How to open a XAdES file
Drag your .xades file onto the box below, or click and choose it. You will see the signed document, who signed it and when, and the signature is checked. It all happens in your browser — the file is not uploaded anywhere.
Nothing is uploaded. Only this page reads the file, in your browser. We count only that a file was opened (its format and the result), never its contents or name.
What is a XAdES file?
XAdES (XML Advanced Electronic Signatures) is an electronic-signature format written in XML, specified by ETSI in EN 319 132 and recognised by public bodies across the EU (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/248). A .xades file holds the signature and often the document itself — usually a PDF encoded inside the file, which is why a PDF reader cannot open it.
Three kinds of XAdES signature
- Enveloping: the document is inside the .xades file. Drop just that file.
- Enveloped: the signature is inside the signed XML document, such as an application or a return. Drop the .xml file.
- Detached: the .xades file holds only the signature and the document is a separate file. Drop both files together.
What is checked, and what is not
Checked: that the document and the signed properties have not changed since signing, that the signature verifies with the key in the certificate, that it is the certificate the signer committed to, that the certificate chain carried in the file links up, and that the timestamp, if there is one, covers this signature.
Not checked: whether the certificate's issuer is on the EU Trusted List, and whether the certificate was revoked. So this site does not say whether a signature is qualified or legally valid.
Your file never leaves your device
The page runs in your browser: it reads the file, extracts the document and checks the signature on your device. We do not send the file, its contents, its name or a fingerprint of it anywhere. We count only that a file was opened: its format and a one-word result.
Questions
What opens a .xades file?
This page, in your browser, with nothing to install. The alternatives are the signing software from a qualified signature provider, or a government verification service, which needs the file uploaded to it.
How do I save the document inside a .xades file as a PDF?
Open the file and click “Download” next to the document. You get the original document, free.
Does this confirm the signature is valid?
No. It confirms that the document has not changed since it was signed and that the signature matches the certificate in the file. It does not check the EU Trusted List or revocation, so it does not judge legal validity.
Is my file sent anywhere?
No. The file is read only by this page in your browser. You can confirm it in your browser's developer tools, on the Network tab.