The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed that fees for registering trademarks, designs and patents in the UK will be rising from 1 April 2026. This follows the introduction of the UK’s Intellectual Property Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocation and Transitional Provisions) Rules in 2026.

This is the first update to the UK IP fee structure the latest historical increases were applied in 1998 for trademarks, 2016 for designs, and 2018 for patents. The increases have been added to address a 32% rise in inflation since 2016 while supporting further investment in digital systems and services.

The IPO has confirmed that the new fees will apply to any applications or payments made on or after 1 April 2026.

A number of specific pricing rules apply to transitional cases. For designs, any deferred design registration request made on or after 1 April will be charged at the new rate, even if the initial application was filed earlier. For trademarks, applicants relying on the permitted period of grace may still pay the old fee if the application was filed before 1 April and the outstanding fee is paid within the IPO deadline.

Separately, UKFT has made a formal submission on behalf of the industry to the IPO on the UK’s updated Design Framework which is expected to be announced later this year.

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