IP-Academy

Time limits for national/regional phase entry of international PCT applications
Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), applicants must enter the national or regional phase of the application process within a specified timeframe—usually 30 or 31 months from the priority date (earliest filing date). This timeframe varies slightly by country or region and is crucial for preserving patent rights in each designated jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions allow for extensions or reinstatements of rights under specific conditions, often involving additional fees.
Below is a detailed chart of the national phase deadlines for each PCT contracting state and regional office under Chapter I (Article 22) and Chapter II (Article 39(1)) procedures, including footnotes that highlight exceptions, regional considerations (e.g., ARIPO, EPO, OAPI), and special cases:
Designated/Elected Office |
Chapter I (under PCT Article 22) |
Chapter II (under PCT Article 39(1)) |
|
---|---|---|---|
AE | United Arab Emirates | 30 | 30 |
AG | Antigua and Barbuda | 30 | 30 |
AL | Albania1 | 31 | 31 |
AM | Armenia2 | 31 | 31 |
AO | Angola | 30 | 30 |
AP | African Regional Intellectual Property Organization4 | 31 | 31 |
AT | Austria1 | 30 | 30 |
AU | Australia | 31 | 31 |
AZ | Azerbaijan2 | 30 | 31 |
BA | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 34 | 34 |
BB | Barbados | 30 | 30 |
BG | Bulgaria1 | 31 | 31 |
BH | Bahrain | 30 | 30 |
BN | Brunei Darussalam | 30 | 30 |
BR | Brazil | 30 | 30 |
BW | Botswana6 | 31 | 31 |
BY | Belarus2 | 31 | 31 |
BZ | Belize | 30 | 307 |
CA | Canada | 3015 | 3015 |
CH | Switzerland1, 9 | 30 | 30 |
CL | Chile | 30 | 30 |
CN | China | 30 (32)8 | 30 (32)8 |
CO | Colombia | 31 | 31 |
CR | Costa Rica | 31 | 31 |
CU | Cuba | 30 | 30 |
CZ | Czech Republic1 | 31 | 31 |
DE | Germany1 | 31 | 31 |
DJ | Djibouti | 30 | 30 |
DK | Denmark1 | 31 | 31 |
DM | Dominica3 | 30 | 30 |
DO | Dominican Republic | 30 | 30 |
DZ | Algeria | 31 | 31 |
EA | Eurasian Patent Organization | 31 | 31 |
EC | Ecuador | 31 | 31 |
EE | Estonia1 | 31 | 31 |
EG | Egypt | 30 | 30 |
EP | European Patent Organisation10 | 31 | 31 |
ES | Spain1 | 30 | 30 |
FI | Finland1 | 31 | 31 |
GB | United Kingdom1 | 31 | 31 |
GD | Grenada3 | 30 | 30 |
GE | Georgia | 31 | 31 |
GH | Ghana6 | 30 | 30 |
GM | Gambia6 | 30 | 31 |
GT | Guatemala | 30 | 30 |
HN | Honduras | 30 | 30 |
HR | Croatia1 | 31 | 31 |
HU | Hungary1 | 31 | 31 |
ID | Indonesia | 315 | 315 |
IL | Israel | 30 | 30 |
IN | India | 31 | 31 |
IQ | Iraq3 | 30 | 30 |
IR | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 30 | 30 |
IS | Iceland1 | 31 | 31 |
IT | Italy1 | 3016 | 3016 |
JM | Jamaica | 30 | 30 |
JO | Jordan | 30 | 30 |
JP | Japan | 30 | 30 |
KE | Kenya6 | 30 | 30 |
KG | Kyrgyzstan2 | 31 | 31 |
KH | Cambodia | 30 | 30 |
KN | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 30 | 30 |
KP | Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | 30 | 30 |
KR | Republic of Korea | 31 | 31 |
KW | Kuwait | 30 | 30 |
KZ | Kazakhstan2 | 31 | 31 |
LA | Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 31 | 31 |
LC | Saint Lucia3 | 30 | 30 |
LK | Sri Lanka | 30 | 30 |
LR | Liberia6 | 30 | 31 |
LS | Lesotho6 | 30 | 31 |
LU | Luxembourg1 | 2011 | 30 |
LY | Libya3 | 30 | 30 |
MA | Morocco | 31 | 31 |
MD | Republic of Moldova | 31 | 31 |
ME | Montenegro3 | 30 | 30 |
MG | Madagascar | 30 | 30 |
MK | North Macedonia1 | 31 | 31 |
MN | Mongolia | 31 | 31 |
MW | Malawi6 | 30 | 30 |
MX | Mexico | 30 | 30 |
MY | Malaysia | 30 | 30 |
MZ | Mozambique6 | 31 | 31 |
NA | Namibia6 | 31 | 31 |
NG | Nigeria | 30 | 30 |
NI | Nicaragua | 30 | 30 |
NO | Norway1 | 31 | 31 |
NZ | New Zealand | 31 | 31 |
OA | African Intellectual Property Organization12 | 30 | 30 |
OM | Oman | 30 | 30 |
PA | Panama | 30 | 30 |
PE | Peru | 30 | 30 |
PG | Papua New Guinea | 31 | 31 |
PH | Philippines | 30 (318) | 30 (318) |
PL | Poland1 | 30 | 30 |
PT | Portugal1 | 30 | 30 |
QA | Qatar | 30 | 30 |
RO | Romania1 | 30 | 30 |
RS | Serbia1 | 3013 | 3013 |
RU | Russian Federation2 | 31 | 31 |
RW | Rwanda3, 6 | 30 | 30 |
SA | Saudi Arabia | 30 | 30 |
SC | Seychelles | 31 | 31 |
SD | Sudan6 | 30 | 30 |
SE | Sweden1 | 31 | 31 |
SG | Singapore | 3014 | 3014 |
SK | Slovakia1 | 31 | 31 |
SL | Sierra Leone6 | 31 | 31 |
ST | Sao Tome and Principe3, 6 | 30 | 30 |
SV | El Salvador | 30 | 30 |
SY | Syrian Arab Republic | 31 | 31 |
TH | Thailand | 30 | 30 |
TJ | Tajikistan2 | 30 | 31 |
TM | Turkmenistan2 | 30 | 31 |
TN | Tunisia | 30 | 30 |
TR | Türkiye1 | 30 (338) | 30 (338) |
TT | Trinidad and Tobago | 30 | 31 |
TZ | United Republic of Tanzania6 | 2111 | 31 |
UA | Ukraine | 31 | 31 |
UG | Uganda6 | 30 | 31 |
US | United States of America | 30 | 30 |
UZ | Uzbekistan | 31 | 31 |
VC | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 31 | 31 |
VN | Vietnam | 31 | 31 |
WS | Samoa | 31 | 31 |
ZA | South Africa | 31 | 31 |
ZM | Zambia6 | 30 | 30 |
ZW | Zimbabwe6 | 30 | 31 |
- 1. If designated for a European patent, see EP as designated Office for the applicable time limits.
- 2. If designated for a Eurasian patent, see EA as designated Office for the applicable time limits.
- 3. In the absence of information from the Office concerned, the time limits shown are those which would normally apply under PCT Articles 22(1) and 39(1)(a). If the Office decides to apply longer time limits, that information will be published in the PCT Newsletter.
- 4. ARIPO acts as designated office for the following State which does not act in the capacity of designated office: SZ.
- 5. This time limit may be extended provided that the applicant pays an additional fee for late entry into the national phase.
- 6. If designated for an ARIPO patent, see AP as designated office for the applicable time limits.
- 7. May be extended upon written request of the applicant.
- 8. Time limit applicable if applicant pays an additional fee for late entry into the national phase.
- 9. Swiss Office acts as designated one for the following State which does not act in the capacity of designated office: LI.
- 10. EPO acts as designated office for the following States which do not act in the capacity of designated office : BE, CY, FR, GR, IE, LT, LV, MC, MT, NL, SI, SM.
- 11. This Office has notified the International Bureau of the non-applicability of the 30-month time limit under PCT Article 22(1), as modified with effect from 1 April 2002 – it does not yet apply the 30-month time limit for entering the national phase.
- 12. OAPI acts as designated office for the following States which do not act in the capacity of designated office : BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG.
- 13. The time limit may be extended by 30 days if the applicant pays an additional fee for late entry into the national phase.
- 14. The time limit may be extended by up to 18 months provided the applicant pays the prescribed fee.
- 15. Up to 12 months after the 30-month deadline (30 months from the priority date) the applicant can request reinstatement of rights provided that he/she pays the fee for reinstatement of rights and meets the other requirements outlined in subsection 154(3) of the Canadian Patent Rules for the reinstatement of rights.
- 16. For international applications filed on or after July 1, 2020.