As of 1 June 2026, the Republic of Moldova became the 40th contracting state of the European Patent Organisation (EPO) following its accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC).
Prior to acceding to the EPC, it was possible for European patent applicants to achieve protection in Moldova by validating patents under a bilateral validation system operating between Moldova and the EPO. Under this system, applicants could submit a request along with payment of a validation fee to the European Patent Office within the same period set for payment of the designation and extension fees.
Validation agreements are also in place for Morocco, Tunisia, Cambodia, Georgia, and Laos. A validation agreement has additionally been signed with Costa Rica, but is not yet in force.
For European patent applications filed on or after 1 June 2026, applicants seeking protection in Moldova will no longer need to file a validation request or pay a separate validation fee. Instead, Moldova will form part of the standard EPC designation system and will be designated automatically upon filing, enabling applicants to obtain patent protection in 40 countries, including Moldova, through the conventional European patent procedure, subject to compliance with any applicable national post-grant requirements.