Patent maintenance & renewal fees in the UK: a quick guide

The process of applying for and securing a UK patent is a significant milestone, but it is only the first step if you want long-term protection for your inventions.

Four years after the initial filing date, all granted UK patents are subject to annual renewal. This incurs a fee (or ‘annuity’), which increases progressively every year the patent is maintained.

This is why, when securing protection for your inventions, an understanding of the financial commitment involved is essential.

If you want to keep a patent in force for its full 20-year lifetime, you will be set to pay £6,160 in renewal fees at the time of writing. GOV.UK has up-to-date information on the latest fees for patent maintenance.

What is patent maintenance? #

Patent maintenance, also known as patent renewal, is the process of paying a mandatory periodic fee to a national IP office to keep protection in force.

In the UK, these annuities are paid to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), the official government body responsible for IP rights. This can be done by post, over the phone or through the UKIPO website payment portal.

The fees are progressive, meaning you pay more each year as the patent ages. This is intended to prevent the maintenance of obsolete patents.

Why is patent maintenance important?  #

Patent renewal secures your market exclusivity, offering abundant commercial benefits.

It ensures you retain exclusive legal rights over your invention, preventing competitors from replicating or selling anything similar. This exclusivity delivers a clear competitive advantage and enables you to dominate a market.

If a patent owner allows protection to lapse, it creates opportunities for others to utilise or enhance that innovation without any restriction.

There is also a monetisation aspect to patent renewal. Active patents can be licensed to other businesses, creating significant and consistent revenue streams.

Maintaining protection also signals your commitment to innovation and demonstrates your organisation’s ability to protect and leverage IP, making you a more attractive investment proposition.

In litigation proceedings or negotiations, a solid patent portfolio provides a clear strategic advantage – a robust legal foundation against infringement, as well as greater leverage when seeking favourable business terms.

Patent renewal timeline and fees in the UK #

The requirement to maintain a patent does not begin immediately.

In the UK, patent renewals start four years after the date of filing, with the option to renew annually for a maximum of 20 years. The payment window for renewals opens three months before the renewal date and remains open for one month after without penalty.

After the initial four-year period, you will pay £90 for the fifth year. This fee increases steadily over the term of a patent. Once your payment is processed, the protection is renewed instantly.

If you miss this window, you will enter a six-month grace period. You can still make payment, but it will incur a statutory late fee.

From 1 April 2026, this surcharge is £32 fee for every month that the payment is overdue, which is in addition to the standard renewal fee. If no payment is made in this six-month timeframe, your patent protection will lapse.  

This means that if you maintain your patent protection for its maximum 20-year term, the current cost in annuities is £6,160. This assumes all payments are made on time and excludes any late fees.

These figures are correct as of 1 April 2026, when the UKIPO increased its fee schedule – check the GOV.UK patent renewal page for the latest figures.

Those managing a large portfolio may require support from a professional patent attorney to ensure successful and stress-free portfolio management. They can also help with strategic considerations, such as assessing the commercial value of a renewal.

Renewal fees are timed from the patent filing date, not the grant date #

It is important to understand that the four-year timescale for renewal fees starts from the date the patent was filed, not the date it was granted.

However, these fees only become payable once the patent is actually granted. This means that if a patent takes longer than four years to be granted, a lump sum of backdated fees will be due.

For example, if a patent takes six years to be granted, the renewal fees that accrued during the fifth and sixth years will need to be paid following grant.

What happens to a patent after 20 years? #

Typically, 20 years is the maximum term of protection for an invention. At this point, the invention enters the public domain, meaning anyone is free to make, use or sell it.

To maintain their competitive edge, inventors may employ a strategy called ‘evergreening’. This involves filing new patents for improvements or new uses of the original invention.

In the UK, some categories of inventions are eligible for a five-year extension on this 20-year protection period. This is achieved with a Supplementary Protection Certificate – it applies to patented active ingredients in pharmaceutical or plant protection products.

What is the difference between patent renewal and maintenance?  #

In the UK, the terms patent renewal and patent maintenance are often used interchangeably – they effectively mean the same thing. However, technical meanings can vary depending on jurisdiction.

At the EPO, for example, ‘renewal fees’ are paid annually to keep a pending application alive. In the United States, the term ‘maintenance’ is used specifically for fees paid to keep an already granted patent in force.

What value does a professional attorney provide for patent maintenance? #

The process of renewing patents may appear to be a simple administrative task. However, if you have multiple inventions, the value of a professional patent attorney for coordinating and managing a portfolio becomes clear.

This is particularly true if you intend to build a global IP presence – rules around the grant, maintenance and renewal of patents differ by territory. For example, at the USPTO, maintenance fees are not paid annually, but at the 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 year periods post-grant.

A patent attorney will add more value than simply monitoring deadlines or helping you navigate international grace periods. They will align your IP strategy with broader commercial objectives. Does a patent still justify its cost, and are there opportunities to prune or strengthen your portfolio based on market shifts?

Discover your true IP worth with Murgitroyd #

Our award-winning team of patent attorneys and dedicated IP renewals experts offer market-leading IP solutions and strategy.

With specialist sector expertise, a 22-office network and jurisdictional global reach, we can help you protect your ideas strategically and cost-effectively in the UK and beyond.

Talk to us today about your aims and ambitions.