How to convert a PDF to PDF/A
PDF to PDF/A creates a copy of your document in PDF/A-2b, the PDF variant designed to be preserved and to look the same many years from now, in any viewer.
You may be asked for it when filing documents with a government portal, submitting a thesis, or archiving invoices and records that must be kept for years.
Step by step
- Upload one or more PDFs with Choose PDF.
- Run the conversion.
- Check the result in the preview.
- Download the PDF/A file, or the ZIP with all documents.
What PDF/A is and what changes
PDF/A is an ISO standard that requires the file to be self-contained: all fonts are embedded, colours have a defined profile, and anything that depends on something outside the file, such as encryption, JavaScript or linked content, is forbidden. That is why a password-protected PDF has to be unlocked first.
The 2b level guarantees that the document will look exactly the same in the future. It does not require tagged text that can be extracted with its structure, which is what the a and u levels add.
Validation and compliance
If your organisation requires a specific level (for example PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-3), check that it accepts PDF/A-2b. For submissions with strict rules, validate the file with a checker such as veraPDF before you file it.
If the PDF is a scan, run OCR PDF first: the PDF/A copy keeps the text layer and the archived document stays searchable. Up to 50 pages and 50 MB per job.
Frequently asked questions
- Which PDF/A version does it create?
- PDF/A-2b.
- Will the document look different?
- It should not. Fonts are embedded and colours fixed so it looks the same in any viewer.
- Can I convert a password-protected PDF?
- PDF/A does not allow encryption. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF.
- Is the result officially validated?
- It is generated as PDF/A-2b, but if your submission requires a specific certification, validate it with the tool your organisation recommends.
- Can I convert several PDFs at once?
- Yes. The same settings apply to all of them and you get them together in a ZIP.
- Is PDF/A the same as a signed PDF?
- No. PDF/A is about preservation, not authenticity. If the document must be signed, convert it to PDF/A first and sign it afterwards, because changing a signed PDF invalidates the signature.