One international application. 150+ countries kept open.
A PCT application, filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty administered by WIPO, secures your filing date across more than 150 contracting states with a single filing, then gives you up to 30 or 31 months from priority to decide where to pursue protection. We file directly with WIPO and run the whole international phase, from search authority strategy to national phase planning.
- One filing, one language, one set of fees for every contracting state
- Search report and written opinion reviewed before you commit national budgets
- 30/31-month national phase docketed and costed country by country
Request a filing proposal
Share your priority date and the markets you are considering. An attorney will reply within one business day with a PCT strategy, timeline and fees.
The efficient first step to a global patent portfolio.
A PCT application is a single international patent application that has the effect of a national filing in every PCT contracting state. It runs in two phases: an international phase, with a centralised search, publication and optional preliminary examination, and a national phase, where each office you choose examines and grants its own patent.
WIPO does not grant an "international patent". What the PCT gives you is time and information: up to 30 or 31 months from your priority date to assess commercial value, secure funding or partners, and read an authoritative patentability opinion before you commit to national fees and translations.
At a glance
- Route
- One international application under the PCT, administered by WIPO
- Filing deadline
- Within 12 months of your first filing, or as your first filing
- Coverage
- All 150+ contracting states designated automatically
- Search
- International search report and written opinion from an ISA
- National phase
- 30 months from priority in most countries, 31 in some, including the EPO
Built for portfolios with global ambitions.
The PCT suits applicants who need several countries, or who need more time before deciding which. If you already know two or three markets, direct Paris Convention filing may cost less, and we will tell you which fits.
Multinational corporations
Protecting platform technologies across manufacturing, supply and sales markets.
Law firms
Outsourcing PCT preparation, formalities and international-phase docketing for clients.
IP portfolio managers
Running large invention pipelines that need consistent families and predictable budgets.
Universities and R&D centres
Keeping options open while licensing, joint ventures or spin-outs take shape.
Venture-backed companies
Deferring national costs until after the next funding round or market test.
Inventors
Securing a worldwide filing date while validating the market for the invention.
From WIPO filing to national phase entry.
All deadlines run from your priority date. We docket every one and advise on the decisions each milestone brings, so nothing in the international phase is left to chance.
- Month 12
PCT filing with WIPO
The international application is filed directly with WIPO (RO/IB), claiming priority from your first filing. All 150+ contracting states are designated.
- Around month 16
International search report received
The search authority issues the ISR and a written opinion on novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. We review both and advise on next steps.
- Month 16 or ISR + 2 months
Article 19 amendments
One opportunity to amend the claims before publication, with a short statement, filed with WIPO within the later of 16 months from priority or 2 months from the ISR.
- Month 18
International publication
WIPO publishes the application with the search report. Provisional protection may begin in some countries.
- Month 22
Chapter II demand and Article 34 response
Optional demand for international preliminary examination, with Article 34 amendments and arguments answering the written opinion. The IPRP (Chapter II) follows by month 28.
- Month 30 or 31
National phase entry
Entry into each chosen country or regional office, with translations and local fees. 30 months in most countries, 31 in some, including the EPO.
Miss the national phase deadline and the application lapses in that country. Because every date runs from priority, not from the PCT filing, we calculate and track them from day one.
National phase filingWhat we handle, and what you gain.
A well-managed international phase means stronger claims, clearer budgets and no surprises when the national phase arrives.
What AnalystIP handles
The full international phase, from filing to national phase planning.
- PCT drafting, with claims written to survive national examination
- Direct filing with WIPO as receiving office (RO/IB) through ePCT
- Search authority (ISA) chosen for quality, cost, speed and language
- Priority claims, certified copies and restoration of priority where available
- Review of the search report and written opinion, with a patentability view
- Article 19 amendments, and Chapter II demands with Article 34 amendments
- Supplementary international search and PCT-PPH requests where useful
- Rule 92bis recordals of applicant changes and assignments
- 30/31-month docketing with national phase cost estimates by country
What the PCT gives you
A worldwide filing date, and time to decide well.
- One application, one language and one set of fees for 150+ states
- Up to 18 more months than the Paris route before national costs
- An early prior-art view before committing translation budgets
- Amended, stronger claims entering every national office
- Faster national examination through the PCT Patent Prosecution Highway
- Time to secure funding, licensees or strategic partners
- Countries chosen on market data, not guesswork
- One docket and one report for the whole international family
- A single family that is simpler to license, sell or enforce
PCT or Paris Convention: which fits your plans?
Both routes keep your priority date. Many portfolios use both: a PCT application for the core family, with direct filings for markets outside the PCT or where speed matters.
PCT international application
One filing that keeps 150+ countries open until the national phase.
- Deadline
- 12 months to file, then 30 or 31 months for national phase
- Applications
- One international application, then national phase entries
- Costs
- National fees and translations deferred to 30 or 31 months
- Examination
- International search report first, with optional Chapter II
- Best for
- Many countries, or more time to test markets and raise funds
Paris Convention (conventional)
Separate national filings that claim your priority date.
- Deadline
- 12 months from your first filing
- Applications
- One per country or regional office
- Costs
- National fees and translations paid at 12 months
- Examination
- Starts sooner in each country
- Best for
- A focused set of known markets, or countries outside the PCT
Technical depth in the fields shaping what comes next.
Our attorneys and technical specialists work in the technologies where filing activity is growing fastest, so your application is drafted by people who understand the science.
Artificial intelligence & ML
Models, training methods and AI applicationsSemiconductors
Chip design, fabrication and packagingTelecom, 5G & IoT
Wireless standards, networks and connected devicesElectric vehicles & mobility
Batteries, charging and drive systemsClean energy & climate tech
Solar, storage, hydrogen and carbon captureRobotics & automation
Industrial robots, control and machine visionMedical devices & digital health
Devices, diagnostics and health softwareBiotechnology & genomics
Biologics, gene editing and sequencingPharmaceuticals
Formulations, processes and new usesFintech & digital payments
Payments, security and financial platformsConsumer electronics & wearables
Devices, sensors and user interfacesAdvanced materials & chemistry
Materials, polymers and chemical processesThe international phase, managed as strategy.
A PCT application is more than a filing receipt. The choices made in the first 30 months decide what you can protect, where, and at what cost.
Search authority strategy
ISA selection and search report review aimed at your key markets.
Claims built for national phase
Drafted and amended to hold up at the USPTO, EPO, CNIPA and beyond.
Deadline control
Every PCT and national date docketed, with escalating reminders.
National phase budgeting
Country-by-country estimates so entry decisions are made on numbers.
Global attorney network
Trusted local counsel for national phase entry and prosecution.
Confidentiality
Non-disclosure protocols on every matter, from first contact.
Questions about PCT filing.
Short answers to what applicants ask us most.
Planning a PCT filing?
Send us your details and an attorney will reply with a PCT strategy, timeline and fees.
Request a proposal01What is a PCT application?
A single international patent application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. It has the effect of a national filing in every PCT contracting state and lets you defer the choice of countries until the national phase.
02What are the key PCT deadlines?
The PCT application must be filed within 12 months of your first filing to claim priority. The national phase is due 30 months from the priority date in most countries, and 31 months in some, including the EPO.
03Does WIPO grant an international patent?
No. WIPO manages the international phase. Patents are granted by each national or regional office after national phase entry, under its own law.
04Can I file a PCT application directly?
Yes. A PCT application can be your first filing, made with a national office acting as receiving office or with WIPO (RO/IB). The 30 or 31 months then run from the PCT filing date.
05How do I choose the International Searching Authority?
The options depend on your receiving office. We compare the available authorities on search quality, cost, speed and language, and on how their opinions are viewed in your key national offices.
06Do I need Chapter II preliminary examination?
Not always. It is useful when the written opinion is negative and you want to amend claims and obtain a more favourable report before national phase. We advise case by case.
Keep 150+ countries open with one international filing.
Share your priority date and markets of interest. An attorney will reply within one business day.