European Patent Office (EPO) official fee increase from 2026-04-01
The European Patent Office (EPO) has adopted an updated schedule of official fees effective from 2026-04-01.
For most day-to-day prosecution steps, the increase is around 5%, affecting in particular the European search fee, examination fee, designation fee, grant/publication fee, and renewal fees.
Quick takeway
- Unchanged: filing fee (online / not online)
- Increased (~5%): search, examination, designation, grant/publication, renewals from year 3 onward
| Fee | Fee before 2026-04-01 (EUR) | Fee from 2026-04-01 (EUR) | Change (EUR) | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing fee – online | 135 | 135 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Filing fee – not online | 285 | 285 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Search fee – European / supplementary European search | 1520 | 1595 | 75 | 4.93% |
| Examination fee (with supplementary European search report) | 1915 | 2010 | 95 | 4.96% |
| Designation fee (all Contracting States) | 685 | 720 | 35 | 5.11% |
| Renewal fee – 3rd year | 690 | 725 | 35 | 5.07% |
| Renewal fee – 4th year | 845 | 885 | 40 | 4.73% |
| Renewal fee – 5th year | 1000 | 1050 | 50 | 5.00% |
| Fee for grant & publication | 1080 | 1135 | 55 | 5.09% |