Patent and trade mark fee updates in Singapore: What applicants need to know

Summary of IPOS official fee updates

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has announced updates to its official fees in Circular No. 1/2025, with some changes taking effect from 1 September 2025 and others from 1 April 2026. Key updates include:

• Increase in excess claim fees and lower threshold number of claims for which excess claim fees are payable 
• Changes to excess claim fee payment procedures
• Increase in renewal fees

Increase in excess claim fees and lower threshold number of claims

The excess claim fee is currently SGD 40 for each claim in excess of 20 claims. Under the new fee structure, for applications where examination is requested on or after 1 September 2025, the excess claim fee will increase to SGD 80 for each claim in excess of 15 claims.  

For applications for which the examination request is made before 1 September 2025, the current fee structure applies, with the excess claim fee remaining at SGD 40 and the threshold at 20 claims.

The increased excess claim fee and lower threshold can be avoided for currently pending applications by requesting examination before 1 September 2025. Therefore, applicants with pending applications for which examination has not yet been requested may wish to consider filing the examination request early to avoid the increase in excess claim fees and lower threshold.

Changes to excess claim fee payment procedures

Currently, excess claim fees are payable when requesting examination, and at grant if there are claims in excess of the threshold for which fees were not paid at the time of requesting examination. Under the new fee structure, for applications where examination is requested on or after 1 September 2025, excess claim fees will be payable when requesting examination, and, with effect from 1 April 2026, upon responding to each Written Opinion issued if the number of excess claims is increased with the response. Excess claim fees will no longer be payable at the time of grant.

For applications where the examination request is made before 1 September 2025, the current procedure for the payment of excess claim fees at the time of the examination request and at grant remains unchanged.

Increase in Examination Review Report fee

Applicants have the option to file a request for an Examination Review Report upon receiving a negative examination report. The current fee for such a request is SGD 1420. Under the new fee structure, this fee will increase to SGD 2150 with effect from 1 September 2025, and further to SGD 3200 from 1 April 2025. 

In view of the substantial fee increase, applicants who have received a negative examination report may wish to consider filing a request for an Examination Review Report before the respective fee increases take effect.

Increase in patent renewal fees

Under the new fee structure, effective from 1 September 2025, there will be increases to the renewal fees. Specific details of the increased fees are set out in Annex A(A)(ii) of the circular.

As renewal fees may be paid up to three months in advance, applicants with patents due for renewal on or before 30 November 2025 may wish to consider making payment before 1 September 2025 to avoid the fee increase.

Increase in trade mark filing fees for national applications

The current application fee to register a trade mark covering specifications of goods or services which are not fully adopted from IPOS’ pre-approve database is SGD 380 per class. The fee for such application will increase to SGD 410 per class from 1 September 2025. The application fee for applications covering only specifications of goods or services fully adopted from IPOS pre-approved database remains the same at SGD 280 per class. 

Increase in trade mark filing fees for international registrations / subsequent designations designating Singapore and transformation fees

The current application fee to file an international registration or subsequent designation designating Singapore will increase from SGD 380 to SGD 410 per class, regardless of whether the specification of goods or services are fully or not fully adopted from IPOS’ pre-approved database. 

Increase in trade mark renewal fees

Under the new fee structure, effective from 1 September 2025, there will be increases to the renewal fees. Specific details of the increased fees are set out in Annex A(B)(ii) and (iv) of the circular.

As renewal fees may be paid up to six months in advance, applicants with trade marks due for renewal on or before 28 February 2026 may wish to consider making payment before 1 September 2025 to avoid the fee increase. 

Increase in fees to amend trade mark applications

Under the new fee structure, effective from 1 September 2025, there will be increases to the official fees for making amendments to a national application in Singapore (such as amendments to the specifications, entry of disclaimer or limitation). Specific details of the increased fees are set out in Annex A(B)(iii) of the circular.