Laos, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), to become an EPO validation state
From 1 April 2025 it will be possible to validate European patent applications in Lao PDR. This will apply to European patent applications filed on or after 1 April 2025.
To validate in Lao PDR, a request for validation along with a validation fee must be submitted to the EPO within six months of publication of the European search report, or for Euro-PCT applications within the 31-month period for entry into the European phase.
The agreement was made between the EPO and Lao PDR on 13 May 2024. The result of this agreement will be that, if filed after 1 April 2025, a European patent application may be able to cover 46 countries, including 39 contracting states, 1 extension state, and 6 validation states (including Lao PDR).
More information can be found here: Validation of European patents in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LA) with effect from 1 April 2025 | epo.org
