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Chapter I – Filing and requirements of the European patent application

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  1. Home
  2. The European Patent Convention – Contents
  3. European Patent Convention
  4. Part III
  5. Chapter I
  6. Article 75
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Article 75 – Filing of a European patent application

Article 75 – Filing of a European patent application
Article 76 – European divisional applications
Article 77 – Forwarding of European patent applications
Article 78 – Requirements of a European patent application
Article 79 – Designation of Contracting States
Article 80 – Date of filing
Article 81 – Designation of the inventor
Article 82 – Unity of invention
Article 83 – Disclosure of the invention
Article 84 – Claims
Article 85 – Abstract
Article 86 – Renewal fees for the European patent application

Article 7565
Filing of a European patent application

Part III – The European patent application
Chapter I – Filing and requirements of the European patent application

(1) A European patent application may be filed: 

(a)66 with the European Patent Office, or 

(b)67 if the law of a Contracting State so permits, and subject to Article 76, paragraph 1, with the central industrial property office or other competent authority of that State. Any application filed in this way shall have the same effect as if it had been filed on the same date with the European Patent Office.

(2) Paragraph 1 shall not preclude the application of legislative or regulatory provisions which, in any Contracting State:

(a) govern inventions which, owing to the nature of their subject-matter, may not be communicated abroad without the prior authorisation of the competent authorities of that State, or 

(b) prescribe that any application is to be filed initially with a national authority, or make direct filing with another authority subject to prior authorisation. 


65Amended by the Act revising the European Patent Convention of 29.11.2000.

66See decision of the President of the EPO of 03.01.2017 designating the EPO's filing offices (OJ EPO 2017, A11),, notice from the EPO of 14.02.2018 concerning the availability of the EPO filing offices (OJ EPO 2018, A18) and notice from the EPO of 16.03.2018 concerning the closing of the mailroom at its headquarters in Munich (OJ EPO 2018, A27).

67See notice from the EPO of 30.01.2018 concerning changes to the filing options available in Belgium for European patent applications and international applications (OJ EPO 2018, A17) and notice from the EPO of 20.11.2019 concerning changes to the filing options available in San Marino for European patent applications and international applications (OJ EPO 2019, A96).

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EPC - Reference
  • Art. 76, 120, 130, 153
    R. 35, 41, 133, 134, 147
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