1.2.2 Filing of applications by delivery by hand or by post 

An international application may be filed by delivery by hand or by post with one of the EPO's filing offices in Munich, The Hague or Berlin. Neither the sub-office in Vienna nor the Brussels Bureau is a filing office. The EPO's addresses and opening hours can be found on its website. All EPO filing offices are based in the Central European Time (CET) zone, i.e. UTC +1, and Central European Summer Time (CEST) i.e. UTC +2. CEST starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

The EPO filing offices in Munich's PschorrHöfe building and Berlin (see the decision of the President of the EPO dated 2 April 2025 3 January 2017, OJ EPO 2025, A33OJ EPO 2017, A11) are equipped with automated mailboxes, which may be used at any time. There is no automated mailbox facility in Munich’s Isar building or The Hague; outside office hours, documents may be handed to a the porter.

The documents making up the international application must be filed in one copy only: PCT request form, description, claims, abstract and drawings (Box No. IX of the PCT request form). The same applies to any other documents referred to in Rule 3.3(a)(ii) PCT and listed in Box No. IX of the PCT request form.

The international filing date accorded to an application delivered by hand or by post is the date of handing over or receipt respectively at an EPO filing office, provided that the requirements under Art. 11 are fulfilled (see A‑II, 4.1).

If a filing sent by post is lost or delayed, the EPO accepts evidence of posting only if the document was sent via a postal authority or one of the following generally recognised postal service providers: Chronopost, DHL, Federal Express, flexpress, TNT, SkyNet, UPS or Transworld. As evidence, confirmation of registration by the post office or confirmation of receipt by the postal service provider must be provided at the EPO's request. Rule 82 and Rule 82quater do not apply to the priority period, but they do apply to the time limit for submission of a request for restoration of the right of priority under Rule 26bis.3 (see A‑VI, 1.5).