European patent filing services · US applicants
PCT European Phase Entry
Deadline, costs and requirements for US applicants.
Bring your PCT application into Europe with an EPO-specific claim strategy. Work directly with Karel Bauer, European Patent Attorney, from regional phase entry through European examination.
- 31 months
- Standard EPO entry deadline
- 50+ matters
- EPO prosecution experience
- 10+ years
- In practice
Choose your filing route
European patent filing — how to file a patent in Europe
Already have a PCT application?
European regional phase entry takes your international application into proceedings before the EPO. The usual deadline is 31 months from the earliest priority date, not the 30 months used in some other countries.
Often searched as “PCT national phase Europe”.
Filing directly from a US application?
A direct European patent application can claim priority from your first US filing, normally within 12 months. We review the disclosure and priority position before preparing the European filing.
European Patent Attorney for US applicants →Looking for an “EU patent application” or how to extend a US patent to Europe? A US patent gives no automatic European protection. The EPO route covers EPC contracting states, including non-EU countries; national validation or unitary effect is considered after grant.
Timing matters
The 31-month deadline is the starting point.
Send the application number and earliest priority date before instructing entry.
The standard European phase entry period runs from the earliest claimed priority date, or the international filing date if no priority is claimed. The exact due date and applicable calendar rules need file-specific confirmation.
Where the EPO issues a Rule 161/162 communication, it sets a six-month period for the relevant response and claims-fee steps. This is not an extension of the regional phase entry deadline.
Already late? Seek urgent review. Further processing may be available for particular missed entry acts, but it has its own conditions, fees and time limit. Do not rely on it as a planned extension.
From PCT to EPO prosecution
A European filing needs a European claim strategy.
- 01
Confirm the route and deadline
Review the PCT file, earliest priority date, applicant details and European objectives. Confirm the EPO deadline and the scope of the instruction before filing.
- 02
Review the European claim strategy
Assess claim categories, technical effect, inventive step and support for amendments in the original disclosure. A US claim set is not automatically ready for European examination.
- 03
Complete regional phase entry
Prepare the entry request, appoint the European representative, identify the application documents and arrange the required fees and any necessary translation.
- 04
Address the EPO entry communications
Review the Rule 161/162 communication and any response requirement. Where issued, the six-month period is a separate procedural step, not extra time to enter Europe.
- 05
Continue through examination
Respond to EPO objections with technical arguments and supported amendments. At grant, choose national validation or, where appropriate, a Unitary Patent.
European patent application cost
PCT European phase entry costs: a defined scope, not a headline price.
Official EPO fees and attorney work are separate. Your written quote identifies the filing acts, claim work and assumptions before you instruct us.
| Attorney work | Indicative fee | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Euro-PCT entry filing | €800 | Entry filing act and representative appointment |
| Examination request | €450 | Separate attorney fee for the request |
| Direct European filing | €800 | Alternative to Euro-PCT, not an additional entry fee |
| Substantive claim adaptation | Quoted separately | Based on claim set, disclosure and issues identified |
For the entry filing and examination request together, indicative attorney fees are €1,250. This is not an all-in filing-to-grant price. Official fees, translation, excess claims or pages, renewals and later prosecution are additional where applicable.
Official EPO charges depend on the application and the schedule applicable when paid. The quote checks designation, examination, any search requirement and any available reduction; no reduction is assumed without confirming eligibility.
Official EPO fees for Euro-PCT entry (2026 schedule)
| EPO fee | Amount (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Filing fee (online) | 135 |
| Supplementary European search (waived if the EPO was ISA) | 1,885 |
| Examination fee | 2,240 |
| Designation fee | 720 |
| Claims 16–50, each | 290 |
| Claims 51+, each | 720 |
| Pages above 35, each | 17 |
Source: EPO fee schedule (OJ EPO 2026). Late acts can be saved by further processing with a surcharge. Always confirm against the schedule in force on the payment date.
Required documents
What to send for an entry assessment.
- PCT application or publication number and the published application.
- Earliest priority date and details of the priority application(s).
- Applicant names, addresses and any ownership changes.
- Current description, claims, drawings and any PCT amendments.
- Available international search and examination documents.
- Intended claim changes, European markets and known deadlines.
We check whether an English, French or German translation, priority evidence, assignment documents or a specific authorization is needed. Do not send unpublished technical material in an initial inquiry; ask to arrange a suitable exchange first.
Your European Patent Attorney
Karel Bauer
50+ EPO prosecution matters and 10+ years of practice, with a technical focus on physics, electronics and ICT. Direct communication connects the inventors’ technical explanation with the argument prepared for the EPO.
The focus is on technical character, the problem-solution approach and amendments supported by the original application—not simply transferring a US claim set into a European form.
Experience and scope of representation →Common questions
Before you instruct European entry.
- Is PCT national phase Europe the same as European regional phase entry?
- For entry before the EPO, yes: US applicants often search for PCT national phase Europe. The technically correct term is European regional phase entry, also called Euro-PCT entry. National entry before individual national patent offices is a different route.
- What is the PCT European phase entry deadline?
- The standard EPO time limit is 31 months from the earliest claimed priority date, or the international filing date if there is no priority claim. Have the exact due date checked, including applicable calendar rules. Do not assume the 30-month deadline used in some other jurisdictions applies to the EPO.
- What if we have already missed the 31-month deadline?
- Contact a European Patent Attorney immediately. Further processing may be available for certain omitted entry acts, subject to strict requirements, additional fees and a separate time limit. It is not an automatic extension and cannot be assumed to restore every lost right.
- Can a US company file directly with the EPO without a PCT application?
- Yes. A direct European patent application is a separate route. To claim priority from a first US filing, the normal deadline is 12 months from that filing. Disclosures, entitlement and the priority documents must be reviewed before choosing the route.
- Does a US patent extend automatically to the EU?
- No. Patent rights are territorial. A European application must be filed through an available route and within the relevant deadlines. The EPO is not an EU institution, and a European patent does not automatically become one patent covering every European country.
- Do US applicants need a European Patent Attorney?
- Applicants with neither residence nor principal place of business in an EPC contracting state generally must be represented by a professional representative in EPO proceedings, subject to the exception for filing a European application. A US attorney qualification alone does not confer the right to act as an EPO professional representative.
- What is included in the PCT European phase entry cost?
- The estimate separates official EPO fees from attorney work. Bauer IP’s indicative entry filing fee is €800, with €450 for the examination request. Substantive claim amendments, translations, excess claims or pages, renewals and later prosecution are quoted separately. Official charges depend on the file and the schedule applicable when paid.
PCT entry · Direct European filing · EPO prosecution
Plan your European filing with the attorney handling it.
Send the application number, earliest priority date and your European objectives. Request a defined scope and written estimate before work begins.
General information, not a file-specific legal opinion. Sending an inquiry does not appoint a representative or confirm that a deadline is being monitored; acceptance of the instruction must be confirmed.