A Summary of UK Patent Fees Increase April 2026

Introduction:

On 1 April 2026, the UK Intellectual Property Office (‘UKIPO’) increased the fees for designs, trade marks as well as UK patent fees. This article aims to shed light on the fee changes.

The UKIPO has fully implemented its legislative restructuring of official patent fees. Marking a significant departure from historic pricing, these updates apply a major inflationary adjustment across the entire patent lifecycle, from initial filing and substantive prosecution to late-stage maintenance and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs).

For applicants, patent counsel, and foreign attorneys, understanding these changes is no longer just an administrative matter; it is a budgetary necessity. This article breaks down the complete, finalized fee landscape directly from the statutory comparisons, analyzing the financial shifts that now govern UK patent management.

Pre-Grant and Prosecution Fees:

The updated structure continues the UKIPO’s push toward a digital-first framework, coinciding with the One IPO Transformation Programme [1]. Traditional paper filings have received a disproportionate cost hike compared to their online counterparts, making digital submission the only economically viable path for modern businesses.

Notably, standard pre-grant steps such as filing a search request online have jumped by 33.3%, rising from £150 to £200 as part of the increase in UK patent fees.

Patents	Form	Previous Fee	New Fee (1 April 2026)
Application fee (paid on filing)	Form 1	£60	£75
Application fee (paid on filing via paper)	Form 1	£90	£120
Application fee (paid later online)	Form AF1	£75	£95
Application fee (paid later via paper)	Form AF1	£112.50	£150
Request for UK search (online)	Form 9A	£150	£200
Request for UK search (paper)	Form 9A	£180	£240
Request for substantive examination (online)	Form 10	£100	£130
Request for substantive examination (paper)	Form 10	£130	£170
Late declaration of priority	Form 3	£150	£200

The Cost of Complexity:

For expansive specifications, the costs compound quickly during prosecution and grant.

The fee for each excess claim over 25 has moved from £20 to £27 (applied at both search and grant stages), while the cost for each excess page of description over 35 pages has risen from £10 to £13 per page.

Post-Grant, Restorations, and Proceedings:

Navigating disputes, reinstatements, or recording changes before the Comptroller are also affected, as follows:

• Filing a Request to reinstate (Form 14) has increased from £150 to £200;
• Application to Restore a Patent (Form 16) has risen from £135 to £180;
• Request for an Official Opinion on Validity/Infringement (Form 17) has risen from £200 to £250;
• Notice of Opposition to Proceedings (Form 15) has increased from £50 to £65; and
• Application to Register/Give Notice of Rights (Form 21) has increased from £50 to £65.

Renewal Fees:

In our previous article titled “UK Patent Renewals, Fees and Deadlines” we covered who can pay renewal fees, how to pay [3], deadlines, renewal periods, grace period, restoration, third party rights and divisional applications.

For example, the deadline for paying the renewal fee is by the end of the month in which the renewal date (anniversary date) falls due. If the renewal fee is not paid, then the patent lapses at the renewal date. The UKIPO will then send a reminder to the registered address for service. Please visit our previous article for the rules relating to renewal fees “UK Patent Renewals, Fees and Deadlines” .

While the rules in relation to renewal fees and deadlines are unchanged, the fees however have increased due to the April 2026 update.

To keep a granted UK or European Patent (UK) in force, renewal fees must be settled annually on the anniversary of the filing date, starting from the 5th year. Across the entire 20-year term, renewal fees have stepped up uniformly, with mid-term renewals seeing sharp percentage surges, such as Year 7 shifting by over 36% from £110 to £150.

5th year (on 4th year anniversary)	£70	£90
6th year (on 5th year anniversary…etc)	£90	£120
7th year	£110	£150
8th year	£130	£170
9th year	£150	£200
10th year	£170	£230
11th year	£190	£250
12th year	£220	£290
13th year	£260	£340
14th year	£300	£400
15th year	£360	£480
16th year	£420	£560
17th year	£470	£620
18th year	£520	£690
19th year	£570	£760
20th year (…on 19th year anniversary)	£610	£810

An Escalating Late Payment Structure:

The grace period remains open for 6 months following the standard renewal deadline. However, the previous late-payment surcharge structure has been increased, with surcharges now ranging from £32 to £160 during the six-month grace period, depending on how long the renewal fee remains unpaid.

Late renewal month 2:	£32
Late renewal month 3:	£64
Late renewal month 4:	£96
Late renewal month 5:	£128
Late renewal month 6:	£160

Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs):

For innovators operating in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) can provide a vital extension of exclusivity, but they now command some of the highest flat-rate statutory increases in the entire schedule.

• Application for the grant of an SPC (Form SP1) has moved from £250 to £330;
• SPC Year 1 Maintenance (Form SP2) has jumped from £600 to £800; and
• SPC Year 5 Maintenance (Form SP2) has climbed from £1,000 to £1,330.

Late payment penalties for active SPC extensions have similarly shifted, meaning an overdue Year 5 payment now carries a flat £665 late penalty on top of the base renewal fee.

Proactive Portfolio Strategy with Alphabet IP:

As statutory costs escalate across every corridor of the UKIPO, simple oversights in filing mechanics, claim limitations, or renewal windows can incur additional unnecessary financial penalties.

Alphabet IP through its EP-Gateway system coordinates elite, technical expertise with highly strategic portfolio direction. Hence, we actively work alongside scaling start-ups, corporate boards, and international patent counsel to audit existing assets, minimize exposure to additional fees thereby safely manage statutory timelines under the current rules.

Conclusion:

The updated UKIPO framework presents a drastically different fiscal environment for protecting intellectual property. With higher prosecution baseline costs, increased penalties for complex or lengthy specifications, and an escalating penalty framework for late maintenance, corporate IP departments must move away from retrospective budgeting.

While R still stands for Renewal fees, and ensuring that they are paid on time, U is for the Updated UKIPO Fees as of 1 April 2026, and the strategic oversight required to navigate them efficiently!

References:

[1] One IPO Transformation Programme – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/one-ipo-transformation-programme/one-ipo-transformation-programme

[2] Patent fees table – UKIPO Patent Fees April 2026

[3] Renew a patent – https://www.gov.uk/renew-patent

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