Fees and Payments – PCT System

During the international phase, PCT fees are generally payable:

• to the receiving Offices (ROs); and, where applicable
• to the International Preliminary Examining Authorities (IPEAs) (under Chapter II).

The amounts and currencies of the main PCT fees vary depending on the RO and IPEA chosen as well as on the International Searching Authority (ISA) specified for the search and may be subject to certain reductions, where applicable.

There are basically three types of fees payable to the receiving Office in connection with an international application (other fees apply only in specific circumstances):

More about:

• WIPO Pay
• FAQs about fees can be found in the PCT Applicant’s Guide
• Video on Fees payable under the PCT

Fees applicable in the national phase

There is no central fee payment mechanism in place.

Fees that are payable in the national phase to national and regional Offices can be found in the PCT Applicant’s Guide, National Chapters.

Amounts of PCT fees in the international phase

Fee payments in the international phase are generally made to the receiving Offices (ROs) and International Preliminary Examining Authorities (IPEAs). The respective amounts and currencies can be found in the PCT Fee Tables:

• PCT Fee Tables 2024
• PCT Fee Tables 2023
• PCT Fee Tables 2022
• Applicability of 90% Reduction in Certain PCT Fees
  • 2017 PCT Assembly Understanding
  • applicable on or after 1 January 2020

  Fees that are payable only in particular circumstances, and details of certain reductions and refunds that may be available, are not included in the PCT Fee Table; they can be found in the PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annexes C, D and E.

  Note that all amounts are subject to change due to variations in the fees themselves or fluctuations in exchange rates.

  Where to pay PCT fees?

  Filing-related fees are payable to the receiving Office (RO) with which the international application is filed. The RO then transmits the search fee to the International Searching Authority (ISA) and the international filing fee to the International Bureau (IB). Other fees must be paid only under specific circumstances to the respective International Authorities.

  Only certain fees are payable directly to WIPO but only under specific circumstances:

  Fees payable to the IB as a receiving Office (RO/IB)

  In case of direct filing of PCT applications with RO/IB, fees may be paid to RO/IB in Swiss francs, US dollars or Euros, depending on payment method and fee type. The amounts payable, as well as any applicable reductions, are set out in the PCT Applicant’s Guide (Annex C(IB)).

  Fees payable to the IB in particular circumstance only

  Special fees payable to the IB (only where applicable)

  • Early publication fee (PCT Rule 48.4(a))
  • Fee for publication of information concerning late correction or addition of a priority claim (PCT Rule 26bis.2(e))
  • Fee for publication of a refused request for rectification (PCT Rule 91.3(d))

  Fees for supplementary international search (only where applicable)

  • Supplementary search fee (PCT Rule 45bis.3)
  • Supplementary search handling fee (PCT Rule 45bis.2)
  • Late payment fee (PCT Rule 45bis.4(c))

  Payment methods

  There are several ways to pay your PCT fees and charges to WIPO:

  • Option 1: Current Account at WIPO
  • Option 2: credit card (under certain circumstances)
  • Option 3: eWallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay) (under certain circumstances)
  • Option 4: PayPal
  • Option 5: bank transfer
  • Option 6: postal transfer (within Europe only)
  • Option 7: bank payment online (secured by SOFORT) (under certain circumstances)
  The International Bureau no longer accepts payment by check.

  Payment follow-up

  Note: WIPO will send a receipt within 10 days of the receipt of the bank or postal transfer.

  All payments are acknowledged by PCT Forms and include the contact details of the authorized officer processing the application. If you do not receive an acknowledgement please contact the authorized officer indicating the PCT application number.

  Inquiries regarding payments to the RO/IB and IB

  • E-mail: ro.ib@wipo.int or authorized officer
  • Tel: +41 22 338 92 22 or +41 22 338 91 11 (switchboard)

  Refund request

  All refund requests should be addressed to the authorized officer processing your application at RO/IB, who will provide you with a refund form. For other refunds the refund form may be used.

  For further details of which fees may be refunded, refer to the PCT Applicant’s Guide.