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

(in months from priority date)
(status on 23 September 2016)

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 Barbuda1 30 30
AL Albania2 31 31
AM Armenia3 31 31
AO Angola1 30 30
AP African Regional Intellectual Property Organization4 31 31
AT Austria2 30 30
AU Australia 31 31
AZ Azerbaijan3 30 31
BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 34 34
BB Barbados 30 30
BG Bulgaria2 31 31
BH Bahrain 30 30
BN Brunei Darussalam 30 30
BR Brazil 30 30
BW Botswana6 31 31
BY Belarus3 31 31
BZ Belize  30   307
CA Canada            30 (428)           30 (428)
CH Switzerland2, 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 Czechia2 31 31
DE Germany2 30 30
DJ Djibouti 30 30
DK Denmark2  31  31
DM Dominica1 30 30
DO Dominican Republic  30 30
DZ Algeria  31 31
EA Eurasian Patent Organization  31 31
EC Ecuador  31 31
EE Estonia2  31 31
EG Egypt  30 30
EP European Patent Organisation10 31 31
ES Spain2  30 30
FI Finland2  31 31
GB United Kingdom2  31 31
GD Grenada1  30 30
GE Georgia  31 31
GH Ghana6  30 30
GM Gambia6  30 31
GT Guatemala  30 30
HN Honduras 30 30
HR Croatia2   31 31
HU Hungary2  31 31
ID Indonesia     315    315
IL Israel  30 30
IN India  31 31
IR Iran (Islamic Republic of) 30 30
IS Iceland2  31 31
JP Japan  30 30
KE Kenya6  30 30
KG Kyrgyzstan3  31 31
KN Saint Kitts and Nevis1  30 30
KP Democratic People’s Republic of Korea  30 30
KR Republic of Korea  31 31
KW Kuwait 30 30
KZ Kazakhstan3  31 31
LA Lao People’s Democratic Republic1  30 30
LC Saint Lucia1  30 30
LK Sri Lanka  30 30
LR Liberia6  30 31
LS Lesotho6  30 31
LU Luxembourg2      2011 30
LY Libya1  30 30
MA Morocco  31 31
MD Republic of Moldova3  31 31
ME Montenegro1  30 30
MG Madagascar  30 30
MK The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia2  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 Norway2  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 Poland2  30 30
PT Portugal2  30 30
QA Qatar 30 30
RO Romania2  30 30
RS Serbia2      3013 3013
RU Russian Federation3  31 31
RW Rwanda1, 6 30 30
SA Saudi Arabia 30 30
SC Seychelles  31 31
SD Sudan6  30 30
SE Sweden2  31 31
SG Singapore  3014 3014
SK Slovakia2  31 31
SL Sierra Leone6  31 31
SM San Marino2  31 31
ST Sao Tome and Principe1, 6 30 30
SV El Salvador  30 30
SY Syrian Arab Republic  31 31
TH Thailand  30 30
TJ Tajikistan3  30 31
TM Turkmenistan3  30 31
TN Tunisia1  30 30
TR Turkey2           30 (338)          30 (338)
TT Trinidad and Tobago   30 31
TZ United Republic of Tanzania6      2111 31
UA Ukraine  31 31
UG Uganda6     2111 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
ZA South Africa  31 31
ZM Zambia6  30 30
ZW Zimbabwe6  30 31
  1. 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.
  2. If designated/elected for a European patent, see EP as DO/EO for the applicable time limits.
  3. If designated/elected for a Eurasian patent, see EA as designated/elected Office (DO/EO) for the applicable time limits.
  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, IT, LT, LV, MC, MT, NL, SI. 
  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).