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You pay European patent renewals directly to the EPO, in EUR, up to year 20. The schedule starts on the last day of the filing month two years after filing, granted or not. Miss a due date and you get a 6-month grace period, with a 50% surcharge on top.
European Patent Office (EPO) counts annuities from the filing date, and the amount depends on which patent year you are entering. A due date can arrive while the application is still pending.
The first renewal falls due on the last day of the filing month two years after filing, payable to the EPO.
For example, if the filing date is 2020-03-15, the first renewal will be due by 2022-03-31.
Every later annuity falls due on the last day of the filing month, each year, until year 20.
For example, if the filing date was on September 9, then all subsequent annuities will be due by 2022-09-30 and each year thereafter.
Official fees payable to the EPO, by patent year, in EUR.
| Year | Official fee (EUR) | ≈ USD | Cumulative (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 725 | $846 | 725 |
| 4 | 885 | $1,032 | 1,610 |
| 5 | 1,050 | $1,225 | 2,660 |
| 6 | 1,215 | $1,417 | 3,875 |
| 7 | 1,375 | $1,604 | 5,250 |
| 8 | 1,540 | $1,797 | 6,790 |
| 9 | 1,700 | $1,983 | 8,490 |
| 10 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 10,355 |
| 11 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 12,220 |
| 12 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 14,085 |
| 13 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 15,950 |
| 14 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 17,815 |
| 15 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 19,680 |
| 16 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 21,545 |
| 17 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 23,410 |
| 18 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 25,275 |
| 19 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 27,140 |
| 20 | 1,865 | $2,176 | 29,005 |
| Full term · years 3–20 | 29,005 | $33,836 | 29,005 |
The official fees are fixed. What your provider adds on top is not. Send your email and we'll show you what these renewals should really cost.
A six-month grace period runs from the day after the due date. You can still pay the renewal fee with a 50% surcharge on top, and the patent continues without interruption. Once the grace period closes, the patent lapses.
If you miss a renewal due date of 31 March 2026, the patent enters the grace period on 1 April 2026. Settle the renewal fee and the surcharge by 30 September 2026 to keep the patent in force.
The same schedule, deadlines and grace rules, in the jurisdictions we are asked about most.
Patents, trademarks and designs in other countries and regions.
Patents aren't the only rights that lapse without renewal. European Patent Office (EPO) also protects trademarks and designs. Each on its own schedule and fee scale.
The same annuities you pay after grant. The EPO starts the schedule two years after filing, and it runs whether or not the office has granted your patent by then.
Up to 3 months before the due date, and no earlier. Send it earlier and the office rejects the payment.
Yes. You get a 6-month grace period, starting the day after you miss the due date. Pay the renewal fee plus a surcharge inside that window and your patent stays in force. The surcharge runs at 50% of the renewal fee. Miss the window too and the patent lapses.
Up to 20 years from the filing date, as long as you pay every annuity on time. Stop paying and it lapses at the end of the grace period that follows the last due date.
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