EPO Translation Requirements Without Missed Deadlines
Patent translation where every word weighs on the scope
We translate patent documents for filing, grant, validation, national phase and opposition. Every word in a patent claim weighs on the scope of the protection, and a mistranslated limiting word narrows or broadens it. EPO translation requirements turn that weight into fixed deadlines.
Across the family and across amendments, terminology must stay consistent. We maintain per-family terminology bases and reuse glossaries across main and auxiliary requests, so amended claims never drift from the language of proceedings.
At grant, validation and national phase, the translated text is the legal instrument. A patent claims translation that shifts scope is a loss-of-right event. We translate the full specification: the description, the claims, the abstract and the drawings.
Financial translation covers IP in mergers and acquisitions. Pharmaceutical and life sciences translation carries sequence listings and supplementary protection certificates.
EPO translation deadlines that are not optional
EPO translation requirements are legal deadlines, and missing one can withdraw the application.
Article 14(2) sets the first clock. A filing in a non-EPO language must be translated into an official EPO language within two months. Miss the deadline and the application is deemed withdrawn.
Rule 71(3) and (7) set the second clock. Claims translations into the other two official languages are due within four months of grant. Late filing means deemed withdrawal.
Rule 53(3) sets the third clock. Priority document translations are filed on invitation. Late filing loses the right of priority.
These are fixed legal calendars, and they do not move. Docketing platforms such as CPI, Anaqua and Patrix hold these clocks. Your paralegal and docketing teams watch the two-month, four-month and three-month deadlines.
Validation translations, state by state
Validation needs follow the London Agreement map: waived states require no translation, claims-only states require the claims, and full-translation states require the specification, including sequence listings.
Article 65 gives three months from the mention of grant. We confirm the position per state before you commit. We flag the claims-only versus full-specification cost difference up front.
Sequence listings follow WIPO ST.26. Cross-border families often mix all three validation types. Validation translations file with each national office rather than the EPO.
PCT national phase entries without the guesswork
We build per-state checklists from the PCT Applicant's Guide, because national phase translation requirements vary by state. Entries run on the 30 or 31 month clock.
Germany requires translation into German, in duplicate where required. The United Kingdom requires translation into English. Provisional damages apply once the application is published, under section 89B(3).
The Ireland chapter of the guide sets the local requirements. International phase work files through ePCT. The national phase files through the national office.
Opposition, appeal and litigation support
Opposition opens a nine-month window from the mention of grant. Grounds run under Article 100. The notice of opposition files on EPO Form 2300.
Appeal documents follow the Rule 6(2) translation regime. The UPC runs its own language-of-proceedings regime. Auxiliary requests keep the same terminology base as the main request.
We accept urgent opposition and appeal work. Deadlines are written into the agreement, and capacity is planned around the fixed EPO calendar. Litigation translation connects to our legal translation for courts and proceedings.
A defensible process, from docket to filing
We have held ISO 9001, ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 certification since 2021. Deadlines are written into the agreement. Three people work on every project: one prepares the source, one translates or post-edits, and one proofreads before delivery.
Deliverables are ready for EPO Online Filing 2.0 and MyEPO. Filing-grade text is human translation, and a qualified linguist signs off at every stage. Free Patent Translate output is for reading and prior art review. Where machine translation assists, post-editing is defined and reviewed.
The unitary patent regime runs on a transitional machine translation arrangement under Regulation (EU) 1260/2012, Article 6(1). The regime plans machine translation only after its six-year review.
The certified process is documented on our how we work page. Our data protection page covers unpublished applications.
Frequently asked questions
Can you meet our Rule 71(3) claims translation deadline?
Yes. The four-month clock is built into our scheduling. The deadline is written into the agreement. Tell us the stage and the states, and we confirm the calendar.
What happens if a translation deadline is missed?
Under the EPC the application can be deemed withdrawn. Priority can be lost, and there is no second chance. Our job is to make that outcome structurally impossible from our side.
Which states need a full validation translation and which only the claims?
It depends on the London Agreement map. We confirm the position per state before you commit. We flag the claims-only versus full-specification cost difference up front.
How do you keep claim terminology consistent across the family and amendments?
We maintain per-family terminology bases. Glossaries are reused across main and auxiliary requests. Amended claims never diverge from the language of proceedings.
Do you use machine translation?
Machine translation is used for understanding and prior art review only. Filing-grade text is human translation, and a qualified linguist signs off at every stage. Where machine translation assists, post-editing is defined and reviewed. We keep a clear boundary between free Patent Translate output and filing-grade text.
Why pay for patent translation when Espacenet offers free machine translation?
Free machine translation in Espacenet is for reading and prior art review. At grant, validation and national phase, the translated text is the legal instrument. The unitary patent regime plans machine translation only after its six-year review. We deliver legal certainty and deadline protection.
Talk to a team that specialises in patent translation
Request a quote or a consultation. Tell us the stage: filing, grant, validation, national phase or opposition. Name the states involved. We reply with the deadlines, the documents and the pricing.
Urgent work is accepted against the fixed EPO and PCT calendars. One contact manages your docket to filing. We are Dublin based and work with patent teams across the EU and the UK.
Request a quote or talk to a team that specialises in patent translation.