The upcoming April 2026 fee increase from the UKIPO

UK rights holders should be aware the UKIPO is increasing official fees by an average of 25% on 1 April 2026 to cover the costs of inflation and to fund the modernisation of its digital services under the “One IPO Transformation Programme“.

This is the first major fee increase in years and is subject to parliamentary approval.

Reasons for the increase

• The increases are necessary to account for inflation that has occurred since the last fee adjustments, which were in 2018 for patents, 2016 for designs, and 1998 for trademarks.
• The additional revenue will support investment in upgrading and modernising the UKIPO’s digital systems, including the development of the new “One IPO Transformation Programme”.
• The UKIPO states that it can no longer offset increased costs by using process improvements and financial reserves, and a fee increase is now necessary to maintain service quality.

The new fees

Trade mark applications will be increased as follows:

•  From £170 to £205 for one class
•  From £50 to £60 for each additional class

Trade mark renewals will be increased as follows:

•   From £200 to £245 for one class
•   From £50 to £60 for each additional class

Likewise, the official fee to oppose a UK trade mark will be increasing from £200 to £250.

Recommended action for IP rights holders

In order to avoid the increased official fees above, we would suggest you proactively renew your trade marks or file new trade mark applications before the 1 April 2026 fee increase.

Your registered trade marks can be renewed for up to 6 months before the trade mark is due to expire, so if you have any due to expire before September 2026, it would be prudent to renew them in early 2026 where possible.

Please feel free to contact one our specialist IP solicitors if you need assistance with your trade mark portfolio.

Daniel Crate – Solicitor