What is a grace period?

If a patent renewal fee isn’t paid by the official deadline, many countries allow a grace period, an additional timeframe where the patent holder can still make the payment. This period typically lasts up to 6 months, though the exact duration and rules vary by country.

Most jurisdictions charge a surcharge fee during this time. Jurisdictions may set a fixed amount or increase it over time.Some countries, like Georgia and Ukraine, even allow up to 12 months, while Albania gives 8 months.

Not all jurisdictions offer a grace period, and the additional costs can be significantly higher than the original patent renewal fee.

To help you navigate this, we’ve created an overview of grace periods across Europe:

To avoid risking your IP rights or paying extra, it’s crucial to keep track of all patent renewal deadlines or use patent renewal software that does it for you.