Two parts of one standard, two PDF versions: how PDF/UA-1 and PDF/UA-2 differ, how far tools and assistive technologies have come – and which requirement makes sense today for your own documents and for tenders.
For most public bodies, the answer today is: require PDF/UA-1 as the benchmark and accept PDF/UA-2 as equivalent. PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1) is the established standard for PDFs based on PDF 1.7, with mature checking tools and the Matterhorn Protocol as the basis for testing. PDF/UA-2 (ISO 14289-2:2024) is the part of the series of standards for PDF 2.0. It makes the structure more precise, but presupposes that the entire chain – creation, checking, viewer, assistive technology – handles PDF 2.0. Anyone who requires PDF/UA-2 exclusively today rules out many ways of creating documents, without users automatically benefiting.
The differences at a glance
Comparison of PDF/UA-1 and PDF/UA-2| Feature | PDF/UA-1 | PDF/UA-2 |
|---|
| Standard | ISO 14289-1 (first edition 2012, revised 2014) | ISO 14289-2:2024 |
|---|
| Basis | PDF 1.7 (ISO 32000-1) | PDF 2.0 (ISO 32000-2); requirements from the PDF Association’s ‘Well-Tagged PDF’ specification |
|---|
| Structure types | Standard structure types of PDF 1.7, custom tags via role mapping | Namespaces for PDF 1.7 and PDF 2.0; new types such as Title, FENote, Em, Strong; headings only with a level (H1, H2 …) |
|---|
| Link targets | Bookmarks and links point to pages | Bookmarks and links can point directly to a structure element |
|---|
| Basis for testing | Matterhorn Protocol 1.1; veraPDF validation profile | veraPDF validation profile for PDF/UA-2 |
|---|
| Identifier in the metadata | pdfuaid:part = 1 | pdfuaid:part = 2, rev = 2024 |
|---|
A PDF in version 1.x cannot formally meet PDF/UA-2; for that, it has to be a PDF 2.0 file. Conversely, PDF/UA-2 is not a ‘better level of accessibility’, but the same basic idea in a newer version of the file format. More on tags and checkpoints: PDF/UA explained in plain language.
What changes for users – and what does not
The core is the same: complete tags in a logical reading order, alt text, document language and title, embedded fonts with Unicode mapping, labelled form fields and links. PDF/UA-2 describes some things more precisely – footnotes, emphasis, the document title as a structure element, annotations. Whether screen reader users notice any of this depends on whether the viewer passes the new structure types on to assistive technology. Screen readers do not read a PDF themselves, but via the PDF viewer; how fully viewers evaluate the specific features of PDF 2.0 currently varies.
State of support
- Checking: veraPDF offers validation profiles for both parts. For other tools, you should check or ask the vendor which part is checked and to what extent.
- Creation: Many widely used export routes, for example from office programs, produce PDFs in version 1.x. A PDF/UA-2 document requires a creation or post-processing chain that writes PDF 2.0 cleanly.
- Standards: The current EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (the European standard on accessibility requirements for ICT) does not prescribe PDF/UA. Version V4.1.1, published in September 2026, names PDF/UA-1 and PDF/UA-2 in a note as technical standards for accessible PDFs – that is, both parts.
- Long-term archiving: PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 are based on PDF 1.7 and can be combined with PDF/UA-1; PDF/A-4 is based on PDF 2.0 and therefore goes with PDF/UA-2.
What public bodies should require today
- Your own documents: PDF/UA-1 as the minimum standard, plus the WCAG level AA criteria for content such as alt text, reading order and contrast.
- Tenders: ‘PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1) or PDF/UA-2 (ISO 14289-2)’, in each case with a test report for the part stated (Tendering for accessible PDFs).
- Identifier only with a passed check: The identifier in the metadata is a claim of conformance. It may only be set if the check for exactly that part is passed.
- Keep the transition open: Keep the source files so that documents can be re-exported later, and review the requirement once viewers and tools support PDF 2.0 more widely.
What happens when moving from UA-1 to UA-2
A document that meets PDF/UA-1 can usually be converted into a PDF/UA-2 version without any change to the visible content. Technically, quite a lot happens in the process:
- The file is written as PDF 2.0, and the identifier refers to part 2.
- The structure root gets a Document element in the PDF 2.0 namespace; custom tags are mapped to standard types.
- Generic headings (H) become headings with a level (H1, H2 …), footnotes change from Note to FENote.
- Bulleted lists get an attribute stating the numbering type.
- Bookmarks and link targets point to structure elements instead of only to pages.
Each of these steps can fail, for example because of a structure that was still permitted in UA-1. A UA-2 version without its own test report according to PDF/UA-2 is therefore not one.
When PDF/UA-2 already makes sense today
If your creation chain writes PDF 2.0 anyway and you can check the results against PDF/UA-2, there is nothing to stop you using this part. The same applies if a partner or an archive requires PDF 2.0. In that case, check with the assistive technologies of your target group whether the documents work just as well in the common viewers as the PDF/UA-1 version.
Common mistakes
- A PDF 1.7 file carries the identifier for PDF/UA-2.
- PDF/UA-1 and PDF/UA-2 are misunderstood as quality levels (‘UA-2 is more accessible’).
- The check uses the wrong profile – the document passes UA-1, but UA-2 is reported.
- A tender requires PDF/UA-2 exclusively; what is delivered is an identifier without a test report.
- Converting to PDF 2.0 damages tags or link targets without anyone checking.
How DokAudit helps
DokAudit checks every document with veraPDF against PDF/UA-1 and also shows the result of the PDF/UA-2 check alongside it. By default, repairs target PDF/UA-1. If the repaired version passes the UA-1 check, DokAudit can, on request, additionally generate a PDF/UA-2 version as PDF 2.0 – without changing the visible content. This version is only provided if it passes the veraPDF check for PDF/UA-2; otherwise the report lists the open rules. DokAudit never sets an identifier without a passed check.
Sources:
As of: 10/2026. This article gives a general overview and is not legal advice. The legal and standards texts in force are authoritative; in individual cases, the law of the German states (Länder) may differ.