UKIPO Official Fees to Rise from 1 April 2026

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has confirmed that official fees for patents, trade marks and designs will increase with effect from 1 April 2026.

Current (lower) fees will continue to apply up to and including 31 March 2026, with the new (higher) fees applying from 1 April 2026 onwards. This represents the first major increase in many years, with average fee rises of around 25% across patents, trade marks and designs.

Clients with planned filings, renewals or other fee-related actions may therefore wish to consider acting before 1 April 2026 to benefit from the current fee levels.

What should you do now?

If you have any planned UK patent, trade mark or design filings, or renewals due in 2026, it is worth reviewing these now. In many cases, applications can be filed and renewals can be paid before 1 April 2026 at the current UKIPO fee, even where the formal deadline falls later.

Bringing action forward can therefore result in meaningful cost savings, particularly for larger portfolios. Owners of large portfolios of granted UK IP rights should consider the advice provided below on renewal fee (annuity) payments, since significant cost savings might be achieved by paying eligible renewal fees prior to 1 April. If you are unsure whether a particular action can be accelerated, or whether it is cost-effective to do so, we would be pleased to advise.

Examples of Current vs New Fees

The table below gives an indication of the scale of the increases. Full details are available in the official UKIPO fee tables linked above.

Patents

Trade Marks

Registered Designs

These examples are illustrative only. The full UKIPO fee tables include all fee categories, including late and post-registration fees.

Why Fees Are Increasing

UKIPO fees have been held at historic levels for many years - trade mark fees since 1998, design fees since 2016, and patent fees since 2018.

The increases reflect inflation over that period (around a 32% rise since 2016) and the costs of maintaining and improving UKIPO services. Across patents, trade marks, registered designs and unregistered designs, fees will rise by around 25% on average.

Why This Matters

The way the increase is implemented means that many costs can be avoided or reduced by acting earlier, particularly in relation to:

· upcoming patent, trade mark or design renewals;

· deferred design publications; and

· planned oppositions or recordals.

For clients with multiple rights, the cumulative savings can be significant. This is why the timing rules set out below are important.

How the Fee Increase Will Apply in Practice

Renewal cycles

To remain in force:

· patents are renewed annually;

· registered designs every 5 years; and

· trade marks every 10 years.

Renewal fees may be paid in advance:

· up to 3 months early for patents; and

· up to 6 months early for designs and trade marks.

A 6-month late renewal period is also available, although this incurs a separate late renewal fee.

Which Fee Applies – Old or New?

Whether the current fee or the new increased fee applies depends on:

1. the renewal due date, and

2. the date the renewal fee is paid.

This applies to the renewal fee itself. Late renewal fees are treated separately. If a renewal is paid late on or after 1 April 2026, the new late fee will apply, regardless of when the renewal was originally due.

Which Rights Can Be Renewed Early to Secure the Current Fee?

According to UKIPO guidance, the following renewals can be paid before 1 April 2026 at the current fee:

· Patents with a renewal due date in April or May 2026 (renewals due in June 2026 can only be paid from 1 April 2026)

· Trade marks with a renewal due date up to and including 30 September 2026

· Registered designs with a renewal due date up to and including 30 September 2026

 Rights with later renewal dates cannot be renewed early enough to avoid the new fee.

Deferred Design Publication Fees

Where a registered design has been filed with deferred publication:

· publication fees paid before 1 April 2026 will attract the current fee;

· publication fees paid on or after 1 April 2026 will attract the new fee.

Oppositions, Recordals and Other Official Actions

For oppositions, assignments, licences, and changes of ownership or name, the fee payable is the fee in force on the date the action is filed and paid.

These fees cannot be paid in advance. To secure the lower fee, the action itself must be taken before 1 April 2026.

Official Fee Tables

The UKIPO’s complete official fee tables can be accessed directly via the following links: · Patent fee table · Trade marks fee table · Registered designs fee table · Unregistered designs fee table

Official UKIPO Announcement

The UKIPO’s official guidance confirming the new fees is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/intellectual-property-office-new-fees-from-1-april-2026/new-fees-from-1-april-2026-for-designs-trade-marks-and-patents

Need Advice or Assistance?

If you would like personalised guidance on how these fee changes may affect your intellectual property portfolio, or support in scheduling filings or renewals before the fee rise, then please contact us. We would be happy to help you review your upcoming deadlines and decide the best time to take action.