Time Limits for Entering National/Regional Phase under PCT Chapters I and II

(in months from priority date)
(status on 7 June 2022)

Note that detailed information on the excusing of delays in meeting time limits before certain designated/elected Offices is contained in the corresponding National Chapters of the PCT Applicant's Guide.

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 Czechia1 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 Viet Nam 31 31
WS
Samoa 31 31
ZA South Africa 31 31
ZM Zambia6 30 30
ZW Zimbabwe6 30 31
  1. If designated/elected for a European patent, see EP as DO/EO for the applicable time limits.
  2. If designated/elected for a Eurasian patent, see EA as designated/elected Office (DO/EO) 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. This Office acts as DO/EO for the following State which does not act in the capacity of DO/EO: SZ.
  5. This time limit may be extended provided that the applicant pays an additional fee for late entry into the national phase (see national phase for details).
  6. If designated/elected for an ARIPO patent, see AP as DO/EO 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 (see national phase for details: CA, CN, PH, TR).
  9. This Office acts as DO/EO for the following State which does not act in the capacity of DO/EO: LI.
  10. This Office acts as DO/EO for the following States which do not act in the capacity of DO/EO: 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. This Office acts as DO/EO for the following States which do not act in the capacity of DO/EO: 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 (see national phase for details).
  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 (late entry into the national phase).
  16. For international applications filed on or after 1 July 2020.