How to File a Patent in Mexico

The new Mexican provisional application

The 2026 reform introduced provisional patent applications. From the filing of a provisional you have a non-extendable 12-month period to file the complete application; the provisional itself is not published or examined, and it is considered declined if the complete application is not filed in time. A Mexican provisional cannot claim priority from an earlier application.

Patents and utility models

An invention patent lasts 20 years from filing and requires novelty, inventive step, and industrial application. Utility models protect practical improvements to objects, tools, or devices and last 15 years. Applications must be filed in Spanish, and IMPI performs formal and substantive examination.

• Description, claims, abstract, and drawings in Spanish
• Publication of the application after 18 months
• Grace period of 12 months for the inventor's own disclosures
• Mexico is a PCT Contracting State

How IPnite helps

IPnite prepares the provisional or complete application in Spanish—description, claims, abstract, and drawings—and exports it as DOCX ready to review and file with IMPI. Filing and final review remain your responsibility.