How long does a patent application take to get approved, in the US and EU?

A US utility patent takes 24 to 27 months on average from filing to grant or abandonment, with the first office action arriving around 20 to 22 months in. One round of office actions closes at 24 to 30 months total, two rounds run 30 to 36 months, and a Request for Continued Examination or appeal can stretch to 40 to 50+ months. Track One prioritized examination targets final disposition within 12 months for an added fee. A European patent (EPO) typically takes 2 to 5 years to grant, even though the EPO's own internal targets are faster, aiming for a search report within 6 months under its Early Certainty programme and examination completed within 12 months of a valid request. The gap comes from applicant response time and, often, multiple rounds of examination. The EPO's PACE programme offers accelerated search and examination at no extra fee.

Sources: USPTO, Patents Pendency Data, EPO.