Eligible Parties
The EPO may be used as a RO where the applicant has (A151 EPC together with R157(1) EPC in accordance with A10 PCT together with R19.1.a.i PCT and R19.1.a.ii PCT together with A2.xii PCT):
- the nationality of a State party to both the EPC and the PCT or their domicile or registered office in a State party to both the EPC and the PCT.
Today, all EPC member States are also members of the PCT.
| State Code | State | PCT Accession | EPC Accession |
| AE | United Arab Emirates | 10/03/1999 | |
| AG | Antigua and Barbuda | 17/03/2000 | |
| AL | Albania | 04/10/1995 | 01/05/2010 |
| AM | Armenia | 25/12/1991 | |
| AO | Angola | 27/12/2007 | |
| AT | Austria | 23/04/1979 | 01/05/1979 |
| AU | Australia | 31/03/1980 | |
| AZ | Azerbaijan | 25/12/1995 | |
| BA | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 07/09/1996 | |
| BB | Barbados | 12/03/1985 | |
| BE | Belgium | 14/12/1981 | 07/10/1977 |
| BF | Burkina Faso | 21/03/1989 | |
| BG | Bulgaria | 21/05/1984 | 01/07/2002 |
| BH | Bahrain | 18/03/2007 | |
| BJ | Benin | 26/02/1987 | |
| BN | Brunei Darussalam | 24/07/2012 | |
| BR | Brazil | 09/04/1978 | |
| BW | Botswana | 30/10/2003 | |
| BY | Belarus | 25/12/1991 | |
| BZ | Belize | 17/06/2000 | |
| CA | Canada | 02/01/1990 | |
| CF | Central African Republic | 24/01/1978 | |
| CG | Congo | 24/01/1978 | |
| CH | Switzerland | 24/01/1978 | 07/10/1977 |
| CI | Côte d’Ivoire | 30/04/1991 | |
| CL | Chile | 02/06/2009 | |
| CM | Cameroon | 24/01/1978 | |
| CN | China | 01/01/1994 | |
| CO | Colombia | 28/02/2001 | |
| CR | Costa Rica | 03/08/1999 | |
| CU | Cuba | 16/07/1996 | |
| CY | Cyprus | 01/04/1998 | 01/04/1998 |
| CZ | Czech Republic | 01/01/1993 | 01/07/2002 |
| DE | Germany | 24/01/1978 | 07/10/1977 |
| DK | Denmark | 01/12/1978 | 01/01/1990 |
| DM | Dominica | 07/08/1999 | |
| DO | Dominican Republic | 28/05/2007 | |
| DZ | Algeria | 08/03/2000 | |
| EC | Ecuador | 07/05/2001 | |
| EE | Estonia | 24/08/1994 | 01/07/2002 |
| EG | Egypt | 06/09/2003 | |
| ES | Spain | 16/11/1989 | 01/10/1986 |
| FI | Finland | 01/10/1980 | 01/03/1996 |
| FR | France | 25/02/1978 | 07/10/1977 |
| GA | Gabon | 24/01/1978 | |
| GB | United Kingdom | 24/01/1978 | 07/10/1977 |
| GD | Grenada | 22/09/1998 | |
| GE | Georgia | 25/12/1991 | |
| GH | Ghana | 26/02/1997 | |
| GM | Gambia | 09/12/1997 | |
| GN | Guinea | 27/05/1991 | |
| GQ | Equatorial Guinea | 17/07/2001 | |
| GR | Greece | 09/10/1990 | 01/10/1986 |
| GT | Guatemala | 14/10/2006 | |
| GW | Guinea-Bissau | 12/12/1997 | |
| HN | Honduras | 20/06/2006 | |
| HR | Croatia | 01/07/1998 | 01/01/2008 |
| HU | Hungary | 27/06/1980 | 01/01/2003 |
| ID | Indonesia | 05/09/1997 | |
| IE | Ireland | 01/08/1992 | 01/08/1992 |
| IL | Israel | 01/06/1996 | |
| IN | India | 07/12/1998 | |
| IR | Islamic Republic of Iran | 04/10/2013 | |
| IS | Iceland | 23/03/1995 | 01/11/2004 |
| IT | Italy | 28/03/1985 | 01/12/1978 |
| JP | Japan | 01/10/1978 | |
| KE | Kenya | 08/06/1994 | |
| KG | Kyrgyzstan | 25/12/1991 | |
| KM | Comoros | 03/04/2005 | |
| KN | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 27/10/2005 | |
| KP | Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | 08/07/1980 | |
| KR | Republic of Korea | 10/08/1984 | |
| KZ | Kazakhstan | 25/12/1991 | |
| LA | Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 14/06/2006 | |
| LC | Saint Lucia | 30/08/1996 | |
| LI | Liechtenstein | 01/04/1980 | |
| LK | Sri Lanka | 26/02/1982 | |
| LR | Liberia | 27/08/1994 | |
| LS | Lesotho | 21/10/1995 | |
| LT | Lithuania | 05/07/1994 | 01/12/2004 |
| LU | Luxembourg | 30/04/1978 | 07/10/1977 |
| LV | Latvia | 07/09/1993 | 01/07/2005 |
| LY | Libya | 15/09/2005 | |
| MA | Morocco | 08/10/1999 | |
| MC | Monaco | 22/06/1979 | 01/12/1991 |
| MD | Republic of Moldova | 25/12/1991 | |
| ME | Montenegro | 03/06/2006 | |
| MG | Madagascar | 24/01/1978 | |
| MK | The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | 10/08/1995 | 01/01/2009 |
| ML | Mali | 19/10/1984 | |
| MN | Mongolia | 27/05/1991 | |
| MR | Mauritania | 13/04/1983 | |
| MT | Malta | 01/03/2007 | |
| MW | Malawi | 24/01/1978 | |
| MX | Mexico | 01/01/1995 | |
| MY | Malaysia | 16/08/2006 | |
| MZ | Mozambique | 18/05/2000 | |
| NA | Namibia | 01/01/2004 | |
| NE | Niger | 21/03/1993 | |
| NG | Nigeria | 08/05/2005 | |
| NI | Nicaragua | 06/03/2003 | |
| NL | Netherlands | 10/07/1979 | 07/10/1977 |
| NO | Norway | 01/01/1980 | 01/01/2008 |
| NZ | New Zealand | 01/12/1992 | |
| OM | Oman | 26/10/2001 | |
| PA | Panama | 07/09/2012 | |
| PE | Peru | 06/06/2009 | |
| PG | Papua New Guinea | 14/06/2003 | |
| PH | Philippines | 17/08/2001 | |
| PL | Poland | 25/12/1990 | 01/03/2004 |
| PT | Portugal | 24/11/1992 | 01/01/1992 |
| QA | Qatar | 03/08/2011 | |
| RO | Romania | 23/07/1979 | 01/03/2003 |
| RS | Serbia | 01/02/1997 | 01/10/2010 |
| RU | Russian Federation | 29/03/1978 | |
| RW | Rwanda | 31/08/2011 | |
| SA | Saudi Arabia | 03/08/2013 | |
| SC | Seychelles | 07/11/2002 | |
| SD | Sudan | 16/04/1984 | |
| SE | Sweden | 17/05/1978 | 01/05/1978 |
| SG | Singapore | 23/02/1995 | |
| SI | Slovenia | 01/03/1994 | 01/12/2002 |
| SK | Slovakia | 01/01/1993 | 01/07/2002 |
| SL | Sierra Leone | 17/06/1997 | |
| SM | San Marino | 14/12/2004 | 01/07/2009 |
| SN | Senegal | 24/01/1978 | |
| ST | Sao Tome and Principe | 03/07/2008 | |
| SV | El Salvador | 17/08/2006 | |
| SY | Syrian Arab Republic | 26/06/2003 | |
| SZ | Eswatini | 20/09/1994 | |
| TD | Chad | 24/01/1978 | |
| TG | Togo | 24/01/1978 | |
| TH | Thailand | 24/12/2009 | |
| TJ | Tajikistan | 25/12/1991 | |
| TM | Turkmenistan | 25/12/1991 | |
| TN | Tunisia | 10/12/2001 | |
| TR | Turkey | 01/01/1996 | 01/11/2000 |
| TT | Trinidad and Tobago | 10/03/1994 | |
| TZ | United Republic of Tanzania | 14/09/1999 | |
| UA | Ukraine | 25/12/1991 | |
| UG | Uganda | 09/02/1995 | |
| US | United States of America | 24/01/1978 | |
| UZ | Uzbekistan | 25/12/1991 | |
| VC | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 06/08/2002 | |
| VN | Viet Nam | 10/03/1993 | |
| ZA | South Africa | 16/03/1999 | |
| ZM | Zambia | 15/11/2001 | |
| ZW | Zimbabwe | 11/06/1997 |
Conditions
Filing language
The application must be filed in French, English or German (A151 EPC together with R157(2) EPC in accordance with A3.4.i PCT together with R12.1.a PCT).
The provisions of A14(2) EPC allowing filing in any language do not apply here (the PCT is not compatible with the PLT).
Number of Copies
It is not necessary to file the PCT application in more than one copy (A151 EPC together with R157(2) EPC together with « Decision of the President of the European Patent Office, dated 8 June 2006, on the number of copies required of documents filed in respect of an international patent application for which the European Patent Office (EPO) acts as receiving Office under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)« , OJ 2006, 439).
The same applies to all documents listed in the transmittal form under R3.3.a.ii PCT:
- a power of attorney (i.e., a document appointing a representative or a common representative), a copy of a general power of attorney, a priority document, an electronic sequence listing, a document relating to the payment of official fees, or any other document (to be specified in the transmittal form).
Transmittal Fee
The filing of a PCT application gives rise to the payment of a transmittal fee, which must be paid within 1 month from the filing date (A151 EPC together with R157(4) EPC in accordance with R14.1.c PCT): [montant_epo default= »125 € » name= »A2(1).18 RRT »] (A2(1).18 RRT in accordance with A3.4.iv PCT together with R14.1.b PCT).
Place of Filing
Principle
Normally, the filing must be made directly with the EPO (A151 EPC together with R157(1) EPC): The Hague, Munich, Berlin.
The application cannot be filed with the patent office of a contracting state if the EPO is intended to act as the RO (except in cases of national defense).
National Defense Cases
Principle
The national legislation of a state may provide for specific provisions concerning national defense (e.g., first filing with the competent authority of the state, prior authorization) (A151 EPC together with R157(1) EPC together with A75(2) EPC) in accordance with A27.8 PCT).
Transmission to the EPO
If, for reasons of national defense, the applicant is required to file the PCT application with a competent authority of a contracting state, that authority must transmit it to the EPO, the actual RO, no later than 2 weeks before the expiration of the 13th month from the priority date (A151 EPC together with R157(3) EPC) so that the EPO can fulfill its obligations.
Filing Methods
Paper Filing (by Mail or In Person)
The international application may be filed in paper form (R89bis.1.a PCT and R2(1) EPC).
Filing by fax
As with the filing of an international application, it is possible to fax the patent application to the EPO, to the fax numbers of the offices in Berlin, Munich and The Hague (“Decision of the President of the European Patent Office, dated 20 February 2019, on the filing of patent applications and other documents by telefax”, OJ 2019, A18).
However, it is still necessary to send one copy (A151 EPC together with R157(2) EPC) of the paper copy of the PCT application documents as well as the request.
On the fax, it must be indicated that the application documents have been sent separately on paper (“Decision of the President of the European Patent Office, dated 20 February 2019, on the filing of patent applications and other documents by telefax”, OJ 2019, A18).
If no paper documents are received, the EPO invites the applicant to submit these documents within a period of 2 months.
If the applicant does not respond to this invitation, the fax is deemed not to have been received, meaning that the application is deemed to be withdrawn (R92.4.g.i PCT).
Electronic filing
Electronic filing of application documents is possible
- via EPOLINE / CMS / online form (R89bis.1.a PCT together with R2(1) EPC and the “Decision of the President of the European Patent Office, dated 9 May 2018, on the electronic filing of documents”, OJ 2018, A45);
- via the ePCT-Filing system (R89bis.1.a PCT together with R2(1) EPC and the “Decision of the President of the European Patent Office, dated 24 October 2014, on the filing of international applications with the EPO acting as receiving Office using ePCT-Filing”, OJ 2014, A107).
For the filing of subsequently submitted documents (R89bis.2 PCT), it is possible to use the PCT-SFD plug-in of EPOLINE (“Notice from the European Patent Office, dated 17 April 2014, concerning the online filing of subsequently submitted documents under the PCT”, OJ 2014, A50).
Submission of « PCT-Direct » comments
Conditions
When filing an international application, it is possible to submit comments in response to the written opinion of the search report of the priority application (“Notice from the European Patent Office, dated 8 March 2017, concerning the processing of informal observations on earlier search results by the EPO acting as International Searching Authority (« PCT Direct »)”, OJ 2017, A21, point 2.2), if:
- the EPO is the ISA for this international application;
- the EPO carried out the search report of the priority application.
Form
These comments must take the following form (“Notice from the European Patent Office, dated 8 March 2017, concerning the processing of informal observations on earlier search results by the EPO acting as International Searching Authority (« PCT Direct »)”, OJ 2017, A21, point 3):
- the comments are submitted via a separate letter entitled “PCT-Direct / informal observations”;
- a clean copy of the claims must be provided if necessary (as an annex to the comments, in the same PDF);
- the terms “PCT Direct / informal observations” must be indicated: in point 11 “Other elements” in case of paper filing; as a remark in case of electronic filing. The comments must be self-contained (i.e., they must be understandable without reference to the search report or any other file document).
Processing
Unlike the previous practice (before 2017), the written opinion will refer to the PCT Direct letter and address its content, to the extent that it is relevant to the international search procedure.
PCT Direct letters will be publicly accessible on WIPO’s PATENTSCOPE portal.