Understand the difference between current, intermediate and permanent file It is essential for organizing the information lifecycle. In a good document managementEach set of documents must remain accessible for the appropriate period of time and be given a defined destination: authorized disposal or permanent preservation, according to its value and applicable rules.
This cycle applies to both paper and digital documents. The way deadlines, responsibilities, and controls are applied depends on the structure. organizational, from the legislation, regulatory obligations and the adopted time schedule.
In the theory of the three ages, a document goes through the current phase, may proceed to the intermediate phase, and, after evaluation, reaches its final destination. Not every document necessarily goes through all three stages: some are eliminated after the expected period; others are collected for permanent preservation.
Summary
- The current archive contains documents that are in progress or frequently consulted.
- Intermediate archives store less frequently consulted documents that still need to be kept for administrative, legal, tax, or evidentiary reasons.
- A permanent archive contains documents of historical, evidentiary, or informational value that must be permanently preserved.
- Transfer is the passage of the current to the intermediary; collection is the passage to permanent storage.
- Retention periods should be determined through document review and recorded in a retention and disposal schedule.
- Digital documents also require archival management, metadata, access control, and preservation throughout their lifecycle.
Quick facts
- Three ages: a Law No. 8.159 / 1991 It identifies public documents as current, intermediate, and permanent, and defines permanent storage for those of historical, evidentiary, and informational value.
- Digital documents: a CONARQ Resolution No. 50/2022 It establishes e-ARQ Brasil version 2 and applies archival management to systems with digital or hybrid documents.
- LGPD and permanent: a CONARQ Resolution No. 54/2023 It regulates the handling of personal data in permanent public or private files and prohibits the custodian from deleting this data.
What is the lifecycle of a document?
The life cycle encompasses the stages that documents go through from their creation or receipt to their final destination. document managementThis involves production, processing, use, archiving, evaluation, disposal, or preservation, including for business documents.
e-ARQ Brasil relates this cycle to the theory of the three ages. The current phase corresponds to frequent use; the intermediate phase, to temporary storage after daily use decreases; and the permanent phase, to the definitive preservation of documents that have secondary value.
It is important to make a distinction: Article 8 of Law No. 8.159/1991 provides these definitions directly to public documentsPrivate companies can also adopt the three-ages theory as a management model, but their retention periods need to consider civil, tax, labor, sectoral, data protection, contractual, and evidentiary requirements.
Current, intermediate and permanent files: what are they?
Na document managementThe three ages indicate not only where the document is stored, but also the degree of use, the value the document still holds for its original purpose, and the decision regarding its final disposition.
In one electronic managementThe same reasoning can be applied to permissions, metadata, retention rules, and automations. Simply moving a file from one folder to another isn't enough: the transition between the... Phases It must be based on documentary and temporal criteria.
First age: current file
The current archive contains documents that are in progress or frequently consulted. They still support administrative, legal, fiscal, or operational activities and, therefore, need to remain easily accessible to the responsible teams.
Its predominant value is the primaryThe document is still being used for the purpose that justified its creation. Contracts in execution, ongoing processes, active requests, and documents related to... management Everyday life is a possible example, depending on the organization's activity.
Second age: intermediate file
The intermediate archive receives documents that are no longer frequently consulted, but cannot yet be destroyed. They remain stored until the deadline defined in the retention and disposal schedule is met.
At this stage, there may be administrative, fiscal, legal, or evidentiary reasons for maintaining the item. At the end of the period, the evaluation leads to one of two destinations: authorized disposal or collection for permanent storage.
Seniors: permanent archive
A permanent archive is a collection of documents selected for permanent preservation due to their historical, evidentiary, or informational value. These documents cease to depend solely on their original administrative use and acquire other forms of preservation. secondary value.
This does not mean they cease to be used. On the contrary: they can serve research, proof of rights, institutional memory, and even their own purpose. management over time. Access, however, may be subject to legal restrictions regarding confidentiality, privacy, or data protection.
| Age | Predominant use | Price | Expected destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Frequent and connected to ongoing activities. | Primary | Transfer, future elimination, or maintenance during the term. |
| Intermediate | Occasional, while awaiting storage period. | Primary value; any secondary value is identified in the valuation. | Disposal or collection |
| Permanent | Research, proof, memory and information | Secondary | Permanent preservation |
Characteristics of current files
O Article 8, § 1, of Law No. 8.159/1991 Public documents that are currently being processed or that, even without being actively used, are frequently consulted, are considered current. Frequency of use is therefore a central criterion—not just the chronological age of the document.
Since these documents are closely related to the activities that produced them, they should be organized for quick and controlled access. This applies to electronic documents and for documents in role in .
Some good practices include:
- Separate working versions from the official version of the document;
- Classify files according to functions, activities, and document types;
- Control permissions and log changes to digital documents;
- Apply a timing table before anything else. discard;
- To define who is responsible for the maintenance and transfer of the document sets.
Understanding intermediate files
According to Law No. 8.159/1991, intermediate documents are those that are no longer in current use by the producing bodies, but are awaiting elimination or collection for permanent storage because there is still an administrative interest in them.
The transfer of the current file to the intermediate file is called transferThe entry of documents intended for permanent preservation into an archival institution is called... collectionResolution CONARQ No. 2/1995 also requires a descriptive instrument that allows for the identification and control of transferred or collected collections.
The deadlines are not generically defined "by CONARQ for each department." In the federal Executive Branch, there are official classification codes and tables—updated, for support/auxiliary activities, by AN/MGI Ordinance No. 174/2024—while other bodies and entities may have their own instruments approved within the competent scope.
In 2026, CONARQ remains linked to the National Archives, which is currently under the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. In private companies, the retention schedule should be constructed based on applicable obligations and the evidentiary and informational value of the documents.
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When does a file reach the perma cycle?
The transition to permanent status doesn't simply happen because the document's "expiration date" has passed. It stems from... document evaluation, which identifies historical, evidentiary or informational value and determines permanent custody.
For public documents, Law No. 8.159 establishes that those of permanent value are inalienable and imprescriptible. CONARQ Resolution No. 54/2023 further reinforces that permanent archives may contain personal data and creates specific rules for processing, access, and protection for public and private custodians.
There is no universal list of document types that are always permanent. Minutes of relevant decisions, constitutive documents, records of institutional policies, historical reports, and sets with probative value can be selected, while routine records—including data kept in accounting management software — They may have their own deadlines and different destinations according to the applicable schedule.
Physical and digital documents
A Scan It can simplify access to and circulation of information in large and large cities. Small businessHowever, this does not eliminate the obligations of classification, retention, and disposal. physical and digital document management It needs to preserve context, authenticity, and accessibility throughout the entire cycle.
As Phases They continue to exist independently of the medium. On paper, transfer and archiving In the digital realm, these involve physical movement; in the digital realm, they can be executed by systems, retention rules, and appropriate repositories.
A artificial intelligence in document management It can assist in classifying, extracting, and locating information, but decisions regarding retention and disposal require governance. digital documents Permanent, long-term preservation also requires attention to formats, metadata, technology migration, and trusted repositories.
Infrastructure also matters. Adequate equipment, such as a good notebookThey help with daily tasks, but they don't replace a policy on... where to keep documents, access control, backup and preservation.
Consequences of poor document management
Classifying a document at the wrong age can lead to two opposing problems: eliminating information before it's needed or indefinitely preserving something that should already have a defined purpose.
A consistent document management policy improves information retrieval, reduces duplication, and supports audits. It also strengthens... knowledge management by preserving context and making evidence locatable.
In practice, the organization needs to know who produces the document, what activity it proves, how long it has primary value, if it has secondary value, and what its intended use will be. This contributes to... management success and reduces the risks of loss, improper disposal, and unnecessary storage.
For digital documents, e-ARQ Brasil version 2 recommends requirements for reliability, authenticity, and access throughout the current and intermediate phases, also preparing for final disposal. Preserving permanent archives does not only mean "not deleting": it is necessary to ensure that they remain understandable, complete, and accessible in the future.
The goal is not to keep everything forever, nor to discard it as soon as daily use diminishes. A policy of current, intermediate, and permanent archiving allows for well-defined decisions regarding what needs to remain accessible, what can be eliminated, and what should become part of the institutional memory.
Want to delve deeper into the risks involved in this process? See also the consequences of poor document management.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Current files contain documents that are in progress or frequently consulted. Intermediate files hold less frequently used documents awaiting final disposition. Permanent files permanently preserve documents of historical, evidentiary, or informational value.
Transfer is the movement of documents from the current archive to the intermediate archive. Collection is the entry of documents intended for permanent preservation in an archival institution, after evaluation and applicable procedures.
There is no single deadline. The period must be included in the retention and disposal schedule applicable to the set of documents and take into account legislation, administrative purpose, statute of limitations, evidentiary value, and rules of the sector or institution.
Documents classified for permanent preservation must be permanently preserved. Under Law No. 8.159/1991, permanent public documents are inalienable and imprescriptible; their protection also requires rules for access, preservation, and data processing.
Yes. e-ARQ Brasil applies archival management to digital and hybrid documents. Current, intermediate, and permanent refer to the use, value, and destination of the document, not to whether it is on paper or in digital format.
CEO of Henshin Agency and digital marketing consultant, fascinated by content marketing and an admirer of Japanese culture.
