How to open a P7M file on iPhone, iPad or Mac
A .p7m file is usually a document wrapped in a CAdES digital-signature container. That is why a normal PDF or XML viewer may show an error even when the document inside is perfectly readable.
Updated
If the document does not display as expected
Keep the original filename and check that the download is complete. Renaming XML, P7M or ASiC files to PDF does not convert them. If a signed container opens, check the type of its extracted payload: it may be an invoice, PDF or another format requiring its own reader.
For an invoice, compare the document identifier, supplier, currency, tax and total with the original fields. Report an unsupported format with its non-sensitive format/version details; avoid sending private documents unless you choose an appropriate support channel.
From difficult file to readable document.
- 01
Save the P7M file
From Mail, Safari or your PEC app, use Share or Save to Files. Keeping the original file intact gives you a reliable source to return to.
- 02
Open it in EU Document Opener
Choose the P7M file from Files or Finder. The app reads the container on-device, lists the embedded payload and checks the signature against the EU trusted lists included in the app.
- 03
Read or extract the payload
Preview supported PDF, XML and invoice content, or save the extracted original to a location you choose. The source P7M is not modified.
What is inside a P7M file?
P7M is commonly used in Italy and elsewhere in Europe to distribute a file together with one or more CAdES signatures. The payload might be a PDF contract, a FatturaPA XML invoice or another business document.
The .p7m extension describes the signature container, not necessarily the format of the document inside. A useful opener therefore needs to handle both the container and the extracted payload.
Private opening for sensitive documents
Signed invoices, contracts and notices can contain names, addresses, tax identifiers and commercial details. EU Document Opener processes selected files on the device and does not send their contents to a developer-operated conversion server.
There is no account and no document-upload workflow. You decide whether to save or share an extracted file afterward.
An offline signature check, not a legal validation
EU Document Opener checks the CAdES signature on the device against the EU trusted lists bundled with the app. It shows separately whether the signature matches the document, whether the signer’s certificate chains to a provider on the EU trusted lists and is qualified, whether it was valid at signing time, whether a timestamp is trusted, and the signature level (B, T, LT or LTA). The revocation status of the certificate chain is checked only when the signature includes revocation data, because the app never goes online.
These results help you spot problems; they are not an official validation. For legal purposes, use an official validation service such as the EU DSS validation service or the AgID verifier. For regulated or disputed documents, keep the original signed container and follow the retention rules that apply to your organisation.
Questions about this file type.
Can a P7M contain a PDF or XML file?
Yes. P7M is a signature container and its payload may be a PDF, XML invoice or another file type.
Does opening a P7M remove its signature?
Opening does not modify the source. An extracted payload is a separate copy, so retain the original P7M when the signed container matters.
Can I open P7S files too?
Yes. A P7S that encloses its content is opened and checked like a P7M. A detached P7S is identified, but the app does not pair it with its separate original file, so it cannot confirm that the signature matches that document.