• Patent fees

Fees associated with the Serbian PCT national phase entry as well as other patent fees are available in the fee calculator.

• Deadline for the PCT national phase entry in Serbia

The time limit for entering the Serbian national phase of a PCT application is 30 months from the date of priority. The time limit may be extended by 30 days, if the applicant pays an extension fee. Reinstatement of rights after a missed deadline is possible under the “due care” criterion, provided that a request is filed justifying the reasons for the delay and the surcharge is paid. The request must be submitted within 3 months from the removal of the cause of the delay, but no later than 12 months from the missed deadline.

• Minimum of filing documents in  Serbia

To obtain the date of filing a patent application in Serbia should contain:
- a request to grant a patent in Serbia;
- the international application.

• Language of the Serbian patent application

The official language of the Serbian patent application is Serbian. If the international application is filed in any other foreign language, the Serbian translation must be submitted within two months from the date of receipt of the invitation issued by the IP Office.

• Power of Attorney requirements

The IP Office does not set the deadline for submitting a POA. Instead, if the applicant does not supply a signed original of the Power of Attorney at the time of filing, the Serbian IPO will issue an invitation during the examination of formal requirements, setting a deadline of two months from receipt of the invitation for its submission. The deadline may be extended upon request.

• Assignment Deed

If the applicant is not the inventor or the sole inventor, a statement indicating the right of the applicant to file the application has to be submitted to the IPO. If it has not been submitted at filing, it has to be submitted within two months of the IPO's invitation. Where the assignment is already indicated in the PCT application, the Serbian IPO generally accepts this indication. 

• Substantive examination request

The substantive examination of a Serbian patent application based on PCT must be requested within six months from publication of the search report in the Official Gazette. The Serbian IPO accepts the International Search Report (ISR) issued during the PCT phase and does not carry out a separate search.

• Grace period

An invention which was already part of the state of the art for a period of up to six months before the filing of the application shall also be deemed to be new, if its disclosure was due to or was a consequence of:
- evident abuse in relation to the applicant or his legal predecessor;
- the invention being displayed by the applicant or his legal predecessor at an official, or officially recognised exhibition, falling within the terms of the Convention on International Exhibitions.

• Grant and patent maintenance

Official fee for granting a patent in Serbia should be paid within 15 days from receipt of the invitation. The patent validity term is 20 years counting from the international filing date. Annual maintenance fees are paid for pending applications and granted patents starting from the third year. The grace period for payment of annuities is 6 months provided that the surcharge fee is paid.

• Representation by a patent attorney

Foreigners must perform the Serbian PCT national stage entry through an agent, a registered in Serbia patent attorney.

• Notes

1. Online Search databases: Serbian Patents, European Patents (EPO).
2. The patent protection in the Serbia may also be obtained via entering the European regional stage and its further validation in Serbia.

Brief summary is based on the information provided by MILOJEVIC, SEKULIC & ASSOCIATES on 03.04.2026
Please contact us if the above information is not in conformity with Serbian IP Laws