PCT NATIONAL PHASE ENTRY
Slovakia

Since January 01, 1993, Slovakia has been a Contracting Party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Additionally, Slovakia is a signatory to the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for Patent Procedure and the Patent Law Treaty (PLT). Slovakia is also a member of the European Patent Organization.

The deadline for entering the Slovak national phase of a PCT application is 31 months from the priority date.

The patent application must be prosecuted in the national language which is Slovak.

There is no provision allowing an extension for the deadline to submit a patent application into the national phase.

• Power of Attorney: A Power of Attorney is required within two months from the entry into the Slovak PCT national phase. No official legalization or notarization is necessary.
• Assignment Deed: If the applicant is not the inventor or one of the inventors, an assignment deed confirming the applicant's rights must be submitted. No official legalization or notarization is necessary.

The filing fee is discounted by 50% when the application is submitted electronically.

The request for substantive examination of a Slovak patent application must be submitted within 36 months of filing the application.

In Slovakia, patent renewal fees must be paid every year. The initial renewal fee is due within three months following the patent grant decision. For each subsequent year, the fee must be paid before the previous year of validation ends. There is a six-month grace period during which the fee can still be paid, but with a 100% surcharge.

A patent in Slovakia remains valid for 20 years from the filing date of the patent application.

In Slovakia, Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) are available to extend patent protection for medicinal and plant protection products, offering an additional 5 years beyond the standard 20-year patent term. SPCs are granted by the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic (IPO), with a maximum duration of 5 years. In certain cases, a 6-month "paediatric" extension may be granted if the SPC pertains to a medicinal product for children.

In the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII), Slovakia is ranked 46th out of 133 economies, with a GII score of 34.3. The global average innovation index is 31.57 points, based on data from 132 countries. Slovakia holds the 44th position in innovation outputs, showing an improvement from last year. Among European economies, Slovakia ranks 29th out of 39. The country’s key innovation strengths include high-tech manufacturing (ranked 6th), creative goods exports as a percentage of total trade (ranked 9th), and ISO 14001 environmental certifications per billion PPP$ GDP (ranked 10th).

Slovakia is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, NATO, and the Schengen Area. Known for its mountainous terrain, especially the High Tatras, Slovakia boasts rich cultural heritage, medieval castles, and vibrant folk traditions. The country uses the euro as its currency and has a developed, export-driven economy, with key industries including automotive, electronics, and engineering.