UK Patent Application Online: The New IPO Digital Service, Fees and Full Process Guide

What the One IPO Digital Transformation Programme Is

The Intellectual Property Office's One IPO transformation programme is the most comprehensive modernisation of the UK's intellectual property services in the IPO's history. The programme, backed by an investment of over GBP 100 million, is building a single integrated digital platform that will eventually allow businesses, inventors and creators to apply for, manage, research and challenge all UK intellectual property rights - patents, trade marks and registered designs - in one place.

The programme has been running in phases since the IPO's strategy document "IP for a Creative and Innovative UK 2024 to 2027" was published. Phase one focused on patents. In January 2025 the IPO launched the first public-facing digital service under the programme - One IPO Search - providing a new search interface for UK patents and the patent journal. By 31 March 2025, nearly 11,000 searches had been carried out by 8,000 users. Phase one completed with the full public launch on 1 April 2026, when the "Manage intellectual property" account and "Apply for a patent" services became available to all UK users.

Phase two of the programme, which the IPO confirmed will begin shortly after the April 2026 launch, covers trade marks. Registered designs and the IPO tribunal will follow in a subsequent phase. The IPO's CEO Adam Williams described the April 2026 launch as "a real step forward for anyone looking to protect their ideas in the UK" and "the foundation of a modern IP rights-granting system that will eventually bring patents, trade marks, and designs together on a single platform."

The IPO's Annual Report for 2024/25 acknowledged that the digital transformation programme "has proved challenging due to its size and complexity" but confirmed it remains committed to the programme's delivery. The pilot phase for the patents service took longer than originally planned, with the IPO operating a private beta before the April 2026 public launch.

The New Digital Patent Services: What Launched on 1 April 2026

The 1 April 2026 launch brought three categories of digital service live for all UK patent users. Together they form the core patents capability of the One IPO platform.

The first is the "Manage intellectual property" service, accessible at manage-intellectual-property.service.gov.uk. This is the gateway to the entire One IPO patent platform. For the first time, patent owners and applicants can create a personal digital IP account, view the status of their UK patents at any time, make changes to patents through digital self-service, and renew patents directly from their account. Previously, managing a UK patent portfolio required a combination of paper forms, the legacy Web Filing service, and direct correspondence with the IPO.

The second service is "Apply for a patent" - a fully digital patent application process. Key improvements over legacy filing include the ability to complete an application in any order and save drafts, collaborate with colleagues on a single application, view application details and updates in a central account, and update an application at any time through the account portal. The application no longer needs to be completed in a single session, which was a practical constraint of the legacy Web Filing approach.

The third category consists of the "Search for a patent" and "Check the patent journal" services launched in January 2025, now integrated into the same platform. These allow simple keyword searching of UK patents in everyday language rather than Boolean search syntax, visual data analysis of patent trends, and downloadable patent information for business research and competitor analysis.

A significant administrative change took effect simultaneously: from 1 April 2026, UK patent applications can no longer be submitted via the European Patent Office's Electronic Online Filing (eOLF) service. The eOLF service stopped receiving technical support from the EPO on 1 January 2026 as part of its decommissioning process. Patent applicants who previously filed UK national phase applications through eOLF must now use either the new One IPO digital service, the legacy Web Filing service (until its decommissioning), or email submission via forms@ipo.gov.uk.

UK Patent Fees: The Full Official Schedule from 1 April 2026

The IPO updated its fee schedule with effect from 1 April 2026 - the first fee change for patents since 2018. The new fees apply to all applications filed and actions taken on or after 1 April 2026. The IPO's Annual Report noted that "it has been many years since our fees increased" and that "recent high levels of inflation, together with the investment required in technology, services, accommodation and our people require us to now review our fees."

The official fees payable to the IPO are as follows. The basic filing fee is GBP 60 when filed online. This can be paid at the time of filing or within 12 months later. The search fee is GBP 150, compulsory if the applicant wishes to proceed, and must be paid within 12 months of the filing date. For applications with more than 25 claims, a GBP 27 per-claim excess fee applies from claim 26 onward. The substantive examination fee is GBP 100. Applications with a description running to more than 35 pages attract a GBP 13 per-page excess fee from page 36 onward.

The minimum combined official fees for the application phase are therefore GBP 310 (GBP 60 filing plus GBP 150 search plus GBP 100 examination), on the assumption of fewer than 25 claims and a description of 35 pages or fewer. In practice, most applications incur some excess fees, and many require multiple rounds of examination in response to examiner objections, each of which may trigger additional correspondence costs if a patent attorney is instructed.

Once a patent is granted, renewal fees are payable annually from the fourth anniversary of the filing date, with first payment due in year five. The renewal fee schedule starts at GBP 90 for year five and increases annually, reaching GBP 230 by year ten and GBP 810 by year twenty. If a patent owner wishes to maintain a UK patent for the full 20-year maximum term from the filing date, the total official renewal fees alone amount to approximately GBP 6,160 to GBP 6,470 depending on the fee schedule in effect across those years. Late payment of renewal fees incurs a surcharge of GBP 24 per month within a six-month grace period.

The IPO explicitly confirmed that UK patent fees are uniform and do not vary by applicant type. There are no small entity discounts, no reduced rates for individual inventors or SMEs, and no different rates for overseas applicants. This is a material difference from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which offers reduced fees for small entities and micro entities.

The total cost of obtaining a UK patent, including professional patent attorney fees, is typically GBP 4,000 to GBP 10,000 for a straightforward invention from filing to grant, spread across three to six years. More complex inventions, applications requiring multiple rounds of examination, or cases with extensive prior art objections can exceed this range significantly. These figures cover UK protection only - international patent protection through PCT national phase entry or EPO filings adds substantially to total cost.

UK Patent Application Statistics: 2020 to 2024

The IPO publishes detailed annual statistics on patent applications, grants, trade marks and designs. The most recent full-year dataset, covering calendar year 2024, shows UK patent applications totalling 18,953 - a decrease of 5.1% from 19,966 applications in 2023. This continues a trend of generally lower application volumes seen since 2020, which the IPO has noted is "also seen in a number of the larger patent applicant countries such as France, Germany, and Japan."

Patent grants in 2024 decreased by 1.8% compared to 2023. It is important to note that grants in any given year typically relate to applications filed two to five years earlier, so the 2024 grant figure does not directly correspond to the 2024 application figure. The IPO holds a strong customer satisfaction record, with an overall score of 89% for 2024/25 described as "an exceptional achievement" in the Annual Report.

Applications from non-UK applicants continue to represent a significant proportion of total filings. The highest volumes of non-UK applications come from China and the United States. The top 50 applicants accounted for 27.7% of all patent applications in 2023, indicating a relatively concentrated filing profile at the top end with a long tail of individual and SME applicants below.

Trade mark and design data tells a different story to patents. Trade mark applications increased 5.8% to 173,180 in 2024, with registrations up 9.1% to 156,596. Design applications fell 4.6% to 77,486 from a record high of 81,215 in 2023. The IPO's tribunal handled 712 decisions in 2024/25 - the second highest volume ever - with 87% of appealed decisions upheld, a metric the IPO uses as a quality indicator for its examination decisions.

The UK's standing in international IP rankings provides broader context. The World Intellectual Property Organisation ranks the UK as the world's fifth most innovative economy in its Global Innovation Index. The US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center's International IP Index 2025 ranks the UK second globally. Both rankings reflect the strength of the UK's IP framework, court system and enforcement environment rather than solely the volume of applications filed.

How to Apply for a UK Patent: The Process Step by Step

The UK patent application process follows a defined sequence governed by the Patents Act 1977 and the Patents Rules 2007. The One IPO digital service does not change the legal requirements for patentability or the procedural steps - it changes how those steps are executed and managed.

To be granted a patent in the UK, an invention must satisfy four criteria: it must be capable of industrial application, it must be new (novel), it must involve an inventive step - meaning it must not be an obvious modification of what is already known - and it must not be excluded from patentability. Excluded subject matter under UK patent law includes discoveries, mathematical methods, mental acts, business methods (as such), computer programs (as such), and methods for treatment of the human body.

The application process begins with filing a patent application, which must include a description of the invention, at least one claim defining the scope of protection sought, and an abstract. The description must be sufficiently detailed to enable a person skilled in the relevant field to carry out the invention. The filing date is the most critical date in the process: it establishes the priority date from which novelty is assessed, and starts the 12-month window within which international priority claims must be made.

Within 12 months of the filing date, the applicant must request a search and pay the search fee of GBP 150. The IPO examiner then carries out a prior art search and produces a search report identifying relevant prior documents. Publication of the application takes place automatically 18 months after the filing date regardless of whether a search has been completed, making the application's contents publicly accessible.

Substantive examination, which assesses the full legal and technical merits of the application against the patentability criteria, must be requested within six months of the publication date. The examination fee of GBP 100 is payable at this point. The examiner may issue one or more examination reports raising objections - on grounds of lack of novelty, obviousness, insufficient description, or other formal matters. The applicant has the opportunity to respond, amend claims, or submit arguments in reply. This exchange can run to multiple rounds and is the stage where most professional fees accumulate.

If the application satisfies all examination requirements, the IPO grants the patent, which is then published in the Patents Journal. The grant typically occurs between 3.5 and 5 years from the filing date for a straightforward application, though the IPO's published practice indicates a range of up to approximately 4.5 years for national phase PCT cases. Accelerated examination routes are available at no additional official fee: the Green Channel is available for inventions with a genuine environmental benefit, and the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) and Global PPH allow applicants to use a favourable examination result from another patent office to expedite UK examination.

Once granted, renewal fees are due annually from year five. The patent lapses automatically if renewal fees are not paid, though a six-month grace period with a GBP 24 per month surcharge is available. The maximum term of a UK patent is 20 years from the filing date.

Access for IP Professionals and Patent Attorneys

The One IPO platform operates a firm-level account structure for IP professionals. Patent attorneys, patent agent firms, and companies with in-house IP teams are expected to operate through a single organisational account rather than having each individual create a separate GOV.UK account. The IPO set up accounts for most established IP professional firms ahead of the April 2026 launch, designating one person per firm as the account administrator. That person is responsible for inviting other members of the firm onto the service.

An IP professional who does not have an account should check whether their organisation has one before creating a new personal account on GOV.UK - the IPO advises strongly against creating duplicate accounts. Firms unsure of their account status can email oneiposupport@ipo.gov.uk. Patent renewal professionals who only need access to the renewals service can create an individual account without being linked to an organisation, since anyone can pay to renew a patent and no agency relationship is required for the renewals service specifically.

The legacy Web Filing service, which predates the One IPO platform, remains available for patent applications until at least summer 2026. The IPO has committed to giving at least three months notice before removing it. Email submission of applications via forms@ipo.gov.uk also remains available on the same timeline. The withdrawal service at withdrawal@ipo.gov.uk has no planned decommissioning date. Applications and requests submitted through the One IPO service are processed more quickly than legacy channel submissions, which the IPO has indicated as a practical incentive for early adoption.

For applications filed via email, an important practical note: from 1 April 2026, eOLF (the EPO's electronic online filing service) no longer accepts UK national applications. Patent attorneys who used eOLF for UK filings must migrate to either the new One IPO digital service, the Web Filing service, or email submission before the Web Filing service is decommissioned.

Patent Box, Licensing and the Commercial Value of a UK Patent

A granted UK patent is more than a legal right to exclude competitors. Under the HMRC Patent Box regime, companies can elect to pay a reduced corporation tax rate of 10% on profits attributable to patented inventions, compared to the standard corporation tax rate of 25% (for companies with profits over GBP 250,000 from April 2023). The Patent Box election is made via the corporation tax return and requires the company to own or exclusively license qualifying IP rights including UK patents and European patents validated in the UK.

A patent can also be licensed to third parties in exchange for royalty income, sold outright via an IP assignment, or used as security for business finance. In each case the legal instrument - the licence or assignment - must be in writing and should be drafted by a qualified patent attorney or IP solicitor to ensure the scope, field of use, territory and sub-licensing rights are clearly defined. Unregistered licences and assignments are valid as between the parties but are not enforceable against third-party purchasers of the patent without registration at the IPO.

The IPO offers free IP awareness resources to businesses, reaching over 45,000 customers in 2024/25. Its IPO Clinics and Business Support Hub provide guidance to businesses at early stages of IP strategy, including advice on whether an invention is likely to be patentable, how to conduct a basic freedom-to-operate search before commercialising a product, and when to engage a patent attorney. The Business and IP Centres operated by the British Library and regional library partners provide in-person access to patent databases and free IP advice for SMEs and individual inventors.

International Patent Protection: PCT, EPO and the Unitary Patent

A UK patent protects an invention only within the United Kingdom. Businesses seeking protection in other markets must file separately in each country or use one of the international route mechanisms. The three main routes for UK-based applicants are: the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the Unitary Patent system introduced following the EPO's Unitary Patent regulation coming into force in June 2023.

Under the PCT route, an applicant files a single international application within 12 months of the UK priority date. This provides protection in over 150 PCT member states and defers the cost of national phase entry - typically to 30 or 31 months from the priority date. At national phase entry, each participating country or regional patent office (such as the EPO) conducts its own examination and grant process, and national attorney fees apply in each jurisdiction.

The EPO route allows a single European patent application to be granted across up to 40 contracting states. Once granted, the European patent must be validated in each country where protection is sought, usually within three months of grant, which involves translation costs and national validation fees. The Unitary Patent, available since June 2023, provides automatic protection across all EU member states participating in the Unitary Patent system through a single validation step, removing the need for individual national validations within the EU. The UK is not part of the Unitary Patent system following its departure from the EU, so UK protection requires a separate UK national phase entry or UK validation regardless of the European or Unitary Patent route used.

The strategic sequencing of UK and international filings is a core function of patent attorney advice. The 12-month priority year from the UK filing date is the critical decision window: extending internationally is a significant cost commitment, and the decision to proceed should be informed by a realistic assessment of the commercial markets in which exclusivity has genuine value.

How do I apply for a UK patent online in 2026?

From 1 April 2026, UK patent applications are submitted through the IPO's new digital service at manage-intellectual-property.service.gov.uk. Create a digital IP account, then use the "Apply for a patent" service to file your application. You can complete the application in any order, save drafts, and collaborate with colleagues. The official filing fee is GBP 60 online. The legacy Web Filing service and email filing via forms@ipo.gov.uk remain available until at least summer 2026, when three months notice of decommissioning will be given. Applications can no longer be filed through the EPO's eOLF service for UK national applications from 1 April 2026.

How much does it cost to get a UK patent?

The official IPO fees for the application phase are GBP 60 to file, GBP 150 for the search and GBP 100 for substantive examination - a minimum of GBP 310 in official fees if your application has fewer than 25 claims and a description of 35 pages or fewer. Patent attorney fees to draft and prosecute a straightforward application typically bring the total cost to GBP 4,000 to GBP 10,000 from filing to grant, spread over three to six years. Annual renewal fees from year five add approximately GBP 6,160 to GBP 6,470 over the full 20-year patent term.

How long does a UK patent application take?

A typical UK patent application takes between 3.5 and 5 years from filing to grant. The timeline includes a 12-month window to request a search, automatic publication at 18 months, a 6-month window to request substantive examination after publication, and a variable examination period depending on the complexity of the application and the number of objections raised. Accelerated routes are available at no extra official fee: the Green Channel for environmentally beneficial inventions, and the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) where claims have already been allowed by another patent office.

What is the One IPO transformation programme?

The One IPO transformation programme is the Intellectual Property Office's GBP 100 million investment to build a single digital platform for all UK intellectual property rights - patents, trade marks and registered designs - in one place. Phase one (patents) completed with the full public launch on 1 April 2026. Phase two (trade marks) follows next, with registered designs and the IPO tribunal in subsequent phases. The programme is described by the IPO as the most comprehensive modernisation of UK IP services in its history.

Can I file a UK patent through the European Patent Office after April 2026?

No. From 1 April 2026, UK national patent applications can no longer be filed via the European Patent Office's Electronic Online Filing (eOLF) service. The eOLF service stopped receiving technical support from the EPO on 1 January 2026 and has been decommissioned for UK national applications. UK national applications must now be filed through the IPO's new One IPO digital service, the legacy Web Filing service (until its decommissioning, with three months notice), or by email to forms@ipo.gov.uk. This change does not affect applications for European patents filed at the EPO under the European Patent Convention - only applications for UK national patents.