October 15, 2025
A PCT patent refers to an application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty which allows the applicant to seek patent protection in multiple countries (contracting states) through a single application.
This protection method is getting rarer these days, but, still, it is worth to note the deadlines.
In Serbia, PCT application enters national phase after 30 months from the filing date or the earliest priority date.
It is 31 months in Croatia, North Macedonia, and Albania.
And in Bosnia and Herzegovina the deadline is 34 months.
It is not possible to file a PCT application in Slovenia and from 2022 in Montenegro, neither.
Further, as Kosovo is not yet part of any international treaty, it’s political position still being undetermined, PCT or EP pathways are not available there – only national patents with or without priority.
