Fees for European patent applications are changing from 1 April 2024

Changes to fees for European patent applications will come into effect on April 1, 2024, as per the Decision of the Administrative Council dated December 14, 2023. The European Patent Office (EPO) will witness an increase in some of its official fees starting from the specified date. These amendments are applicable to fee payments made on or after April 1, 2024, for both European patent applications and Euro-PCT applications that have entered the European phase, regardless of their filing date.

While the majority of official fees will experience a moderate increase of around 4%, the third and fourth renewal fees will see a significant rise of 30% and 28%, respectively. However, certain official fees such as filing, opposition, and appeal fees will remain unchanged this year, with some fees being abolished.

In addition to these changes, starting from April 1, 2024, the EPO is introducing a new micro-entity fee system, an extension of the current system for small entities. Micro-entities, in this context, encompass microenterprises, natural persons, non-profit organizations, universities, and public research organizations, provided they have filed fewer than five patent applications in the last five years. It’s important to note that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not considered micro-entities.

For micro-entities, there is a 30% reduction in fees for filing, search, designation, examination, grant, and renewal. Similarly, small entities will benefit from a 30% reduction in the filing fee, including any additional fees that form part of the filing fee, as well as the examination fee.