Convert ASICE to PDF

Why convert ASiC-E to PDF?

ASiC-E files are known for their secure container format, capable of housing both documents and their associated digital signatures. However, the need to convert these files into PDF format arises for several reasons, including wider accessibility, compatibility with various devices, and ease of distribution. PDFs are universally recognized, making them ideal for sharing documents without worrying about format compatibility issues.

What are asice files?

Asice files, or ASiC-E documents, are a special type of data container for secured, digitally signed documents that comply with EU regulations about specifications related to formats of advanced electronic signatures and advanced seals to be recognized by the public sector. For all intents and purposes, these are digitally signed electronic documents used for communication between EU bodies and government agencies.

In essence, .asice file is a ZIP archive that contains one or more documents (PDF, CML, or XML) with signatures kept in separate data files, PAdES for PDF, CAdES for CML, or XAdES for XML files, and additional metadata, such as timestamp tokens.

How to convert asice to PDF?

Most users searching for asice to pdf conversion, in fact, want to export the document back to PDF format, often with the digital signature attached, something that is not possible. You can only recover the original document from the .asice container, but there is no way to tamper with the signatures. The whole point of the ASiC (Associated Signature Containers) is to not use a digitally signed PDF in the first place. Because .asice files are ZIPs you can decompress them and find the original file inside, often in PDF format already.

To convert an ASiCE file to PDF, you typically need to follow a process that involves extracting the content from the ASiCE file and then converting the extracted content into a PDF format.

Identify the extracted document format

After extraction, identify the document(s) format contained within. ASiCE can encapsulate different types of files, not just PDFs. It might contain documents in formats like XML, TXT, DOCX, or others.

Convert to PDF

• If the document is already in PDF format, no conversion is necessary.
• If the document is in another format (like DOCX, TXT, or images), you must use a suitable converter tool or software to convert it to PDF. Many tools are available for this purpose, including online services, standalone applications like Microsoft Word or LibreOffice (for DOCX, TXT, etc.), and PDF printers that allow you to print any document to a PDF file.

Is there any way to view asice files?

Government agencies often provide tools that can be used to view .asice files and possibly print these to PDF, but there is no way to apply the digital signature to that. One of the most mentioned utilities for this is the DigiDoc Client.