When should you file?

You should file a request to record in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the Hong Kong SAR) for examination within six months after:-

1. (for an international application designating the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA)) the date of publication/issuance of any of the following official documents showing/stating that the international application has entered the national phase in the CNIPA —
   • publication by the CNIPA in its Patent Gazette of the relevant bibliographical data (where the international application has been published by the International Bureau in a language other than Chinese); or
   • official notification by the CNIPA (where the international application has been published by the International Bureau in the Chinese language).
2. (for an international application designating the European Patent Office (EPO)) the date of publication by the EPO in its Bulletin of the relevant bibliographical data showing that the international application has entered the national phase in the EPO; or
3. (for an international application designating the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO)) the date of publication by the UKIPO in its Official Journal (Patents) of the relevant bibliographical data showing that the international application has entered the national phase in the UKIPO.

Documents and information

You need to provide documents and information for your patent application.

Filing fee and advertisement fee

You need to pay a filing fee and an advertisement fee within one month of the earliest filing of any part of your request to record.

Allot application number

Upon receipt of your request form (Form P4), we will issue a receipt notifying you of the alloted application number.

We will allot a filing date to your request to record when your Form P4 contains:

1. information identifying the applicant, such as the name and address of the applicant; and
2. a reference to the corresponding designated patent application (including the designated patent application number, its publication number and the date of its publication).

If we have given your request to record a filing date, we will examine your request and give you notice to correct any deficiencies on formal requirements within two months.