18T12:02:08.457Z
2016-05-18T12:02:08.457Z
Peter
<p>Sorry to sound like a total Bitcoin noob (which I am).
I've just made a purchase at the new Robocoin Bitcoin ATM.  I have a paper receipt that has a Private Key (starting with 5 and 51 characters long).
How do I import this key into my wallet? I'm using MultiBit 0.5.14 on Ubuntu.
Thanks in advance!</p>

<multibit>
How do import a paper private key into MultiBit?
user7352
# How do import a paper private key into MultiBit?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-10-29)

Sorry to sound like a total Bitcoin noob (which I am).
I've just made a purchase at the new Robocoin Bitcoin ATM. I have a paper receipt that has a Private Key (starting with 5 and 51 characters long).
How do I import this key into my wallet? I'm using MultiBit 0.5.14 on Ubuntu.
Thanks in advance!

**Tags:** multibit


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-10-29. Score: 7

Tools -> Import Private Keys

Create a file with the private key inside it. If you do not add the time of creation of this address, you get this message:

> "There were missing dates. Have to go back to genesis block."

I think this date should be the first transaction date registered in the block chain.

> Key createdAt is in UTC format as specified by ISO 8601
> e.g: 2011-12-31T16:42:00Z . The century, 'T' and 'Z' are mandatory

To be safe, turn the date back a few days.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This was perfect, created a file that contained:  
> **username_1**: I you like this answer, please mark it as answered, to give me better "reputation" and you will also get more http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/help/whats-reputation  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-01-08. Score: 5

Importing private keys into MultiBit:

1. Create a file with the extension ".key" (like "mybitcoinkeys.key")
2. Put each private key on a separate line.
3. Next to each private key, type a space and then the date that the private key was created (in UTC format).

(this last step is important because MultiBit will only check the blockchain from that date forward)

Here's a sample file that I dug up:

```
# KEEP YOUR PRIVATE KEYS SAFE !
# Anyone who can read this file can spend your bitcoin.
#
# Format:
#   <Base58 encoded private key>[<whitespace>[<key createdAt>]]
#
#   The Base58 encoded private keys are the same format as
#   produced by the Satoshi client/ sipa dumpprivkey utility.
#
#   Key createdAt is in UTC format as specified by ISO 8601
#   e.g: 2011-12-31T16:42:00Z . The century, 'T' and 'Z' are mandatory
#
THIS_IS_THE_PRIVATE_KEY 2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

# End of private keys

```

P.S. The date can be as early as you want but should absolutely be before the first transaction involving the address. The time of day doesn't matter because MultiBit will check starting with the beginning of the day anyway.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Should be "before the first transaction", not "after".  
> **username_2**: Ah, yes, thanks for pointing that out. Fixing that now.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-01-24. Score: 1

also I think the same process is described at <https://multibit.org/help_importingPrivateKeys.html>

it didn't work for me at first, but I changed the private key format to Bitcoin-Qt Format instead of Base58 and it worked.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-05-18. Score: 0

Importing a private key into MultiBit Classic is not hard at all.

Open a text file and copy in the following line:

5JinrCK2zeijdidLmjxCfpRWMbfXNS8i6XdUbmQAvW7CC55LQcU 2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

Replace my private key with yours, leave a single space after the key, and don’t change the date, leaving it as 2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

When saving the file replace the extension .txt with .key.

Open MultiBit Classic and import the key, and you are done.


---

