European Patent Office Fee Increases: What Applicants Must Know

Europe’s latest patent fee increases are modest at the EPO but include a rare steep hike in the UK, forcing applicants to reassess filing routes, portfolio value, and long-term cost strategies.

On April 1, 2026, both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) implemented broad increases across many of the official fees payable in relation to patent application filing and prosecution. These changes have budgetary implications for applicants and patentees with active European and UK portfolios.

EPO fee increases

Following yearly increases from 2022-2024, the EPO appears to have returned to adjusting fees on a biennial basis, with most affected fees increasing by around 5%. Notably, the increases predominantly impact prosecution and renewal fees, leaving many contentious fees unchanged.

Key EPO fees affected

The increases apply to some of the most frequently incurred EPO fees, including (not an exhaustive list):

• 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
• Renewal fees (application stage): approximately 5% over the previously set fee by year.

In contrast, application filing fees, opposition fees, appeal fees, additional page fees, and renewal fees for the Unitary Patent were not increased.

Under the EPO’s general rules, fees must be paid at the rate in force on the date of payment. However, the EPO provides a six-month grace period, during which a fee paid at the previous rate shall be considered timely, provided the shortfall is paid within two months of notification from the EPO to avoid consequences related to inadvertent underpayment.

UKIPO fee increases

UKIPO fees increased by an average of 25% across the board, with some fees increasing as much as 33%. While these increases may appear, on their face, to be far higher than those at the EPO, when considered over time, the increases at the UKIPO appear to be largely designed to account for inflation. Indeed, this is the first increase at the UKIPO in eight years for patents, 10 years for designs, and 28 years for trademarks.

Key UKIPO fees affected

The UK fee increases affect some of the most commonly paid fees at the UKIPO, as shown below (not an exhaustive list):

• Filing fee: £60 → £75 (+25%)
• Search fee: £150 → £200 (+33%)
• Examination fee: £100 → £130 (+30%)
• Renewal fees (mid-to-late-term): increases, often, by 30%+

Practical implications for applicants

The 2026 EPO fee increases may be considered a modest increase in the cost of obtaining European patent protection, while those at the UKIPO may come as a shock to the system for many stakeholders. Nevertheless, when assessed against the backdrop of sustained inflationary pressures, the increases at both offices appear broadly reasonable.

With this in mind, every fee increase reinforces the importance of active fee planning and ongoing portfolio management, particularly for applicants with significant European and UK filing activities.

Although the time has passed for taking advantage of fee strategies related to filing and prosecution ahead of the 2026 fee increases, it is never too late to review and reassess strategies and patent portfolio compositions in terms of value versus cost

For example, to avoid the added burden of increases to maintenance fees, portfolio evaluation may be undertaken to determine whether one or more assets still possess value for stakeholders to justify the cost of upkeep, or whether the added cost for maintaining the asset outweighs any such value.

By offloading (eg, abandoning, selling, etc) assets whose commercial value for the stakeholder has either diminished or cannot be readily established, costs related to maintenance of the portfolio can be reduced.

In addition, the renewed focus on official fees due to the recent increases highlights the significant cost differential between obtaining patent protection via the EPO and filing directly at the UKIPO.

Even following the 2026 increases, the UKIPO remains materially more cost‑effective across filing, search, examination, grant, and early‑to‑mid‑term renewal stages.

Applicants whose principal commercial focus within Europe is the UK may therefore wish to consider whether direct UK filings, either as an alternative to or alongside a European patent application, could allow available budgets to stretch further.

In appropriate cases, a UK‑centric filing strategy may enable broader or more sustained protection—such as maintaining a larger number of assets or extending maintenance over a longer period—without a corresponding increase in overall spend.

Further, although the UKIPO has indicated that the 2026 increase is a one-off to adjust for years of inflation, history demonstrates that fee increases are likely to occur again, given inflationary pressures, whether that be near or long term.

Therefore, monitoring for future fee increases and paying any fees that may be paid early across a portfolio and in advance of any such increases can save significant costs.

Summary

The cumulative effect across mid-sized to large portfolios of the recent fee increases is material despite the inflationary justifications. Applicants and patentees should factor the revised fee levels into budget forecasting, filing strategies, and long-term portfolio planning, particularly where multiple prosecution or renewal events are expected over the coming years.

Monitoring for future fee increases and adapting strategy in view of the same is likely to yield significant benefit for prudent stakeholders.

Such assessments will necessarily be fact‑specific, considering the applicants and patentees’ wider commercial footprint, enforcement strategy, and appetite for future regional expansion. Nevertheless, particularly for SMEs and cost‑sensitive filers, careful consideration of whether to pursue or maintain a particular application will lead to leaner, better-balanced portfolios, without sacrificing strategic protection.

Further, for applicants with predominantly UK‑focused markets, revisiting the choice of filing route in light of the latest fee landscape may yield particularly meaningful economic benefits.