PDF to PDF/A
Convert PDF to PDF/A for long-term archiving without redrawing your document: it is repaired in place, so pages keep their real text, vector graphics and images, and every result is checked before you download it.
- Input
- One or more PDFs
- Output
- PDF/A-1b, 2b, 2u, 3b or 3u
- Runs
- In your browser. The file never leaves your device.
- Cost
- Free. No sign-up, no watermark.
How to convert a PDF to PDF/A
Choose your PDFs
Open one or more PDFs. See at once which fonts will be embedded, which pages need attention and what will be fixed.
Pick the PDF/A level
PDF/A-2b suits most archives; 2u adds searchable Unicode text; PDF/A-3 can carry attached files such as e-invoice XML; 1b is for legacy systems.
Download with a checklist
Each result is checked against the PDF/A rules: fonts, colour, metadata, actions, annotations and transparency, with a plain summary of what was changed.
How the PDF/A converter works
Repaired, not rebuilt
Scripts, media and forbidden actions are removed; an sRGB output intent, XMP metadata and a file identifier are added; comments are made printable. Text stays text, vectors stay vectors.
Fonts embedded, layout unchanged
Helvetica, Arial, Times, Courier, Symbol and ZapfDingbats — the fonts PDFs most often leave out — are embedded as metric-compatible equivalents, so every line keeps its exact position.
Only the pages that must change
A page using a font that is not in the file and has no equivalent, or transparency in PDF/A-1, is drawn as an image with searchable text. Every other page is untouched, or choose to keep the text with a similar font instead.
Every level
PDF/A-1b, 2b, 2u, 3b and 3u, with the right rules for each: no transparency or object streams in PDF/A-1, Unicode mapping for level U, declared attachments in PDF/A-3.
E-invoices and attachments
PDF/A-3 files can carry attached files with their relationship to the document, such as the XML of a ZUGFeRD or Factur-X invoice.
No Office engine, no upload
The converter runs in your browser without the 240 MB document engine, so it starts at once. Encrypted PDFs are decrypted on your device first.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tool certify PDF/A compliance?
Every result is checked against the rules this converter knows, and our test files pass veraPDF, the reference validator, at every level. For a regulated submission, also validate the file with veraPDF or your archive's own validator.
Will my document look the same?
Yes. The document is repaired in place rather than re-drawn, so text, vector graphics and images stay exactly as they were. Missing standard fonts are replaced by fonts with identical widths. Only pages that cannot be fixed that way are drawn as images, and you see which before converting.
Which PDF/A level should I choose?
Use the level your archive asks for. PDF/A-2b is the most widely accepted; PDF/A-2u also guarantees searchable text; PDF/A-3b is needed to attach files such as e-invoice XML; PDF/A-1b only for systems that accept nothing newer.
Why was a page turned into an image?
PDF/A requires every font to be in the file. If a page uses a font the file left out and no equivalent exists, the only way to keep its look is to draw it as an image — its text stays searchable. Choose Keep the text: use a similar font to avoid that, or Keep every page as it is, or stop to be told instead.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF?
Yes. Enter its password; the file is decrypted on your device. The result is not encrypted, because PDF/A does not allow encryption.
Can I convert several files at once?
Yes. Add several PDFs and download them as a ZIP, each converted and checked separately.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. PDF to PDF/A runs entirely in your browser: the file is opened and processed on your own device and is never sent to our server. More in the privacy policy.
Is PDF to PDF/A free to use?
Yes. PDF to PDF/A is free, with no account to create and no software to install — open the page in a modern browser and start.