Costs for US applicants
European Patent Costs for US Companies: PCT, EPO, Office Actions and Validation
Every European cost a US company meets, in one place and in euros: entering the regional phase from a PCT application, prosecuting at the EPO, answering an examination report, and validating or requesting unitary effect after grant. Official fees are the EPO's 2026 schedule; attorney fees are my indicative rates, confirmed as a fixed fee before work starts.
Step 1 — PCT
Euro-PCT regional phase entry
Most US companies reach Europe through the PCT. Entry is due 31 months from the earliest priority date and is non-extendable; the six-month Rule 161/162 window that follows is where the claim set is adapted to EPO practice.
| Item | Official fee | Attorney fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional phase entry (filing act) | €135 | €800 | Online entry, formalities, representative appointment |
| Supplementary European search (where due) | €1,595 | — | Not due where the EPO was the ISA |
| Designation fee | €720 | — | Covers all EPC states |
| Examination fee (Euro-PCT) | €2,240 | €450 | Due on entry |
| Claims 16–50 | €290 each | — | US claim sets are usually trimmed before entry |
| Rule 161/162 response | — | €300 – €1,500 | €300 formal; substantive amendment is priced per objection |
Typical entry with a 15-claim set and no supplementary search: €3,095 official + €1,250 attorney. Detail: the 31-month PCT national phase guide.
Step 2 — EPO
Direct EPO filing and prosecution
A direct European filing suits a US company that wants an early European search or has no PCT application. From the search report onward the cost structure is identical to the Euro-PCT route.
| Item | Official fee | Attorney fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct EP filing | €135 | €800 | Alternative to the PCT route |
| European search | €1,595 | — | Search report plus written opinion |
| Designation fee | €720 | — | Paid with the examination request |
| Examination fee (direct filing) | €2,010 | €450 | Starts substantive examination |
| Renewal fee, year 3 | €725 | €270 | Rises each year while pending |
| Grant and printing | €1,135 | €450 | Plus claim translations into French and German |
Renewal fees accrue every year the application is pending — see the EPO renewal fee tables and calculator.
Step 3 — Office actions
What an EPO office action response costs
Article 94(3) examination reports are priced per objection rather than by an open hourly count, so you can budget the response before it is drafted.
| Objection type | Indicative attorney fee |
|---|---|
| Clarity / indefiniteness | €100 per objection |
| Novelty | €200 per cited embodiment |
| Inventive step | €300 per objection |
| Eligibility (technical character) | €200 per objection |
| Unity of invention | €250 per independent claim, per objection |
| Claim amendments | €150 per claim |
| Formal corrections | €250 per correction |
Worked example: two clarity objections, two novelty citations, one inventive-step objection and amendments to two claims = €1,200. A full response usually lands between €1,500 and €3,500. More: EPO office action response service.
Step 4 — After grant
Validation and Unitary Patent costs
A granted European patent must be brought into force country by country, or turned into a Unitary Patent with a single renewal stream. The translation requirement, not the agent, drives the cost.
| Territory | Translation | One-off cost |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | None | €350 – €700 |
| France | None | €300 – €600 |
| United Kingdom | None | €300 – €600 |
| Netherlands | None (English accepted) | €350 – €700 |
| Italy / Spain | Full translation | €1,200 – €2,500 each |
| Unitary Patent (participating EU states) | One translation during the transition | €1,000 – €1,800 |
Country-by-country detail in the validation cost tool · Unitary Patent and UPC for US companies
FAQ
European patent costs — common questions
- What does a European patent cost for a US company in total?
- From filing to grant, official fees are roughly €5,600 to €7,000 and attorney fees €2,500 to €6,000, depending on the number of examination rounds. Validation or a Unitary Patent request adds €1,000 to €8,000, and renewals run for up to twenty years.
- Is the PCT route more expensive than direct EPO filing?
- Per step it is similar — the Euro-PCT examination fee is €2,240 against €2,010 for a direct filing — but the PCT route defers most European spend by up to eighteen months and can avoid a second search where the EPO acted as ISA.
- How much does an EPO office action response cost?
- Typically €1,500 to €3,500. Fees are built up per objection — for example two clarity objections, two novelty citations, one inventive-step objection and two claim amendments come to €1,200 in attorney fees.
- How much does validation cost after grant?
- €300 to €700 per country where no translation is required and €1,000 to €2,500 where a full translation is. A five-country validation usually lands between €3,000 and €8,000 in one-off costs.
Get your own numbers
Send the application and the next deadline and you get a written fixed fee covering every step above, with official fees listed separately.