Which date format should you use?
Is 03/04/2026 the 3rd of April or the 4th of March? It depends on who's reading. Here's how to write dates on forms so there's no confusion.
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Formats at a glance
United States
MM/DD/YYYY — 03/04/2026 is March 4.
UK, Europe, Australia
DD/MM/YYYY — 03/04/2026 is 3 April.
ISO 8601
YYYY-MM-DD — 2026-03-04, unambiguous and sortable.
Choosing a format
Follow the form, then the country.
1
Follow the form
If the box says MM/DD/YYYY, use exactly that.
2
Otherwise, follow the country
US: month first. UK and most of Europe: day first.
3
When in doubt, spell it out
'4 March 2026' can't be misread.
International contracts
For contracts between countries, writing the month as a word ('4 March 2026') or using ISO dates avoids the most common mix-up.
Questions
Should I use a two-digit year?+
No — always four digits on legal documents.
Can I type the date instead of picking it?+
Yes, use the text tool to type any format.
What does it cost?+
Free to try. Downloading your signed PDF costs €2.99 a month or €24.99 a year, and you can cancel anytime.