From 1 March 2026, Australia officially launched a two-year pilot program.
The international search and examination options for applicants filing Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in Australia have been expanded, allowing them to designate the European Patent Office (EPO) as the International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) for their PCT applications.
This pilot offers applicants two core benefits in their European patent strategy: streamlined procedures and cost efficiencies. Applicants who choose the EPO as ISA can bypass the supplementary European search when entering the European phase. Those who also request the EPO as IPEA will receive a 75% reduction in European phase examination fees—further lowering the overall costs of international patent filing.
In addition, the International Search Report issued by the EPO is of high authority, providing professional grounds for applicants to make informed decisions on whether to enter the European phase and the national phases of other jurisdictions. Once granted, European patents may be validated in the 39 EPO member states as well as 7 extension or validation states. Applicants may also request unitary effect for the patent, which confers uniform patent protection in 18 EU member states and enables efficient patent layout across the European market.
IP Australia has specified a number of key operational rules that applicants must be fully aware of, covering application language, counterpart communication, fee settlement and other critical aspects. The details are as follows:
Language Requirement for Filing：If an applicant designates IP Australia as the PCT Receiving Office, they must file the application documents in English.
Binding Rule for ISA and IPEA Appointment：The EPO may act as the IPEA to provide international preliminary examination services only on the premise that it has served as the ISA and issued an International Search Report; applicants are not permitted to designate the EPO as the IPEA independently.
Fee Settlement and Enquiry：Applicants who select the EPO as ISA will pay all related fees in euros, while those who choose IP Australia as ISA will pay in Australian dollars.
Application Transmission and Counterpart Communication Procedures：IP Australia will continue to receive all PCT search applications filed by Australian applicants and collect the relevant search fees. If an applicant designates the EPO as the ISA, IP Australia will transmit the complete application to the EPO via the WIPO interoffice channel. For any request for international preliminary examination to the EPO, the applicant must file the request, submit documents and conduct all communications directly with the EPO.
Additional Fee and Account Requirements：If the EPO charges additional search fees for multiple inventions in the application when acting as the ISA, the applicant must pay these fees directly to the EPO in EUR. The applicant or their representative needs to set up an EPO account in advance to facilitate all direct payments to the EPO.
Source：https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/
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