Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration issued an important notice, “The RMB standard for PCT application fees for the international phase implemented on January 1, 2025”.

The author of this article

Yang Jiajia ScienBiziP Process Operations Assistant

The international application fee of PCT has increased again. According to the latest notice issued by the China National Intellectual Property Administration, from January 1, 2025, all fees for PCT’s international application phase will be adjusted. Compared with the standard implemented from January 1, 2024, each fee will increase except for the over page fee. The specific RMB standards and comparison of cost changes are detailed in the following table:

1、 Effective time

January 1, 2025

Scope of Application

The international application fees for PCT applications submitted to the China National Intellectual Property Administration and received after January 1, 2025 (inclusive), except for the fees charged on behalf of the International Bureau, the retrieval fees and other fees charged by the China National Intellectual Property Administration remain unchanged.
Official website announcement link (click on the end of the article to read the original text): https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2024/12/30/art_332_196848.html
Standards to be implemented from January 1, 2024 for comparison and reference: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2023/12/22/art_332_189214.html
Although the increase in PCT application fees has brought us some pressure and challenges, electronic submission still enjoys certain benefits. As can be seen from the table, the submission discount for XMAL format is still greater than that for PDF format (which can save 830 yuan). You can also optimize your application documents as much as possible during the application process to reduce unnecessary expenses!