Can I destroy the original archives after digitalization?

Digitizing paper documents often aims to replace paper archives and thus clear them out. But can you simply destroy all the paper after digitization? In principle, yes. But...

If the digital scan is of good quality and has been stored reliably, the originals may be destroyed. Of course, it's wise not to destroy the entire archive immediately after digitization. It's recommended to keep the original documents for at least six months.

Do you want to be sure that your archive is properly digitised? In a professional manner and tailored to your wishes and possibilities? Then we invite you to get acquainted with the archiving solutions of De Nationale Archiefkluis, the archive expert in the Netherlands.

Feel free to call us or send us a message via the contact form.

Advice  Think carefully in advance about the necessity of digitizing the existing archives and make a selection in (1) Necessary, (2) Desired or (3) Not necessary. This will save you a lot of time and money later on.