Find a professional representative
Searchable database of professional representatives
Looking for someone to represent you? The EPO keeps a full list of professional representatives in a searchable database. More about the searchable database.
You're a professional representative? You can find out about having and managing an entry on the list of professional representatives before the EPO in the Law & practice section.
- More about representation before the EPO
Representation before the EPO may be undertaken by professional representatives registered on the EPO's list of professional representatives (Article 134(1) EPC), by legal practitioners fulfilling the requirements of Article 134(8) EPC and registered with the EPO and by associations of professional representatives (Rule 152(11) EPC).
Natural and legal persons who do not have their residence or principal place of business in an EPC contracting state are obliged to be represented by a professional representative and act through them in all proceedings established by the EPC other than in filing a European patent application.
Natural and legal persons who have their residence or place of business in an EPC contracting state are not obliged to be represented in proceedings before the EPO and may perform procedural acts either themselves or, for legal persons, through their legal representative. They may also act through an employee (Article 133(3) EPC).
In both cases, any person can make fee payments.
Even if you are not obliged to appoint a professional representative, it may still be helpful to consult one.
- More about the searchable database
The searchable database contains a standardised set of information for all professional representatives registered with the EPO.
On 3 February 2025, in line with the digital transformation and enhanced transparency initiatives under Strategic Plan 2028, the EPO made the full list of professional representatives before the EPO available in a new and improved searchable database on its website (see the decision of the President of the EPO dated 27 November 2024 concerning the publication of the list of professional representatives (OJ EPO 2024, A107) and the related notice from the EPO (OJ EPO 2024, A109)). This database contains the last name, first name(s), representative number, full postal address of place of business or employment, dates of entry and re-entry to the list, and dates of deletion from the list. It also includes telecommunication details (telephone number, email address, web address) if the professional representative has provided these and consented to their publication.
The entry of a person deleted from the list of professional representatives will remain in the database for five years from the date of deletion. However, entries of professional representatives deleted from the list of professional representatives will be displayed in the searchable database only if the deletion takes place on or after 3 February 2025.
You can search the database by country or by entering a term in the search field, or by using a combination of both.
To search for a representative by location, enter the name of the city in its local form. For example, type "München" or "münchen", but not "Munich".