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The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced a revised schedule of official fees, set to take effect from 1 April 2026. This update follows a decision by the Administrative Council on 11 December 2025 (CA/D 9/25) and represents a return to biennial inflation-based adjustments.
The adjustments generally reflect an average increase of 5% across most procedural stages. While many core fees will rise, the EPO has opted to maintain current rates for specific filing and contentious proceedings to manage the burden on applicants at early and late stages.
The following table outlines the most common procedural fees affected by the 5% adjustment:
| Fee description | Current fee | New fee (from 1 April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| European search fee | €1,520 | €1,595 |
| Examination fee | €1,915 | €2,010 |
| Designation fee | €685 | €720 |
| Grant and publication fee | €1,080 | €1,135 |
| 3rd year renewal fee | €690 | €725 |
| 10th+ year renewal fee | €1,775 | €1,865 |
Significantly, several key fees will not be subject to this increase:
- Filing fees (both online and paper-based)
- Opposition fees
- Appeal fees
- Additional page fees (for the 36th page onwards)
The implementation of these new rates on 1 April 2026 provides a window for applicants to optimise their IP spend:
- Advance payments | Official fees are generally charged at the rate prevailing on the date of payment. Applicants may realise substantial savings across large portfolios by paying due fees prior to the April deadline
- Early entry into regional phase | For Euro-PCT applications, considering early entry into the European regional phase before 1 April 2026 will allow for the settlement of search, designation and examination fees at current rates
- Portfolio review | We recommend a comprehensive review of pending applications to identify upcoming milestones that can be accelerated to take advantage of existing fee levels
To learn more, please speak to your usual Marks & Clerk advisor.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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