3.2 Documents forming part of the European patent application 

In addition to the documents referred to in A‑VIII, 3.1 above, certain documents forming part of the application must be signed. These documents include the request for grant, the designation of the inventor and, where applicable, the authorisation of a representative. In the case of electronic filing of a European patent application, a facsimile image of the signer's handwritten signature, a text-string signature or an enhanced electronic signature may be used to sign the aforementioned documents (Art. 12 of the decision of the President of the EPO dated 14 May 2021, OJ EPO 2021, A42).

With the exception of the authorisation of a representative, the documents may be signed by an authorised representative instead of the applicant.