Hague System: Declarations by Contracting Parties

Latest revision: August 2025
Contracting parties can make certain declarations, notably to ensure that the international procedural mechanism of the Hague System accommodates their domestic requirements. This page provides a summary of those declarations.
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Learn about the laws, practices and procedures of all contracting parties in Hague System Member Profiles.
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Subject Description Reference (Geneva Act, Regulations) Contracting party
Additional mandatory elements of the international application Description of design Article 5(2)(b)(ii) China, Romania, Viet Nam
Claim Article 5(2)(b)(iii) United States of America
Identity of the creator Article 5(2)(b)(i) Romania
Special requirements concerning the creator Rule 8(1)(a)(i) Brazil, Finland, Ghana, Hungary, Iceland, Mauritius, Mexico
Oath or declaration of the creator Rule 8(1)(a)(ii) United States of America
Applicant's contracting party Prohibition of filing through the office Article 4(1)(b) African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), Belarus, Belize, Benelux, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, European Union, France, Israel, Latvia, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Slovenia, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Prohibition of self-designation Article 14(3)(a) None
Date of effect of the international registration

Extension up to six months

 Rule 18(1)(c)(i) China, Mexico, Russian Federation, United States of America, Uzbekistan

According to domestic law (safeguard)

 Rule 18(1)(c)(ii) China, Jamaica, Japan, Republic of Korea, United States of America
Deferment of publication (standard publication period: 12 months) Deferment of publication for less than 30 months from priority date (* from filing date) Article 11(1)(a) 6 months: Denmark, Finland, Israel*, Norway

12 months: African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), Belize, Benelux, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Jamaica, Samoa, Slovenia, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, United Kingdom*, Viet Nam

18 months: Singapore*
No deferment of publication Article 11(1)(b) Belarus, Brazil, Hungary, Iceland, Mexico, Monaco, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United States of America, Uzbekistan
Designation fees Level of standard designation fee Rule 12(1)(c)(i)

Level two: Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Mauritius, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine

Level three: Brunei Darussalam, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Finland, Georgia, Ghana, Iceland, Jamaica, Lithuania, Namibia, Republic of Korea, Romania, Serbia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Viet Nam
Individual designation fee Article 7(2) African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), Canada, China, European Union, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, United States of America, Uzbekistan
Individual designation fee payable in two parts Rule 12(3) Mexico, United States of America
Designs / reproductions Requirement of unity of design Article 13(1) Brazil, China, Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam
Certain views of the design required Rule 9(3)(a) China, Republic of Korea, Viet Nam
Refusals Extension to 12 months of the refusal period Rule 18(1)(b) Canada, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye, United States of America, Uzbekistan
Other No effect of change in ownership until specified statements or documents are received by the office Article 16(2) African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), Brazil, China, Denmark, Jamaica, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, United States of America, Uzbekistan
Security clearance Rule 13(4) Russian Federation, United States of America, Uzbekistan
Common office of several states Article 19(1) Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands (Kingdom of the))

Maximum duration of protection per contracting party (Article 17(3)(c) | Rule 37(2)(c))

Note: The maximum duration of protection is as provided in the (latest) declaration made by each contracting party.
Contracting party Maximum duration of protection
African Intellectual Property Organization 15 years
Albania 25 years
Armenia 25 years
Azerbaijan 15 years
Belarus 15 years
Belize 15 years
Benelux 25 years
Benin 15 years
Bosnia and Herzegovina 25 years
Botswana 15 years
Brazil 25 years
Brunei Darussalam 15 years
Bulgaria 25 years
Cambodia 15 years
Canada 15 years
China 15 years
Côte d’Ivoire 15 years
Croatia 25 years
Denmark 25 years (except: spare parts, 15 years)
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 15 years
Egypt 15 years
Estonia 25 years
European Union 25 years
Finland 25 years (except: spare parts, 15 years)
France 25 years
Gabon 15 years
Georgia 25 years
Germany 25 years
Ghana 15 years
Greece 25 years
Hungary 25 years
Iceland 25 years
Israel 25 years
Italy 25 years
Jamaica 15 years
Japan 25 years
Kyrgyzstan 25 years
Latvia 25 years
Liechtenstein 25 years
Lithuania 25 years
Mali 15 years
Mauritius 20 years
Mexico 25 years
Monaco 50 years
Mongolia 15 years
Montenegro 25 years
Morocco 25 years
Namibia 15 years
Niger 15 years
North Macedonia 25 years
Norway 25 years
Oman 15 years
Poland 25 years
Republic of Korea 20 years
Republic of Moldova 25 years
Romania 25 years
Russian Federation 25 years
Saudi Arabia 15 years
Rwanda 15 years
Saint Kitts and Nevis 25 years
Samoa 15 years
San Marino 25 years
Sao Tome and Principe 15 years
Senegal 15 years
Serbia 25 years
Singapore 15 years
Slovenia 25 years
Spain 25 years
Suriname 15 years
Switzerland 25 years
Syrian Arab Republic 15 years
Tajikistan 15 years
Tunisia 15 years
Türkiye 25 years
Turkmenistan 15 years
Ukraine 25 years
United Kingdom 25 years
United States of America 15 years
Uzbekistan 15 years
Viet Nam 15 years