Following a Decision of the Administrative Council of 11 December 2025 (CA/D 9/25), the European Patent Office (EPO) has announced that the official fees payable to the EPO are set to increase from 1 April 2026.

Full details of the new fees can be found here.

The increases, which are generally around 5%, include and affect official fees payable for search, examination, designation, grant and renewal. The filing, opposition and appeal fees remain unchanged.

Although these fee increases are relatively modest, the cumulative effect across a patent portfolio may be substantial. Therefore, applicants should consider reviewing their portfolio to see whether any official fees can be paid before 1 April 2026 to take advantage of the current lower rates.

If you have any questions about the EPO fee increase or wish to discuss potential cost savings please contact a member of our patents team.