What if EPO online services are unavailable?

The EPO Contingency Upload Service (CUS) offers an alternative method of submitting documents to the EPO in the unlikely event that the other EPO filing tools are not available, or it is not possible to create or to sign in to an EPO account in order to make use of the EPO filing tools. The CUS qualifies as an electronic means of filing and is therefore not subject to the obligation to resubmit the documents electronically. CUS is recommended for use in case of emergency only.

The EPO has safeguards in place to protect users in the event of technical issues, service interruptions or exceptional circumstances. 

When service disruptions occur, users should consult the relevant service information and guidance provided by the EPO.

Further information on contingency arrangements will be made available where applicable.

Outages of online services are published on the EPO’s website.