What's the phone number for a USPTO foreign filing license?

Petitions for retroactive foreign filing licenses (FFL) go to the USPTO Office of Petitions, reachable through the Contact Center at +1 (571) 272-1000 or directly at +1 (571) 272-3282. The petition itself is filed electronically through Patent Center under "Petition for Retroactive Foreign Filing License" with the appropriate fee. For routine FFL questions during drafting (whether a license is needed, the 6-month bar condition, security review timelines), the Patent Electronic Business Center at +1 (571) 272-4100 handles routing. The automatic 6-month foreign filing license issues when a US application is filed and no secrecy order is imposed within that window. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM Eastern.

Is USPTO open to applicants outside the US?

Yes. The USPTO accepts patent and trademark applications from inventors and entities worldwide. Foreign applicants don't need a US address or US attorney to file, but trademark applicants domiciled outside the US must be represented by a US-licensed attorney for any USPTO trademark filing under the rule that took effect August 3, 2019. Patent applicants don't face the same requirement but a Customer Number tied to a US patent attorney makes prosecution smoother. The PCT Helpdesk at +1 (571) 272-4300 handles international applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for entry into 157+ member countries. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM Eastern.

How long does it take to hear back from the USPTO?

Phone responses are usually same-day if you reach a live examiner or support agent. Written substantive responses run longer: trademark first office actions average 8 to 10 months from filing in 2026, and patent first office actions average 15 to 18 months in standard examination, faster with Track One prioritized examination (~6 months for first action). After a response is filed, you typically wait 2 to 4 months for the next office action. Email queries to ebc@uspto.gov or HelpAAU@uspto.gov get responses in 1 to 5 business days depending on volume. Allowed applications take 4 to 8 weeks from issue fee payment to patent number assignment.

Can I talk directly to my patent examiner from overseas?

Yes, examiner interviews are explicitly available to foreign applicants and their representatives. The examiner's direct phone is listed in your application correspondence under the examiner's name on every office action. Interviews can be scheduled by calling the examiner directly or through the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Interviews can be conducted by phone or video (WebEx), typically last 30 minutes, and require a filed agenda. If you've lost the examiner's number, the Contact Center at +1 (571) 272-1000 can look it up by application number. From abroad, schedule for 8:30 AM to 11 AM Eastern when most examiners are at their desks and queues are shortest.

Can I pay USPTO fees from a non-US bank or credit card?

Yes. USPTO accepts payment in US dollars from foreign credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), USPTO deposit accounts, and electronic funds transfer from US banks. Foreign-currency conversion is handled by the cardholder's issuing bank at their stated rate. Wire transfer from a non-US bank is permitted for amounts over $1,000 with pre-coordination through the Financial Manager's Office at +1 (571) 272-6500. Deposit accounts (set up by US patent attorneys) are the smoothest path for repeat filers. For fee amount confirmation, FeesHelp@uspto.gov responds in 1 to 3 business days, faster than phone for routine fee questions.

How to Call USPTO from Abroad: The Direct Numbers (2026)

The USPTO's main international line is +1 (571) 272-1000, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 8 PM Eastern. The 800-786-9199 toll-free number won't reach you from outside the US — and the direct line you actually want depends on which problem brought you here.

If you're a foreign filer, an overseas inventor, or an expat dealing with Patent Center at 11 PM your time, here's the routing you need: every direct number, the right department for your matter, and a way to keep the bill under control.

How to Call USPTO from Outside the US

Use the direct +1 (571) line for your matter, not the 1-800 number
Patent Center / EFS-Web issues: +1 (571) 272-4100 (EBC)
Trademark questions: +1 (571) 272-9250 (Trademark Assistance Center)
PCT international filings: +1 (571) 272-4300 (PCT Helpdesk)
Application status / pre-exam: +1 (571) 272-4000 (Application Assistance Unit)
General / account / routing: +1 (571) 272-1000 (Contact Center)
Call between 8:30 AM and 8 PM Eastern, Monday-Friday

The USPTO Phone Numbers You Actually Need

Every USPTO support center publishes both a toll-free number and a direct +1 (571) 272 line. From abroad, use the direct line.

USPTO sits in Alexandria, Virginia, so every direct number starts with the +1 (571) 272 prefix. The toll-free options (800, 866, 888) exist for domestic callers — most international carriers either block them or route them at premium rates, which defeats the point.

Department | Direct Number | Hours (ET)

Contact Center / Inventors Assistance | +1 (571) 272-1000 | M-F 8:30 AM - 8 PM

Patent EBC (Patent Center / EFS) | +1 (571) 272-4100 | M-F 9 AM - 8 PM

Application Assistance Unit | +1 (571) 272-4000 | M-F 8:30 AM - 5 PM

PCT Helpdesk | +1 (571) 272-4300 | M-F 8:30 AM - 5 PM

Trademark Assistance Center | +1 (571) 272-9250 | M-F 8:30 AM - 8 PM

TTAB | +1 (571) 272-8500 | Business hours

All hours are Eastern Time. We'll do the conversion math for your time zone further down.

Which Number for Which Problem

Pick the line that matches your problem. Calling the wrong department adds 20-30 minutes of transfer time, which on most mobile carriers is real money.

Patent Center or EFS-Web is broken (upload errors, sponsorship issues, login failures): Patent Electronic Business Center at +1 (571) 272-4100. They run 9 AM to 8 PM ET — the longest evening window, which actually helps Europe.

You need application status, filing receipts, or post-allowance help (issue fee paid but no patent number, missing notice, formality questions): Application Assistance Unit at +1 (571) 272-4000. Hours are 8:30 AM to 5 PM ET, M-F.

You're filing or prosecuting a PCT international application (RO/US filings, national stage entry, fee questions specific to PCT): PCT Helpdesk at +1 (571) 272-4300. Same hours as AAU.

Trademark questions (TEAS issues, registration status, classification, office actions): Trademark Assistance Center at +1 (571) 272-9250. 8:30 AM to 8 PM ET.

You can't get into your USPTO.gov account, or you don't know who to ask: Contact Center at +1 (571) 272-1000. They route you to the right place.

Examiner interviews are scheduled directly with the examiner — their direct line is in your application correspondence. If you've lost it, the Contact Center can find it.

Why the 1-800 Number Doesn't Work from Abroad

US toll-free numbers (800, 866, 888) are paid for by the receiver — USPTO, in this case. International carriers don't honor that agreement, so the call either won't connect at all or your carrier routes it as a premium international call. Either way, you pay or you don't get through.

This is why USPTO publishes both the toll-free and direct +1 (571) numbers on every contact page. They know foreign filers can't reliably use the 800 line. The +1 (571) numbers are the international filer's lane — use them.

For more on the toll-free wall, see why 1-800 numbers don't work from abroad.

When to Call (Time Zone Math)

USPTO answers calls Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time. From most of the world, that's the middle of your afternoon, evening, or — for Asia-Pacific — the middle of the night.

Your Location | USPTO Contact Center Hours (Local)

UK | 1:30 PM - 1 AM

Western Europe | 2:30 PM - 2 AM

India | 6 PM - 5:30 AM (next day)

Singapore / Hong Kong | 8:30 PM - 8 AM (next day)

Japan | 9:30 PM - 9 AM (next day)

Sydney | 10:30 PM - 10 AM (next day)

Mexico City | 7:30 AM - 7 PM

Europe gets a clean afternoon-evening window. Asia-Pacific gets a choice: stay up late or call first thing in the morning to catch the end of USPTO's day. Latin America has the easiest case — most of the US workday overlaps with daylight hours.

Mondays, ends of quarters, and the week before any fee deadline are peak. Expect longer holds. Tuesday-Thursday mid-morning Eastern is the lightest window.

Email First if You Can Wait

Most non-urgent USPTO questions go through email faster than phone — and email doesn't require you to time your day around Alexandria, Virginia.

Purpose | Email

Patent Center technical | ebc@uspto.gov

Trademark Center / TEAS | TEAS@uspto.gov

Application Assistance | HelpAAU@uspto.gov

PCT (non-case-specific) | PCTHelp@uspto.gov

Fee questions | FeesHelp@uspto.gov

General | usptoinfo@uspto.gov

Email when you can. Call when you must. The phone lines are best reserved for time-sensitive issues — a filing deadline tomorrow, a Patent Center error blocking a submission, a missing notice on an allowed application.

How to Call USPTO Cheaply from Overseas

International calls to US numbers run $1-3 per minute on most mobile carriers. A 45-minute call with Patent EBC — half of it on hold, half of it walking through a Patent Center error — costs $45-135 before you've gotten an answer.

Method | Cost (45-min call) | Setup

Mobile carrier IDD | $45-135 | None

VoIP subscription | $10-30/month | App + account

Browser-based (World Dialer) | A fraction of carrier IDD | None

VoIP subscriptions make sense if you're running a global IP practice and calling Alexandria every week. For an inventor or a single-matter agent calling USPTO two or three times during prosecution? A monthly plan is overkill.

Browser-based calling like World Dialer charges per minute and runs in a browser tab — no app, no contract, no monthly fee. Pay for the call, not for the option to make one.

What to Have Ready

Before you dial, get your application number, USPTO.gov account email, and the exact error message ready. USPTO support routes faster when you can lead with specifics.

Application number (8 digits, patent or trademark)
USPTO.gov account email + sponsorship info
Customer Number (if you have one)
Exact error message or screenshot from Patent Center / TEAS
Pen and paper for reference numbers
The right time on the right day (Tuesday-Thursday, mid-morning ET)

Make the Call

You have the numbers, the hours, and the right department. Time to dial.

For most international filers, the practical play is: email first for non-urgent questions, phone the direct +1 (571) line for anything time-sensitive, and use a browser-based service to keep the bill from getting silly.

Calling USPTO occasionally — once a quarter during prosecution, maybe twice before a deadline — doesn't justify a monthly VoIP subscription. World Dialer is browser-based, pay-as-you-go, and costs a fraction of carrier IDD. Open the browser, dial +1 (571) 272-XXXX, get your question answered.

We'll be here next time you need us.

→ Try World Dialer

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