Guides
Guides
Evergreen, practitioner-written references on European patent costs and procedure. Where figures appear, they are read from the current official EPO fee schedule.
Overview
Official EPO fees
EPO renewal fees by year
The year-by-year renewal fee schedule, who the fee is paid to before and after grant, the six-month additional period, and what a missed fee costs.
EPO claims, page and examination fees
How the EPO charges for excess claims, excess pages, examination and designation, and the drafting choices that keep the surcharges down.
After grant
Unitary Patent vs classic: which is cheaper?
Where the single unitary renewal fee beats state-by-state validation, where a small classic bundle wins, and how to find the crossover.
European patent validation cost by country
Translation requirements, validation fees and national renewal rates after grant, and how the London Agreement lowers the translation bill.