Calculatorpreliminary calculation
Deadline to apply to the ECtHR
ECHR application deadline calculator
For an applicant from Kyiv or Kyiv Region, the hardest part is not adding four months but identifying the final decision correctly and mailing the complete signed form on time. The calculator covers only the confirmed standard scenario and stops where case-specific analysis is required.
Check the date and four-month period
Select the date basis. The calculation will be available only after confirming a conservative date of the final decision or sufficient knowledge of it.
Preliminary result
First identify which national remedy was effective and mandatory and which decision is final. Choosing the wrong instance changes the deadline start date.
How the four-month rule works
Article 35 of the Convention sets a four-month period after the final decision in the process of exhausting domestic remedies. Decisions that became final before February 1, 2022 require a separate transitional-rules check.
Notifying the Court of an intention to apply is not enough to interrupt the time limit. Under Rule 47, you must mail a complete signed application form setting out the facts and complaints, information on exhaustion of remedies, and copies of documents.
Calculation methodology
Preliminary calculation methodology
- The user first confirms the standard basis for the date or receives a stop message for an ambiguous scenario.
- We check that the date is valid, not in the future, and not before the transition on 1 February 2022.
- Add four months to the calendar month of the decision date, keeping the corresponding day.
- If there is no such day, the last day of the month is used with a separate warning; weekends are not moved.
- The result shows the base date, start of the period, final deadline, status, and rules for mailing the complete package.
Example for an applicant from Kyiv
The applicant received the final decision in their case on April 23, 2026 and, after review, confirmed it as the proper base date.
- Ground: confirmed final decision
- Confirmed base date: 23.04.2026
- Period: four calendar months
Estimated end date is August 23, 2026, a Sunday. It is not moved to Monday.
The complete signed package under Rule 47 must be mailed substantially earlier; the example does not confirm that the application is admissible.
What to prepare for review
- Copies of all decisions by national courts or authorities, with dates and case numbers.
- Proof of service, electronic receipts, and postal envelopes to reconstruct the timeline.
- A completed current ECtHR application form with the applicant’s and, where applicable, representative’s original signatures.
- Concise facts, separately stated Convention complaints, and an explanation of exhaustion of remedies.
- Legible copies of evidence in chronological order, with numbered pages.
- Postal receipt, package inventory, and tracking; in Kyiv, check the selected branch’s hours and its cut-off time for international mail in advance.
Official sources
- Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental FreedomsArticle 35 sets the exhaustion-of-domestic-remedies rule and a four-month period.
- ECHR practical guide to admissibility criteriaOfficially explains the final decision, when the period starts and ends, and special situations.
- Rules of the European Court of Human RightsRule 47 sets out the contents of a complete individual application and the consequences of non-compliance.
- ECtHR: how to lodge an application with the CourtThe Court’s official instructions, form and mailing address.
- Protocol No. 15: official collection of ECHR materialsConfirms the change from a six-month period to four months and the transitional date.
- Prepared
- The methodology was prepared by the website editorial team under the Convention, the Rules of Court, and official ECHR materials.
- Checked
- Calendar logic and stop checks reviewed by a lawyer without publishing personal data.
- Important
- The tool provides only a preliminary calendar reference, does not determine whether an application is admissible, and does not replace analysis of the decisions and the complete Rule 47 package.
Current as of . The calculation is preliminary and depends on the documents and circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
From what date should the four months be counted?
From the confirmed date of the final decision after effective domestic remedies have been exhausted. If it is unclear whether another ordinary level of review is required, an automatic calculation is unsafe.
Is a date moved from a weekend to Monday?
No. Weekends and holidays do not extend the time limit. The complete package should be sent by mail well in advance.
Is it enough to send a letter, fax, or email?
No. Generally, the period is interrupted by mailing the complete, signed form complying with Rule 47, with the required copies. A fax or email does not replace the package.
Does a review based on exceptional circumstances restart the time limit?
Not automatically. Extraordinary or discretionary remedies generally cannot be used as a reason to postpone filing; the specific procedural history should be assessed separately.
Does the calculator confirm that the application is admissible?
No. It shows only a preliminary calendar date for a standard confirmed scenario. All eligibility criteria and the completeness of the form must be checked separately.
Free initial consultation
Need to check the final decision and the application package for the ECHR?
Submit an application if you need to reconstruct the timeline of a case from Kyiv or Kyiv Oblast, check when the time limit began, Convention complaints, and whether the application form is complete before sending.
- the calculator result can serve as a reference for a conversation
- documents, deadlines, or contract terms may change the conclusion
- briefly describe the circumstances in the form if needed