PCT Member States

An “international” or “PCT” patent application covers all countries/regions which are party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (“PCT Member States”) on the day the PCT application is filed, except those which the applicant has deliberately excluded or withdrawn. At present, the PCT covers most of the major industrial countries of the world, but notably not Taiwan, Pakistan, Argentina, and Venezuela. This page provides a current list of the PCT Member States. For more information about PCT applications, and the PCT process, see our page entitled International (PCT) Applications.

PCT Member States (158) – as at 28 January 2025

Regional Patents

European Patent (EP)⁵: AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MC, ME¹², MK, MT, NL, NO, PO, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR
("Extension" possible for: BA, ME¹³) ("Validation" possible for: MA, MD, GE¹⁵, TN, KH)

Eurasian Patent (EA)⁶: AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM

OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organisation) Patent (OA): BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG

ARIPO (African Regional Industrial Property Organisation) Patent (AP): GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, SC⁹, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW

¹  May only be designated for a Regional Patent (the "national route" via the PCT has been closed).

² Italy (IT) may be designated for a national patent only in international applications filed on or after 1 July 2020.

³ "Extension" of European Patent possible (BA, ME¹³).

⁴  "Validation" of European Patent possible (MA, MD, GE¹⁵, KH⁴, TN).

⁵  European Patent (EP) does not include Andorra.

⁶  Eurasian Patent (EA) no longer includes Moldova (MD) from 26 April 2012.

⁷  On 3 June 2006, the former state of Serbia & Montenegro (YU) divided into the Republic of Serbia (RS) and the Republic of Montenegro (ME).

8  8 Jamaica (JM) is available for international applications from 10 February 2022.

9  Seychelles (SC) is available via ARIPO for international applications filed from 1 January 2022.

¹⁰ Iraq (IQ) is available for international applications filed from 30 April 2022.

¹¹ Cabo Verde (CV) is available for international applications filed from 6 July 2022.

¹² Montenegro (ME) is available via EP from 1 October 2022.

¹³ Montenegro (ME) is available as an "Extension" of a European Patent for international applications filed before 1 October 2022.

¹⁴ Mauritius (MU) is available for international applications filed from 15 March 2023.

¹⁵ Georgia (GE) is available as an "Extension" of a European Patent for international applications filed from 15 January 2024.

¹⁶ Uruguay (UY) is available for international applications from 7 January 2025.

Process of a Typical PCT Application

Download flow chart of the procedure - PCT Member States

This information is simplified and must not be taken as a definitive statement of the law or practice.