Fees to rise from April 2026
The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) will increase fees for patents, trade marks and designs from 1 April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
Why fees are increasing
IPO fees have remained unchanged since 2018 for patents, 2016 for designs and 1998 for trade marks. During this time, the IPO has maintained stable pricing through efficiency improvements and investing existing reserves in digital services. The proposed 25% increase addresses the 32% rise in inflation since 2016 and future cost pressures that cannot be fully offset through further efficiency savings or reserves alone.
What this means for your business
Fees will increase by an average of 25%. For example
- patent search fee will increase from £150 to £200
- trade mark application fee will increase from £170 to £205
Full guidance will be published early in 2026 to help customers whose fees may be due around the time of the changes. The IPO has also updated payment information on its website, including terms and conditions for deposit account holders. Subject to parliamentary approval, new fees will apply from 1 April 2026. Current fees remain in place until then.
Find out more about the IPO fees increase.
First published 2 December 2025
