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Direct filing of PCT applications with the International Bureau as PCT receiving Office (RO/IB)

Any resident or national of a PCT Contracting State may file an international application direct with the International Bureau of WIPO as receiving Office, as an alternative to filing with the competent national or regional Office (see PCT Rule 19.1(a)(iii)).

Filing of PCT Applications

How can an international application be filed with the International Bureau as PCT receiving Office?

International applications may be filed directly with the International Bureau as receiving Office:

  • electronically via ePCT, or
    • EPO Online Filing.

In case it is difficult to file with the filing tools mentioned above, direct filings are also possible:

  • by ePCT Business Continuity Service (FAQs), or
  • by mail, or
  • hand-delivery to WIPO’s headquarters, or
  • by facsimile, provided that the original of the faxed application is furnished within 14 days from the date of the fax transmission.  
    • From 1 January  2020, the International Bureau, also as receiving Office (RO/IB) does not send faxes. Although strongly discouraged and only in emergency situations, applicants are able to file by fax with RO/IB, at:  +41 22 338 82 70 or +41 22 338 90 90.  Applicants who intend to send a fax to the RO/IB during regular business hours at RO/IB (9.00 to 18.00, Central European Time), should contact the PCT Receiving Office Section of the IB by telephone at +41 22 338 92 22 to inform them that they plan to send a fax. If outside of business hours at the RO/IB, applicants can leave a message on the answering machine. PDF

If the international application is filed by means other than ePCT, a special form, which is not mandatory, for use when filing applications and other documents (Form PCT/RO/198) can be obtained from WIPO, on which applicants may fill in details concerning the number of pages and the nature of documents filed. These indications will be compared with the pages actually received by the International Bureau. The International Bureau will promptly send to the applicant by e-mail (if authorization has been given) or by mail an acknowledgment of receipt of the international application or other document (Form PCT/RO/199).  Where the international application is sent by facsimile, Form PCT/RO/199 will be sent at the latest on the following working day.

The two-letter code IB will appear in international application numbers accorded by the International Bureau as receiving Office.

International applications or other documents may be filed up to midnight Geneva time and receive the date of the day it was received (irrespective of whether it is filed online, by ePCT Business Continuity Service, by fax, etc.).  Please note that the last page must have been received before midnight Geneva time (Central European time);  see Rule 80.4.

What special features have to be taken into account?

It is the responsibility of the applicant or the applicant’s agent to comply with any applicable national security provisions before filing an international application with the International Bureau as receiving Office.

In the case of filing by fax, where a difference exists between the time in the country from which the international application is transmitted and the time in Geneva, Switzerland (where the International Bureau is located), the operative date is the date in Geneva at the time of receipt of the international application.

In which language can an international application be filed with the International Bureau as receiving Office?

International applications may be filed with the International Bureau as receiving Office in any language. However, the request has to be filed in one of the ten publication languages under the PCT, that is, in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. The language-dependent free text of the sequence listing part can be filed in any language and, in addition, the Office accepts English as a second language (Rule 12.1(d)).  

If the language in which the international application is filed (in other words, the language used for description and claims) is not accepted by the International Searching Authority that is to carry out the international search (see PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex D as to the languages accepted by the various International Searching Authorities), the applicant is required to furnish to the International Bureau as receiving Office, within one month from the date of receipt of the international application by that Office, a translation into a language which is both a language accepted by the International Searching Authority that is to carry out international search and a language of publication (see PCT Rule 12.3).

If the language in which the international application is filed is accepted by the International Searching Authority that is to carry out the international search but is not a language of publication (at present, this is the case only where the international application is filed in Dutch and certain Nordic languages), the international application will be published in the language of translation furnished by the applicant and which is accepted by the International Bureau as receiving Office, that is, in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish (see PCT Rule 12.4).

Which are the competent International Searching Authorities and International Preliminary Examining Authorities?

The competent Authorities are the same as would have been competent if the international application had been filed with the national Office of, or acting for, a Contracting State of which the applicant is a resident or national (see PCT Rules 35.3 and 59.1(b)). This may result in a wider choice of Authorities for international applications filed with the International Bureau as receiving Office if there are two or more applicants from different Contracting States. The choice of International Searching Authority (see PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex C) must be indicated in the request and the choice of International Preliminary Examining Authority (see PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex C) must be indicated in the demand.

Who can act as agent?

Any person who has the right to practice before the national Office of, or acting for, a Contracting State of which the applicant, or, if there are two or more applicants, any of the applicants, is a resident or national is entitled to practice in respect of the international application before the International Bureau in its capacity as receiving Office (see PCT Rule 83.1bis).

What fees are payable?

Fees may be paid in Swiss francs, US dollars, or euro. The amounts payable and applicable reductions are set out in the PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex C(IB).

Reductions to the international filing fee are available for users of ePCT and applicants from certain States.

What modes of payment of fees are available?

Fees may be paid in any of the following ways:

  • by credit card (at the time of filing if using ePCT, or subsequently after receiving e-mail from RO/IB with a link to online payment;  the following credit cards are accepted for payments in Swiss francs, US dollars or Euro: Diners, Discover, Mastercard and Visa; American Express credit cards are accepted only for payments in Swiss francs) 
  • by eWallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay) (Swiss francs, US dollars or Euro)
  • by debit from a current account established with WIPO (Swiss francs only)
  • by PayPal (Swiss francs, US dollars or Euro)
  • by bank transfer to WIPO’s bank account (Swiss francs, US dollars or Euro)
  • by transfer to WIPO’s postal account (Swiss francs only)
  • By bank payment online (secured by SOFORT) (Swiss francs or Euro)
The International Bureau does not accept payment by check.  

Which address must be used for filing an international application with the International Bureau?

The following address must be used for the filing of international applications:

International Bureau of WIPO
PCT Receiving Office Section
34, chemin des Colombettes
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland

Inquiries

Please use the following numbers:

  • Telephone: +41 22 338 92 22  or +41 22 338 91 11 (switchboard);
  • E-mail address: ro.ib@wipo.int
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