Convert PDF to PDF/A
Make an archive-ready PDF/A file that courts, tax offices and archives accept, and that will open the same way decades from now.
- Files never leave your device
- Free, no signup, no watermark
- Works on any browser
How to convert a PDF to PDF/A
- 1Choose your PDF
- 2Pick PDF/A-2b, or PDF/A-3b to keep attachments
- 3Download the PDF/A file
About PDF to PDF/A
A PDF to PDF/A converter for long-term archiving. It embeds every font, swapping fonts that were never embedded for metric-compatible ones such as Liberation, Carlito and Caladea so lines do not move, and writes a ToUnicode map so the text stays searchable. It adds an sRGB output intent and gives CMYK colours a print profile, draws fixed appearances for comments and form fields, removes JavaScript, launch actions, XFA and transfer functions, re-encodes LZW streams, and writes matching XMP metadata. PDF/A-3b keeps attachments, marked with their relationship to the document.
See also: Repair PDF, OCR PDF
Useful for
- Submit court filings that must be PDF/A
- Archive invoices and contracts for the legal retention period
- Keep Factur-X or ZUGFeRD XML attached with PDF/A-3b
- Send documents to public bodies that only accept PDF/A
Frequently asked questions
What is PDF/A?+
PDF/A is the ISO standard for archiving documents. A PDF/A file contains everything it needs to display, such as its fonts and colour profile, and nothing that depends on outside resources or could change how it looks, such as scripts.
Should I choose PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b?+
Choose PDF/A-2b unless you need attachments. It is the version most courts, tax offices and archives ask for. PDF/A-3b is the same but keeps files attached to the PDF, like the XML in a Factur-X or ZUGFeRD e-invoice.
What changes in my document?+
It looks the same. Fonts that were not embedded are embedded, using a matching metric-compatible font when the original is not in the file, colours get a profile, and comments and form fields get a fixed appearance. JavaScript, automatic actions and the password protection are removed.
Is the result really compliant?+
The converter was tested with veraPDF, the reference PDF/A validator used by archives. Each file is rebuilt to meet the rules of the standard, including its metadata and colour output intent.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF?+
Yes. Enter the password when asked. PDF/A does not allow encryption, so the converted file has no password.
Are my files uploaded?+
No. The conversion runs in your browser, so contracts, invoices and records never leave your device.