The UKIPO has explained that these fee increases are necessary to address the 32% rise in inflation since 2016 and future cost pressures that cannot be fully offset through further efficiency savings or reserves. It has indicated that these increases will enable it to continue to invest in its systems and provide high quality services.

How much will the fees increase by?

The fees will be increasing by an average of 25%. A summary of the increases on some key actions is outlined in the table below.

February 2026 update from the UKIPO

The UKIPO published further guidance on 09 February 2026, and issued a couple of further points of clarification. The most pertinent of these is that the correct fee must be paid by the date it is due. If only part of the fee is paid (that is, you pay the old fee rather than the new fee), your form or request will not be treated as having been submitted until the remainder is paid. This could have serious implications as this could lead to deadlines being missed inadvertently. Therefore it is imperative that the correct fees are paid when the change takes place on 01 April 2026.

Next steps

If you are a rights holder, it is worth planning ahead to accelerate any filings or renewals to benefit from the existing lower rates. Renewal fees can be paid up to three months early for patents and up to six months early for trade marks and designs. Across a large portfolio, by bringing forward filing of rights and payment of renewal fees, large savings can be made.

Despite the fee increases, the UK remains a cost-effective place to file rights as fees remain lower than many other European jurisdictions and other major IP offices. Filing a patent at the UKIPO remains an attractive option for first filings. Search results are normally issued within six months from filing (often much quicker) which enables an informed decision to be made on the merits of an application before the more significant investment of filing elsewhere. Trade mark applications are also examined very quickly, usually within two to three weeks of filing which is much faster than the majority of jurisdictions.

If you have any questions on the fee changes and how they may affect you, please contact your usual D Young & Co advisor.