Article 33

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Information from the EPO

Decision of the President of the European Patent Office dated 2 April 2025 designating the EPO's filing offices

The President of the European Patent Office, having regard to Article 10(2)(a) EPC and Rule 2(1) EPC, has decided as follows:

Article 1

Filing offices of the European Patent Office

(1) For the purposes of Article 75(1)(a) EPC and Rule 35(1) EPC, the European Patent Office (EPO) has filing offices at its headquarters (Isar) and PschorrHöfe buildings in Munich, its branch at The Hague and its Berlin sub-office.1

(2) The EPO's sub-office in Vienna is not a filing office for the purposes of Article 75(1)(a) EPC and Rule 35(1) EPC. Patent applications filed with the Vienna sub-office are forwarded to one of the filing offices and will only be accorded a filing date on receipt by the latter.

(3) The filing offices in Munich (PschorrHöfe building only, Zollstrasse) and Berlin are equipped with automated mailboxes which may be used at any time. There is no automated mailbox at the filing offices in the Isar building and at The Hague; outside office hours documents may be handed to the porter.

(4) Documents in proceedings before the EPO may be filed in electronic form, as determined by the President of the EPO.2

Article 2

Opening hours of the filing offices

(1) The EPO's filing offices are open for the receipt of documents during the working hours of the site in question.¹

(2) The filing offices are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.3

Article 3

Previous decisions superseded

Upon the entry into force of this decision, the decision of the President dated 3 January 2017 concerning the designation of the EPO filing offices (OJ EPO 2017, A11) will cease to apply.

Article 4

Entry into force

This decision will enter into force on 1 May 2025.

Done at Munich, 2 April 2025

António CAMPINOS

President