Rule 84a 117
Late receipt of documents

(1) A document received late at the European Patent Office shall be deemed to have been received in due time if it was posted, or delivered to a recognised delivery service, in due time before the expiry of the time limit in accordance with the conditions laid down by the President of the European Patent Office, unless the document was received later than three months after expiry of the time limit.

(2) Paragraph 1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the time limits provided for in the Convention where transactions are carried out with the competent authority in accordance with Article 75, paragraph 1(b) or paragraph 2(b).

117Inserted by decision of the Administrative Council of 10.12.1998 which entered into force on 01.01.1999 (OJ EPO 1999, 1 ff). See the decision of the President of the EPO dated 31.03.2003 concerning the application of Rule 84a EPC on the late receipt of documents (OJ EPO 2003, 283 ff).