Beginning January 1, 2026, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will require inventor nationality and in some cases an inventor identification number for every inventor listed on any patent application filed on or after that date. These requirements apply to all CNIPA filings—whether original Chinese applications, Patent Cooperation Treaty national phase entries, or divisional applications filed on or after January 1, 2026.
First, inventor nationality must be provided at the time of filing. Nationality is a mandatory field in CNIPA’s online filing system, and applications cannot be submitted without it. Inventors who hold dual nationality must choose one nationality for CNIPA’s records.
Second, an inventor identification number is required for each inventor who is a Chinese citizen. CNIPA changed this requirement on December 31 so non-Chinese inventors no longer need to provide a national identification number. This ID number may be provided at filing or within two months from the date of CNIPA’s notification requesting any missing information. For Chinese inventors, the required ID is the lifelong 18‑digit government‑issued Citizen Identity Number. It is important to note that the requirements for Chinese inventors still apply even when the inventor is not physically present in China or is a permanent resident of another country.
What should companies start doing now? Begin collecting nationality data for all potential inventors who may be named on Chinese filings in 2026 and beyond. When invention disclosure forms are used, consider updating the forms and data intake checklists to capture these fields. Finally, when the inventors include a Chinese citizen, we recommend obtaining their Citizen Identity Number prior to filing a priority application.
Further, this is a good time to review privacy notices and cross‑border data transfer practices and align them with company policy and applicable law. We can work with you to ensure your filing workflows, templates, and docketing rules are ready for this change. Early preparation will help avoid filing delays and last‑minute scrambles due to these new rules.
If you need assistance in determining what steps you need to take, please contact the author or any member of the McCarter & English Intellectual Property or Data Privacy team.