Intellectual Property News
Singapore
4 August 2025
 

YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO
UPCOMING IPOS FEE CHANGES IN SINGAPORE

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has announced upcoming changes to its Patent, Trade Marks, and Registered Designs fee structures, effective 1 September 2025 and 1 April 2026. The changes are intended to reflect operational costs and encourage concise, high-quality filings.

Patents

What’s changing:  Excess claim fees will see updates in both the claim limit and payment timing.

Under the current system:

• Excess claim fees are charged at S$40 for each claim in excess of 20 claims.
• These fees are payable at the time of requesting a search and examination report or examination report (PF11/PF12), and/or at the time of paying the grant fee (PF14), depending on when excess claims are present during the patenting process.

From 1 September 2025:

• The excess claims threshold will be lowered from 20 to 15 claims.
• The fee will increase to S$80 per excess claim.
• For PF11/PF12 requests filed on or after this date, the fee is payable at the point of request.

From 1 April 2026:

• For PF11/PF12/PF12A requests filed on or after 1 September 2025, payment of any excess claim fees will shift from the grant fee stage (PF14) to the stage of filing a response to a written opinion (PF13A). 
• No excess claim fees will be charged at the grant fee payment stage for these requests.

Key transitional notes:

We highlight that due to the transitional arrangements, there are scenarios where the total excess claim fees payable may not fully align with the implied policy objective of uniformly increased fees.

For example, if a request for examination is filed on or after 1 September 2025 and grant formalities are completed before 1 April 2026, excess claim fees may be payable both at examination and at grant, potentially at different thresholds and rates.  

In another scenario where the examination is requested on or after 1 September 2025, a response to a written opinion is filed before 1 April 2026, and grant formalities are completed after 1 April 2026, excess claim fees are neither payable at examination nor at grant.

Patent applicants should be aware of these nuances when considering timing and claim strategy.

Trade Marks

What’s changing:  Fees for application, renewal, and amendments will increase.

From 1 September 2025 (application and renewal fees):

• The application fee will increase from S$380 to S$410 per class of goods or services for applications where the specifications are not all pre-approved. Where the specifications are fully adopted from IPOS’ pre-approved classification database, the application fee remains unchanged at S$280 per class.
• Renewal fees will increase as follows:
  • Renewal on or before expiry: from S$440 to S$480 per class
  • Late renewal: from S$645 to S$700 per class
  • Restoration of registration: from S$705 to S$770 per class

Two-stage increase on 1 September 2025 and 1 April 2026 (amendment fees):

Amendment fees will increase in two stages:

• Amendments to specification, class number, or priority claim:
  • From S$40 to S$50 per class (1 Sep 2025)
  • Then to S$60 per class (1 Apr 2026)
     
• Other amendments (excluding change of name/address/address for service/specification/class number/priority claim):
  • From S$40 to S$50 per trade mark (1 Sep 2025)
  • Then to S$60 per trade mark (1 Apr 2026)
     
• Entry of disclaimer or limitation:
  • From S$40 to S$50 per trade mark (1 Sep 2025)
  • Then to S$60 per trade mark (1 Apr 2026)

Registered Designs

What’s changing:  Fee for amending an application will increase.

From 1 September 2025:

• Amendment fee will increase from S$45 to S$60.

If you have any questions or would like assistance in reviewing your current or upcoming filings in light of these fee changes, please do not hesitate to contact us.


This news is circulated for your information only. It should not be taken as a statement of law and should not be used without legal advice. For further information, please contact:-

Adam Bogsch
E: abogsch@vjp.com.sg


Audrey Goh
E: agoh@vjp.com.sg


Gerald Koh
E: gk@vjp.com.sg


Zheng Pei 
E: zhengpei@vjp.com.sg