Certain countries are members of the Paris Convention, but not a member of the PCT. And some countries are not party to any of these two treaties.
The Paris Convention allows inventors and applicants to file a patent in the home (own) country first, and within twelve months time after this initial date of filing file elsewhere in any individual country of choice that is a party to the Paris convention.
Whereas the PCT allows inventors and applicants to file in their home (own) country first and block your rights on the invention for a longer 30 months (31 months in some countries), contrast to the 12 months period through direct Paris convention route.
States Party to the PCT and the Paris Convention by Year 2017
| Country | Paris Convention Contracting-State | PCT Contracting-State |
| Afghanistan | Yes | No |
| Albania | Yes | Yes |
| Algeria | Yes | Yes |
| Andorra | Yes | No |
| Angola | Yes | Yes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Yes | Yes |
| Argentina | Yes | No |
| Armenia | Yes | Yes |
| Australia | Yes | Yes |
| Austria | Yes | Yes |
| Azerbaijan | Yes | Yes |
| Bahamas | Yes | No |
| Bahrain | Yes | Yes |
| Bangladesh | Yes | No |
| Barbados | Yes | Yes |
| Belarus | Yes | Yes |
| Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Belize | Yes | Yes |
| Benin | Yes | Yes |
| Bermuda | No | No |
| Bhutan | Yes | No |
| Bolivia | Yes | No |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Yes | Yes |
| Botswana | Yes | Yes |
| Brazil | Yes | Yes |
| Brunei Darussalam | Yes | Yes |
| Bulgaria | Yes | Yes |
| Burkina Faso | Yes | Yes |
| Burundi | Yes | No |
| Cambodia | Yes | Yes |
| Cameroon | Yes | Yes |
| Canada | Yes | Yes |
| Cape Verde | No | No |
| Central African Republic | Yes | Yes |
| Chad | Yes | Yes |
| Chile | Yes | Yes |
| China | Yes | Yes |
| Colombia | Yes | Yes |
| Comoros | Yes | Yes |
| Congo | Yes | Yes |
| Costa Rica | Yes | Yes |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Yes | Yes |
| Croatia | Yes | Yes |
| Cuba | Yes | Yes |
| Cyprus | Yes | Yes |
| Czech Republic | Yes | Yes |
| Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | Yes | Yes |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Yes | Yes |
| Djibouti | Yes | Yes |
| Dominica | Yes | Yes |
| Dominican Republic | Yes | Yes |
| East Timor | No | No |
| Ecuador | Yes | Yes |
| Egypt | Yes | Yes |
| El Salvador | Yes | Yes |
| Equatorial Guinea | Yes | Yes |
| Estonia | Yes | Yes |
| Ethiopia | No | No |
| Fiji | No | No |
| Finland | Yes | Yes |
| France | Yes | Yes |
| Gabon | Yes | Yes |
| Gambia | Yes | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes |
| Germany | Yes | Yes |
| Ghana | Yes | Yes |
| Greece | Yes | Yes |
| Grenada | Yes | Yes |
| Guatemala | Yes | Yes |
| Guinea | Yes | Yes |
| Guinea-Bissau | Yes | Yes |
| Guyana | Yes | No |
| Haiti | Yes | No |
| Honduras | Yes | Yes |
| Hong Kong | No | No |
| Hungary | Yes | Yes |
| Iceland | Yes | Yes |
| India | Yes | Yes |
| Indonesia | Yes | Yes |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | Yes | Yes |
| Iraq | Yes | No |
| Ireland | Yes | Yes |
| Israel | Yes | Yes |
| Italy | Yes | Yes |
| Jamaica | Yes | No |
| Japan | Yes | Yes |
| Jordan | Yes | Yes |
| Kazakhstan | Yes | Yes |
| Kenya | Yes | Yes |
| Kuwait | Yes | Yes |
| Kyrgyzstan | Yes | Yes |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | Yes | Yes |
| Latvia | Yes | Yes |
| Lebanon | Yes | No |
| Lesotho | Yes | Yes |
| Liberia | Yes | Yes |
| Libya | Yes | Yes |
| Liechtenstein | Yes | Yes |
| Lithuania | Yes | Yes |
| Luxembourg | Yes | Yes |
| Madagascar | Yes | Yes |
| Malawi | Yes | Yes |
| Malaysia | Yes | Yes |
| Mali | Yes | Yes |
| Malta | Yes | Yes |
| Mauritania | Yes | Yes |
| Mauritius | Yes | No |
| Mexico | Yes | Yes |
| Monaco | Yes | Yes |
| Mongolia | Yes | Yes |
| Montenegro | Yes | Yes |
| Morocco | Yes | Yes |
| Mozambique | Yes | Yes |
| Myanmar | No | No |
| Namibia | Yes | Yes |
| Nauru | No | No |
| Nepal | Yes | No |
| Netherlands | Yes | Yes |
| New Zealand | Yes | Yes |
| Nicaragua | Yes | Yes |
| Niger | Yes | Yes |
| Nigeria | Yes | Yes |
| Norway | Yes | Yes |
| Oman | Yes | Yes |
| Pakistan | Yes | No |
| Panama | Yes | Yes |
| Papua New Guinea | Yes | Yes |
| Paraguay | Yes | No |
| Peru | Yes | Yes |
| Philippines | Yes | Yes |
| Poland | Yes | Yes |
| Portugal | Yes | Yes |
| Qatar | Yes | Yes |
| Republic of Korea | Yes | Yes |
| Republic of Moldova | Yes | Yes |
| Romania | Yes | Yes |
| Russian Federation | Yes | Yes |
| Rwanda | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Lucia | Yes | Yes |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Yes | Yes |
| Samoa | Yes | No |
| San Marino | Yes | Yes |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Yes | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia | Yes | Yes |
| Senegal | Yes | Yes |
| Serbia | Yes | Yes |
| Seychelles | Yes | Yes |
| Sierra Leone | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore | Yes | Yes |
| Slovakia | Yes | Yes |
| Slovenia | Yes | Yes |
| Solomon Islands | No | No |
| Somalia | No | No |
| Somaliland | No | No |
| South Africa | Yes | Yes |
| South Sudan | No | No |
| Spain | Yes | Yes |
| Sri Lanka | Yes | Yes |
| Sudan | Yes | Yes |
| Suriname | Yes | No |
| Swaziland | Yes | Yes |
| Sweden | Yes | Yes |
| Switzerland | Yes | Yes |
| Syrian Arab Republic | Yes | Yes |
| Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) | No | No |
| Tajikistan | Yes | Yes |
| Thailand | Yes | Yes |
| the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | Yes | Yes |
| Togo | Yes | Yes |
| Tonga | Yes | No |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Yes | Yes |
| Tunisia | Yes | Yes |
| Turkey | Yes | Yes |
| Turkmenistan | Yes | Yes |
| Uganda | Yes | Yes |
| Ukraine | Yes | Yes |
| United Arab Emirates | Yes | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
| United Republic of Tanzania | Yes | Yes |
| United States of America | Yes | Yes |
| Uruguay | Yes | No |
| Uzbekistan | Yes | Yes |
| Vanuatu | No | No |
| Vatican City (Holy See) | Yes | No |
| Venezuela | Yes | No |
| Viet Nam | Yes | Yes |
| Western Samoa | No | No |
| Yemen | Yes | No |
| Zaire | No | No |
| Zambia | Yes | Yes |
| Zimbabwe | Yes | Yes |