Upcoming IPO fee increases from April 2026

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has announced plans to increase official fees for patent, trade mark and design matters from 1 April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. The changes will affect a wide range of activities, including filings, oppositions, recordals and renewals.

On average, fees are expected to rise by around 25%, with:

• Patent fees increasing by up to 35%
• Trade mark and design fees increasing by up to 25%

This will be the first major revision of IPO fees in many years. The last adjustments were made in 2018 for patents, 2016 for designs and 1998 for trade marks.

The IPO says the increases are needed to keep pace with inflation and to continue investing in digital systems and service improvements. Even after these changes, UK IPO fees are expected to remain relatively low compared with other major intellectual property offices worldwide.

Planning ahead

Current IPO fees will remain in place until 31 March 2026, but the upcoming changes may affect how businesses and individuals plan their IP activity. If you have a large filing programme or a number of renewals coming up, it may be worth:

• Reviewing and bringing forward planned filing programs to take advantage of current fees.
• Looking at the timing of renewals, recordals and cancellation actions to identify potential cost savings (noting that renewals can be completed up to six months before the renewal deadline).
• Updating budgets and forecasts to reflect higher fee levels from April 2026 onwards.

The updated fees from 1 April 2026 can be found here.

For more information and tailored advice, please get in touch with your usual Venner Shipley contact, or email _marketing@vennershipley.co.uk to help review your portfolio and plan a cost-effective IP strategy ahead of the 2026 changes.