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Convert PDF to PDF/A Online — ISO 19005-2 Archival Compliance

Transform standard PDFs into long-term archival PDF/A-2b format.

Drop up to 50 PDFs at once — no install, no sign-up required.

Drop PDF Files Here

25 MB per file Up to 50 files 3 parallel conversions 1 credit per 25 MB

Encrypted EU Servers Auto-delete 1h

⚡ Median PDF → PDF/A time (last 10k jobs): 199ms

How it works

  1. 1 · Drop your files

    Drag & drop or choose PDF files. No account required on Free—paid plans unlock bigger batches, higher limits, and priority queues.

  2. 2 · We convert securely

    Processed on our dedicated servers. Encrypted in transit & at rest. PDFs converted to ISO 19005-2 compliant PDF/A-2b format. We never store filenames—only file types & sizes for accounting. We never train AI models on uploads.

  3. 3 · Download & auto-delete

    Grab your PDF/A files in seconds. Each file is converted to archival-compliant format. Files delete automatically after 1 hour. Delete anytime after downloading with one click.

About PDF →

PDF (Portable Document Format) is Adobe's universal document standard, designed to present text, images, and layout consistently across any device or platform. First released in 1993 and later standardized as ISO 32000, PDF supports vector graphics, embedded fonts, forms, annotations, and encryption. It has become the de facto format for document exchange, digital publishing, and archival—billions of PDFs are created daily worldwide.

Learn more: PDF on Wikipedia

PDF excels at preserving document fidelity and works universally—every operating system and browser includes native PDF support. For long-term archival or regulatory compliance, PDF/A is the appropriate variant.

About PDF/A →

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized subset of PDF specifically designed for long-term archival and preservation. Unlike standard PDF, PDF/A prohibits features that could degrade over time—no external dependencies, fonts must be embedded, encryption is forbidden, and all content must be self-contained. The standard ensures documents remain readable and visually consistent decades into the future, making it mandatory for legal archives, government records, and regulatory compliance.

Authoritative reference: ISO 19005-1 (PDF/A-1)

PDF/A is required by many organizations for record retention, legal filings, and regulatory submissions. If archival permanence matters more than file size or advanced features, PDF/A is the correct choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PDF/A and why should I use it?

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized format (ISO 19005) designed for long-term archival of electronic documents. Unlike standard PDFs, PDF/A files are self-contained—all fonts, colors, and images are embedded. This ensures the document looks identical decades from now, regardless of the software used to open it. Use PDF/A for legal documents, medical records, government filings, or any file requiring guaranteed long-term preservation.

What PDF/A conformance level do you use?

We convert to PDF/A-2b (ISO 19005-2, Level B). This is the most widely accepted conformance level, balancing compatibility with modern features like JPEG 2000 compression and transparency. The "b" stands for "basic conformance"—ensuring visual appearance is preserved. For most archival needs, PDF/A-2b is the recommended choice.

Is my converted PDF/A legally valid for court filings?

Yes, if your original PDF content meets legal requirements. Our converter produces ISO 19005-2 compliant PDF/A-2b files that:

  • Are accepted by most courts and government agencies worldwide
  • Meet federal and state e-filing requirements in the US
  • Comply with EU regulations requiring archival formats

The PDF/A format guarantees the document will remain readable and unchanged over time. However, the legal validity of the content itself (signatures, attestations) depends on your original document.

For highest assurance, verify the output passes PDF/A validation using tools like veraPDF.

Will converting to PDF/A change my document's appearance?

In most cases, no. The conversion embeds fonts, flattens transparency where needed, and strips prohibited features (like JavaScript or external links). The visual content remains unchanged. However, if your original PDF uses fonts that aren't embedded (common with PDFs from Microsoft Office), we embed compatible alternatives during conversion to ensure the document remains self-contained. This may result in minor visual differences like slightly different character spacing. Interactive elements like form fields, audio/video, and external hyperlinks will be converted to static content as they're not allowed in PDF/A. Always keep your original PDF if you need those features.

What PDF features are not supported?

Some PDFs may fail conversion if they contain features incompatible with PDF/A:

  • Password-protected PDFs — Remove encryption before converting
  • CMYK images without ICC profiles — May cause conversion errors
  • Encrypted or DRM-protected content — Cannot be processed

If conversion fails, you'll receive a clear error message explaining the issue.

What are the limits for this converter?

TierMax File SizeMax Files/BatchParallel Processing
Free25 MB50 files3 at once
Pro200 MB200 files6 at once
Business1024 MB1000 files10 at once

Note: File size limits are specific to this converter. Batch and parallel processing limits apply to all documents converters site-wide. See all converter limits →

How are credits calculated for this conversion?

Cost: 1 credit per 25 MB

How it works:

  • Files up to 25 MB: 1 credit (minimum)
  • 26-50 MB: 2 credits
  • 51-75 MB: 3 credits
  • 76-100 MB: 4 credits
  • Over 25 MB: 40 credits (maximum cap)

Example: A 5 MB document = 1 credit. A 95 MB document = 4 credits.

Why per-megabyte? Larger files require more resources (processing, bandwidth, storage).

What are my daily and monthly credit limits?

Credit allocations vary by account tier:

TierDaily LimitMonthly Limit
Free50 credits/day—
Pro—10,000 credits/month
Business—30,000 credits/month

Daily credits (Free tier, including guests) reset every day at midnight UTC. Monthly credits (Pro & Business) reset on your billing cycle date.

Note: With 1 credit per 25 MB, a typical document costs 1 credit. Pro users can convert 10000 documents per month.

Answers at a Glance

Quick answers to common questions.

Choose Your Plan

Limits shown for PDF to PDF/A conversion. One subscription unlocks the entire Tools.FAST Network. Plans cover Convert.FAST, Compress.FAST, PDF.FAST (soon), and all future tools.

Monthly Annual 4 Months Free

Free

$0

For occasional personal use

  • 25 MB per file
  • 50 files per batch
  • 3 parallel conversions
  • 50 credits/day
  • Standard priority
  • Email support
Sign Up Free

No sign-up required. Create an account for your own credit pool.

Popular

Pro

$9 /month

For independent work

  • 200 MB per file
  • 200 files per batch
  • 6 parallel conversions
  • 10,000 credits/month across Tools.FAST
  • High priority
  • Email & chat support
  • One subscription for the entire Tools.FAST network

Business

$19 /month

1 seat

For production scale

  • 1 GB per file
  • 1000 files per batch
  • 10 parallel conversions
  • 30,000 credits/month across Tools.FAST
  • Add seats to invite team members
  • Highest priority
  • Priority email & chat support
  • One subscription for the entire Tools.FAST network

How Credits Work

  • Usually 1 credit per conversion. Exact cost shown before you start.
  • Credits refresh monthly on your billing cycle.
  • Unused credits roll over, capped at your plan's monthly amount.
  • One subscription, all sites. Works across Convert.FAST, Compress.FAST, and future tools.
View all converter limits by tier →

What's New in PDF to PDF/A

Latest improvements to this converter

Last updated November 25, 2025
Nov 25, 2025

Initial release of PDF to PDF/A converter. Convert existing PDFs to ISO 19005-2 compliant PDF/A-2b format for long-term archival.