III. Filing the request for unitary effect
64The request for unitary effect should preferably be filed online. This is not only reliable, efficient, secure and fast, it also has the advantage of reducing the clerical and administrative burden. The EPO offers three ways of requesting a Unitary Patent online: via Form 7000 in both Online Filing and Online Filing 2.0 and via the web-form filing service. For web-form filing, it is highly recommended that you use Form 7000 provided on the EPO's website. Online Filing, Online Filing 2.0 and the web-form filing service are all free of charge and have numerous features and benefits. Detailed descriptions of the various options and guidance on which one to choose can be found on the EPO's website, as can information about the EPO's other online services, such as Online Fee Payment, Secure File Inspection, the European Publication Server, My Files, Secure File Inspection and the Mailbox service, and the advantages of using them online services.
65You can also file your request for unitary effect in person or by postal services. In these cases too, it is strongly recommended that you use Form 7000, reading the explanatory notes carefully before completing it. Duly completing Form 7000 will ensure that you provide all the information required for a valid request. Requests can be filed with the EPO at its headquarters (Isar) and PschorrHöfe buildings in Munich, its branch at The Hague and its Berlin sub-office, but not at its sub-offices in Vienna and Brussels. The EPO's addresses can be found on the EPO's website. Requests cannot be filed with the central industrial property office or competent authority of an EPC contracting state (see Rule 6(1) UPR, which unlike Article 75(1) EPC, exclusively mentions the EPO).