Both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) have announced an increase in official fees, which will apply to payments made from 1 April 2026.

The UKIPO has announced that the official fees relating to patents, trade marks and designs will be increasing by an average of 25%. 

The EPO fee increase relates to patents and is a more modest ~5%, with some fees being exempt such as the filing, opposition and appeal fees. There is also no change to the renewal fees payable for European Patents with unitary effect (so called "unitary patents").

What does this mean for you?

Since many fees can be paid in advance of their due date, applicants should consider paying fees as soon as possible before 1 April 2026 to avoid these increases. Applicants should also consider taking any procedural actions associated with fee payments before 1 April 2026.

Please get in touch with Lewis Silkin if you would like to file a new case early or make a fee payment early on an existing case, to ensure you are paying the lower rate. If you are unsure if you are likely to be affected by the fee increases, our experts can advise you.