Official IPO fees and professional fees
Patent attorney cost, and the IPO fees underneath it
Two different bills get confused constantly. The Intellectual Property Office charges official fees which are published and fixed: gov.uk states that applying for a UK patent costs at least £405 if you complete the process, and that this includes both an application fee and a processing fee. A patent attorney charges separately for drafting, prosecution and advice, and gov.uk notes this can cost several thousand pounds. This site keeps the two apart. Tell us about the invention and patent attorneys will quote you.
The process
- Set out the invention: field, stage, what you need quoted and where you want protection. Two minutes, no account.
- We pass your details to patent attorney firms working in that technical field, and to no one else.
- They contact you directly with their fees for the work, separate from the IPO's official fees. Compare, instruct, or decline.
Patent Attorney Cost is an independent site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. We are not a firm of patent attorneys and we are not affiliated with the Intellectual Property Office, the Intellectual Property Regulation Board or any firm named here. We pass the details you submit to relevant patent attorney firms, who contact you directly; we may receive a fee from those firms, and you pay nothing for the introduction. Nothing on this site is legal or intellectual property advice. Official IPO fees are quoted exactly as published on gov.uk and checked on 14 August 2026; fees change, so verify current figures on gov.uk before budgeting. Patent attorney fees are not official fees and are not set by any body.
Official IPO patent fees, and where attorney fees sit
Last updated
The Intellectual Property Office publishes its fees, so this part of the cost is knowable in advance. What a patent attorney charges is not published by anyone and is not an IPO fee. The table below gives the official figures exactly as gov.uk states them, then marks clearly where the professional fee sits alongside them.
Official Intellectual Property Office fees stated exactly as published on gov.uk, checked on 14 August 2026: filing, search and examination fees are from the gov.uk guide Apply for a patent, and renewal fees from the gov.uk guide Renew a patent. The IPO's Patent forms and fees publication was updated on 1 April 2026. Fees change, most often at the start of a financial year, so check gov.uk before relying on any figure here. Patent attorney fees are not official fees, are not set by the IPO or by any regulator, and are not included in the figures above: gov.uk states that IPO fees do not include any professional help or advice and that a patent attorney can cost several thousand pounds. Obtain written quotes for professional work through the form above.
| What is being paid for | Who sets it | Fee as published (checked 14 August 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Apply for a filing date only, online | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | No fee |
| Apply for a filing date only, by post | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | £120 if you pay when you apply, £150 if you pay later |
| Apply for a filing date and search, online | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | £275 plus £27 for each claim over 25 claims |
| Apply for a filing date, search and examination, online | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | £405 plus £27 for each claim over 25 claims, and £13 for each page of description over 35 pages |
| Apply for a filing date, search and examination, by post | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | £530 plus £27 for each claim over 25 claims, and £13 for each page of description over 35 pages |
| Renewal, from the 5th year | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | £90 for the 5th year, rising each year to £810 for the 20th year |
| Late renewal | Intellectual Property Office, published on gov.uk | £32 per month on top of the renewal fee, for up to 6 months after the due date |
| Patent attorney fees | Each firm, individually. Not an IPO fee and not set by any body | Not published. Gov.uk states that IPO fees do not include professional help or advice and that a patent attorney can cost several thousand pounds |
- Gov.uk states that applying for a UK patent at the Intellectual Property Office costs at least £405 if you complete the process, and that this includes both an application fee and a processing fee (checked 14 August 2026).
- Filing online for a filing date only carries no IPO fee; a filing date and search filed online is £275 plus £27 for each claim over 25 claims; a filing date, search and examination filed online is £405 plus £27 for each claim over 25 and £13 for each page of description over 35 (gov.uk, checked 14 August 2026).
- UK patent renewal fees run from £90 for the 5th year to £810 for the 20th year, with £32 per month payable on top if renewal is late, and a patent can be renewed for up to a maximum of 20 years (gov.uk, checked 14 August 2026).
- Patent attorney fees are separate from IPO fees and are not published or set by anyone: gov.uk states that IPO fees do not include any professional help or advice, and that using a patent attorney can cost several thousand pounds.
Cite this page
“Official IPO patent fees, and where attorney fees sit”, Patent Attorney Cost, https://patentattorneycost.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Official Intellectual Property Office fees stated exactly as published on gov.uk, checked on 14 August 2026: filing, search and examination fees are from the gov.uk guide Apply for a patent, and renewal fees from the gov.uk guide Renew a patent. The IPO's Patent forms and fees publication was updated on 1 April 2026. Fees change, most often at the start of a financial year, so check gov.uk before relying on any figure here. Patent attorney fees are not official fees, are not set by the IPO or by any regulator, and are not included in the figures above: gov.uk states that IPO fees do not include any professional help or advice and that a patent attorney can cost several thousand pounds. Obtain written quotes for professional work through the form above.
Related guides
Each one cites where its numbers come from.
Patent attorney fees vs IPO fees: two separate bills
The Intellectual Property Office publishes fixed official fees. A patent attorney charges separately for drafting and prosecution. How to read a quote that mixes them.
UK patent filing cost: the stages and what each one costs
Filing, search, examination, grant and renewal are separate stages with separate costs. The official IPO fees for each, the deadlines, and where attorney time goes.
International patent cost: why territories multiply the bill
A UK patent gives no protection abroad. How PCT and national phase filings multiply official fees, local agents and translations, and how to stage the decisions.
What a patent attorney does, and why it is not a solicitor
A patent attorney is a separate regulated profession with a technical background. What they do, when you need one, and what gov.uk says about free initial advice.
Common questions
How much does a patent attorney cost in the UK?
There is no published figure and nobody sets attorney fees. Gov.uk states that IPO fees do not include any professional help or advice, and that using a patent attorney can cost several thousand pounds. The fee is driven by technical complexity, the number and breadth of claims, whether a search is done first, how much prosecution the application needs, and how many territories are involved.
How much does a UK patent cost in official fees?
Gov.uk states that applying for a UK patent at the Intellectual Property Office costs at least £405 if you complete the process, including both an application fee and a processing fee. Filing online for a filing date only carries no fee; a filing date and search online is £275 plus £27 for each claim over 25; a filing date, search and examination online is £405 plus £27 for each claim over 25 and £13 for each page of description over 35 pages (checked 14 August 2026).
Are IPO fees and patent attorney fees the same thing?
No, and confusing them is the most common budgeting error. IPO fees are official, published on gov.uk and identical for everyone. Attorney fees are set by each firm, are not published anywhere, and cover drafting, filing, prosecution and advice. Gov.uk states directly that IPO fees do not include professional help or advice and that advisers are paid separately.
What are UK patent renewal fees?
Gov.uk publishes the scale: £90 for the 5th year rising each year to £810 for the 20th year, which is the maximum term. Renewal is due on the fourth anniversary of filing and then annually. Renewing up to 3 months before or within 1 month after the due date avoids late fees; renewing later, up to 6 months after, costs £32 per month on top (checked 14 August 2026).
Does a UK patent protect me in other countries?
No. Gov.uk states that a UK patent does not give protection in other countries, so unless you get protection in a country, anyone can legally make, use or sell your invention there. Protection abroad is obtained through the European Patent Office or the World Intellectual Property Organisation, or by national filings, and each territory brings its own official fees, local representation and often translation.
What can stop me getting a patent?
Gov.uk states the invention must be new, must not have been made publicly available anywhere in the world, must be inventive rather than an obvious change to something existing, and must be something that can be made or used, a technical process, or a method of doing something. It also lists what cannot be patented, including ways of doing business, methods of medical treatment, discoveries and scientific theories, and software with a non technical purpose.
Is this introduction service free to use?
Yes, free to you and with no obligation to instruct anyone. We pass your details only to patent attorney firms working in the technical field you describe, and they contact you directly. We may receive a fee from those firms, which is how the service is funded.