UK Trade Mark Fees to Increase from 1 April 2026: What Business Owners Need to Know
From 1 April 2026, many UK Intellectual Property Office trade mark fees will increase, including application, opposition and renewal fees; the first increase in UK trade mark fees since 1998.1
Many core applications, oppositions, renewals and some recordals will cost more. Acting before 31 March 2026 may save money, although some transitional rules apply.
Key Trade Mark Fee Changes
| Filing Type | Current Fee | From 1 April 2026 | Approx Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online application (1 class) | £170 | £205 | +21% |
| Each additional class | £50 | £60 | +20% |
| Paper application (1 class) | £200 | £250 | +25% |
| Right Start application (total, 1 class / combined stage 1 and stage 2 fee) | £200 | £250 | +25% |
| Opposition (s.5(1) / s.5(2) grounds) | £100 | £125 | +25% |
| Opposition (other grounds) | £200 | £250 | +25% |
| Renewal (1 class) | £200 | £245 | +22.5% |
| Renewal additional class | £50 | £60 | +20% |
| Late renewal surcharge | £50 | £60 | +20% |
| Change of ownership recordal | £50 | £60 | +20% |
Selected fees shown. Sources checked: IPO trade mark fees table and IPO guidance.
The IPO has not increased trade mark fees for 28 years. The IPO says there has been a 32% rise in inflation since 2016 and that further efficiency savings or existing reserves can no longer absorb cost pressures. It says the fee increase will allow it to continue investing in its systems and provide high-quality services. Routine trade mark examination remains relatively fast under the current service standards, although the Tribunal reports a significant backlog in trade mark and registered design cases, which will hopefully be progressively cleared once the operational improvements are made.
Even after the increase, a UK filing remains cheaper than an EU trade mark filing. The EUIPO's one-class online fee is EUR 850.
By comparison, the UK online filing fee will be £205 for one class.
When Do the New UK Trade Mark Fees Take Effect?
The new fees are due to take effect on 1 April 2026 under SI 2026/183. In general, the old fee continues to apply to fees paid up to and including 31 March 2026. Two useful exceptions are pre-1 April period-of-grace applications and Right Start applications where stage 1 was paid before 1 April 2026: in each case, the old fee can still apply if payment is made within the IPO's deadline.
What You Can Do: How to Save Money Before the Fees Increase
File new trade mark applications now: any application submitted before 1 April 2026 will generally attract the current fee. The IPO notes that saving a draft does not count as submission.
Renew early: trade mark renewals can be filed up to six months before expiry. That means registrations due for renewal on or before 30 September 2026 can usually be renewed before 1 April 2026 at the current renewal fee. If a late renewal fee becomes payable on or after 1 April 2026, that late fee will be charged at the new rate.
Record fee-bearing changes: not every register update carries an official fee. However, change-of-ownership and partial assignment requests do, and those fees are increasing. If you have fee-bearing recordals to file, doing so before 1 April 2026 may reduce cost.
Audit your portfolio: identify marks due for renewal, planned new filings, any oppositions you may wish to bring, and any fee-bearing recordals. Across a larger portfolio, the cumulative saving from acting before 1 April could be significant.
Will opposing a trade mark application cost more?
Yes. Filing a notice of opposition on the most commonly used grounds (s.5(1) and s.5(2) of the Trade Marks Act 1994) will rise from £100 to £125.
Oppositions on all other grounds will rise from £200 to £250. Businesses considering whether to oppose a conflicting application should file before the deadline to secure the lower fee.
Protect your Brand before fees rise
Dragon Argent’s trade mark team advises founders, start-ups and SMEs on UK and EU filings, renewals, clearance searches and oppositions.
If you want to file or renew before 1 April 2026, contact us.
Speak to one of our litigation solicitors today ↓
Written by:
Director of Legal Services and Group General Counsel
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