Brief summary
- The official fees due at entry are an application fee of KRW 46,000 and KRW 18,000 for each priority claim. These amounts are for an electronic application.
- The largest amount is the fee for request for examination: KRW 166,000 plus KRW 51,000 per claim. It does not have to be paid at entry.
- If the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP, 지식재산처) prepared the international search report or the international preliminary examination report, the fee for request for examination is reduced by 70%.
Amounts are taken from the Regulation on the Collection of Patent Fees, etc. (특허료 등의 징수규칙, “Fee Regulation”) in force from 27 February 2026. Last verified on 9 October 2026. Agent fees and translation costs are not official fees and are not included in the amounts in this article.
Last verified
Official fees for the Korean national phase at a glance
As of October 2026, for an applicant with no fee reduction who files an electronic application.
| Item | Amount | When it is paid | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | KRW 46,000 | By the day after the receipt number is issued on filing of the Korean translation | Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 1 (a); Art. 8(1), subparagraph 5 |
| Priority claim fee | KRW 18,000 per priority claim | Same as the application fee | Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 5 (a) |
| Fee for extending the period for filing the Korean translation | KRW 20,000 | When the period for filing the translation is extended by 1 month | Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 11-2; Patent Act, Art. 201(1), proviso |
| Fee for request for examination | KRW 166,000 + (number of claims × KRW 51,000) | By the day after the receipt number is issued on the request for examination | Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 7; Art. 8(4) |
| Claims added by amendment after the request for examination | number of added claims × KRW 51,000 (KRW 44,000 if the international filing date is before 1 May 2024) | By the day after the receipt number is issued on filing of the written amendment | Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 9; Art. 8(4) |
| Additional fee for late filing of the entry document | 50% of the application fee (KRW 23,000 for an electronic application) | When the document under Article 203 of the Patent Act is filed after the period for submitting domestic documents and within the amendment period | Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 11; Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act, Art. 114(3) |
For a paper-based application, the application fee is KRW 66,000. If the specification, drawings and abstract together exceed 20 pages, KRW 1,000 is added for each page above 20. [1] The priority claim fee for a paper-based application is KRW 20,000 per priority claim. [1]
The application fee is KRW 46,000 and does not depend on the number of claims
The application fee for the Korean national phase is KRW 46,000 for an electronic application. The Korea chapter of the WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide also gives the national phase application fee as KRW 46,000 for an electronic application and KRW 66,000 for a paper-based application. [4]
The Fee Regulation has no separate application fee item for the national phase. The patent application fee in Article 2(1), subparagraph 1 applies as it is. [1] The form for national phase entry, Form 57 of the Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act (특허법 시행규칙), also requires the “amount of the patent application fee” to be entered in the fee section. [3]
The KRW 73,000 application fee for a patent application in a foreign language does not apply to the national phase. The Fee Regulation defines a patent application in a foreign language as an application under Article 42-3(1) of the Patent Act (특허법). [1] Article 199(2) of the Patent Act provides that Article 42-3 does not apply to an international patent application. [2]
Korea does not charge an official fee based on the number of claims at entry. The number of claims affects the amount from the fee for request for examination onward. [1]
Each priority claim adds KRW 18,000
The priority claim fee is KRW 18,000 per priority claim for an electronic application (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 5). [1] The instructions for Form 57 require an applicant who claims priority to enter the number of priority claims and the amount in the fee section. [3] The WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide also lists KRW 18,000 per priority claim among the official fees for the Korean national phase. [4]
Two priority claims cost KRW 36,000.
The official fees are due by the day after the receipt number is issued on filing of the Korean translation
For an international application that requires a translation, the official fees are due by the day after the day on which the receipt number is issued on filing of the translation (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(1), subparagraph 5). [1] If that day is a public holiday, the official fees are due by the first working day after it. Public holidays here include Saturdays and Workers’ Day (근로자의 날) (Art. 8(2)). [1] Since 11 November 2025, Article 14, subparagraph 4 of the Patent Act has referred to this day as Workers’ Day (노동절) under the Designation of Workers’ Day Act (노동절 제정에 관한 법률). [2] An official fee paid after the day following the issue of the receipt number is refunded (Art. 8(15)). [1]
The period for filing the Korean translation is 2 years and 7 months (31 months) from the priority date (Patent Act, Art. 201(1)). [2] To extend this period by 1 month, the applicant states the extension request in the document under Article 203 and pays the extension fee of KRW 20,000. [1][2] This article calls the document under Article 203 the entry document. The entry document that states the extension request must be filed from 1 month before the expiration date of the period for submitting domestic documents (국내서면제출기간) until that expiration date. [2] If the Korean translation was already filed before that entry document, the period is not extended (Art. 201(1), proviso). [2] Form 57 requires the extension fee to be entered separately in the fee section. [3] The calculation of the deadline is covered in the article “What is the deadline for entering the Korean national phase?“.
If the official fees are not paid, the next steps are blocked. An amendment of an international patent application filed in a foreign language has three requirements. The official fees must be paid, the Korean translation must be filed, and the reference date (기준일) must have passed (Patent Act, Art. 208(1)). [2] The applicant can also request examination only after filing the Korean translation and paying the official fees (Patent Act, Art. 210, subparagraph 1). [2] For an international patent application filed in Korean, the translation requirement in these two provisions does not apply. [2]
If the entry document is not filed within the period for submitting domestic documents, the Minister of Intellectual Property orders an amendment (Patent Act, Art. 203(3), subparagraph 1). [2] An applicant who makes this amendment files Form 57 and pays the additional fee (Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act, Art. 114(3)). [3] The additional fee is 50% of the application fee. Filing the documents before the order to amend is sent is excluded (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 11). [1] If the amendment is not made within the specified period, the Minister of Intellectual Property may invalidate the international patent application (Patent Act, Art. 203(4)). [2]
The additional fee does not extend the period for filing the Korean translation. The Korean translation of the description of the invention and the claims must be filed within the period for submitting domestic documents. If an applicant who filed in a foreign language does not file it, the international patent application is deemed withdrawn (Patent Act, Art. 201(4)). [2] If an entry document stating the extension request was filed, the extended period applies (Art. 201(3)). [2]
The fee for request for examination is paid separately from entry, within 3 years from the international filing date
The fee for request for examination is KRW 166,000 plus KRW 51,000 for each claim (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 7). [1] An application with 20 claims pays KRW 1,186,000.
Examination does not have to be requested at entry. The period for requesting examination is 3 years from the filing date of the patent application (Patent Act, Art. 59(2)). [2] An international patent application is deemed a patent application filed on its international filing date (Patent Act, Art. 199(1)). [2] The 3 years therefore run from the international filing date, not from the date of entry into the Korean national phase. The WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide also gives the Korean period for requesting examination as 3 years from the international filing date. [4] If examination is not requested within the period, the application is deemed withdrawn (Art. 59(5)). [2]
Examination can be requested together with entry by marking the request for examination under “other matters” in the entry form. [3] In that case the application fee, the priority claim fee and the fee for request for examination are paid at one time.
A request for examination cannot be withdrawn (Patent Act, Art. 59(4)). [2] Each claim added by amendment after the request for examination costs KRW 51,000 (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 9). [1] For a patent application filed before 1 May 2024, each added claim costs KRW 44,000 (Addenda, Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 556, Art. 3). [1][5]
The current fee for request for examination applies to patent applications filed on or after 1 August 2023. The previous provisions apply to patent applications filed before that date (Addenda, Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, Art. 3(2)). [1] The previous amount is KRW 143,000 plus KRW 44,000 per claim. [5]
Both transitional measures refer to the day on which “a patent application was filed”. [1] For an international patent application, that day is the international filing date. It is not the date of entry into the Korean national phase. Under Article 199(1) of the Patent Act, an international application designating Korea is deemed a patent application filed on its international filing date. [2] The Patent Examination Guidelines (특허·실용신안 심사기준) also state that, for an international patent application, the law is applied by reference to the international filing date and not to the date on which the document under Article 203(1) of the Patent Act was submitted (Part 5, Chapter 1, 8.(2)). [9]
If MOIP prepared the international search report or the international preliminary examination report, the fee for request for examination is reduced by 70%
The fee for request for examination for an international patent application has its own reduction provision (Fee Regulation, Art. 10(5)). [1]
| Case | Reduction | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Either the international search report or the international preliminary examination report that an MOIP examiner prepares has been prepared | 70% of the fee for request for examination | Art. 10(5), subparagraph 1 |
The reports that qualify for the 70% reduction are the reports under Articles 106-11(1) and 106-41(1) of the Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act. These are the international search report that the Minister of Intellectual Property has an examiner prepare, and the international preliminary examination report that an examiner prepares. [3] The WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide also describes this reduction as applying where a report prepared by MOIP exists. [4]
The 70% reduction applies to international applications for which examination is requested on or after 9 July 2019 (Addenda, Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 341, Art. 7). [1]
The provision defines the fee that is reduced as the “fee for request for examination under Article 2(1), subparagraph 7”. The amount in subparagraph 7 is the sum of the basic fee and the per-claim amount. [1]
To receive the 70% reduction, the applicant must state the ground for the reduction in the entry document or in the written request for examination. Article 10(8) of the Fee Regulation provides that Article 7(6) and (7) apply mutatis mutandis. [1] An applicant who paid without the reduction can request a refund of the reduced portion within 5 years from the date of payment (Art. 10(9); Art. 7(8)). [1]
Article 10(5), subparagraph 3 of the Fee Regulation also provides a 10% reduction for an international search report of a foreign office. It covers an application for which examination is requested with an international search report prepared by a foreign government patent office designated by public notice of the Minister of Intellectual Property. [1] MOIP Notification No. 2026-12, in force from 1 June 2026, has no provision that designates such an office. [7] The WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide also does not list a 10% reduction among the Korean reductions. [4]
Reductions for individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises and certain other applicants are set separately in Article 7 and attached Table 5 of the Fee Regulation. [1] To receive such a reduction, the applicant must state the ground for the reduction in the entry document or in the written request for examination and attach supporting documents (Art. 7(6)). [1] The amounts in this article are without any reduction.
Example: 10, 20 and 30 claims
The figures assume an international application filed in a foreign language, one priority claim, an electronic application and no fee reduction. Agent fees and translation costs are not included.
| Item | 10 claims | 20 claims | 30 claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | KRW 46,000 | KRW 46,000 | KRW 46,000 |
| Priority claim fee (1 priority claim) | KRW 18,000 | KRW 18,000 | KRW 18,000 |
| Total at entry | KRW 64,000 | KRW 64,000 | KRW 64,000 |
| Fee for request for examination | KRW 676,000 | KRW 1,186,000 | KRW 1,696,000 |
| Total up to the request for examination | KRW 740,000 | KRW 1,250,000 | KRW 1,760,000 |
For an international application whose international search report was prepared by MOIP, the fee for request for examination is different.
| Item | 10 claims | 20 claims | 30 claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee for request for examination (after the 70% reduction) | KRW 202,800 | KRW 355,800 | KRW 508,800 |
| Total up to the request for examination | KRW 266,800 | KRW 419,800 | KRW 572,800 |
The patent fee paid at registration and the annual fees after it are covered in the article “How much does each claim cost in a Korean patent application?“.
How Korea differs
In Korea the official fees at entry are small, and the large amount, the fee for request for examination, can be paid later.
| Country | Official fees related to entry | Amount based on the number of claims | Date of the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korea | Application fee KRW 46,000, KRW 18,000 per priority claim | KRW 51,000 per claim in the fee for request for examination | In force from 27 February 2026 [1] |
| United States | Basic national stage fee USD 350, search fee USD 580, examination fee USD 880 | USD 200 for each claim above 20, USD 600 for each independent claim above 3 | Effective 19 January 2025, last revised 14 August 2026 [6] |
The US amounts are those for an applicant with no discount in the “PCT fees – national stage” table of the USPTO Fee Schedule. [6] The search fee of USD 580 is the amount under 37 CFR 1.492(b)(3). It applies where an international search report prepared by an International Searching Authority other than the United States has been provided to the USPTO. [6][8] In this case the three amounts total USD 1,810.
The search fee depends on the international search. It is USD 150 where the United States was the International Searching Authority, and USD 770 in “all other situations”. [6] The examination fee of USD 880 is also the amount in the “all other situations” row. [6] Korea reduces the fee for request for examination by 70% where MOIP prepared the international search report. [1]
What applicants should do
- In general, we suggest paying only the application fee and the priority claim fee at entry, and requesting examination after the claims have been put in order. The fee for request for examination is proportional to the number of claims, and a request for examination cannot be withdrawn.
- The 3-year period for requesting examination runs from the international filing date. We suggest recording the expiration date counted from the international filing date in the deadline docket, so that it is not counted from the entry date.
- For an international application for which MOIP was the International Searching Authority, we suggest checking that the ground for the 70% reduction is stated in the written request for examination. If the fee was paid without it, a refund can be requested within 5 years from the date of payment.
- When deciding whether to extend the period for filing the translation, we suggest deciding on the quality of the translation, not on the extension fee of KRW 20,000. The extension fee is a small part of the total cost.
- Please confirm the amounts and the eligibility for a reduction in an individual case with your Korean agent.
FAQ
Are claim fees paid at entry into the Korean national phase?
No, not at entry. The application fee of KRW 46,000 does not depend on the number of claims. [1] The amount based on the number of claims is KRW 51,000 per claim in the fee for request for examination. [1]
Is the application fee KRW 73,000 if the international application is in English?
No. KRW 73,000 is the application fee for a patent application in a foreign language under Article 42-3(1) of the Patent Act. [1] Article 42-3 does not apply to an international patent application (Patent Act, Art. 199(2)). [2] The WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide gives the application fee for the Korean national phase as KRW 46,000. [4]
Must the fee for request for examination be paid at entry?
No. Examination can be requested within 3 years from the international filing date, and the fee for request for examination is paid when examination is requested. [1][2]
How much is the reduction if MOIP carried out the international search?
The fee for request for examination is reduced by 70% (Fee Regulation, Art. 10(5), subparagraph 1). [1] With 20 claims, KRW 1,186,000 becomes KRW 355,800.
How much does it cost to extend the period for filing the translation?
The extension fee is KRW 20,000 per application (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 11-2). [1]
How DEFINE IP Law Firm handles this
DEFINE IP Law Firm manages the number of claims as a cost item during prosecution. We confirm with the applicant which claims to keep at two points: before the request for examination and before payment of the registration fee. For questions about the cost of entering the Korean national phase, please write to contact@defineip.kr.
Sources
- Ministry of Intellectual Property (지식재산처), Regulation on the Collection of Patent Fees, etc. (특허료 등의 징수규칙), Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2098, in force from 27 February 2026. Art. 2(1), Arts. 7 and 8, Art. 10(5), (8) and (9), attached Table 5, Addenda (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 341, 9 July 2019) Art. 7, Addenda (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, 1 August 2023) Art. 3, Addenda (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 556, 1 May 2024) Art. 3. https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허료등의징수규칙 (verified 9 October 2026)
- Patent Act (특허법), Act No. 21134, in force from 11 November 2025. Articles 14, 59, 199, 201, 203, 208 and 210. https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허법 (verified 9 October 2026)
- Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act (특허법 시행규칙), Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2115, in force from 14 May 2026. Articles 106-11, 106-41 and 114, Form 57. https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허법시행규칙 (verified 9 October 2026)
- WIPO, PCT Applicant’s Guide, KR (Republic of Korea), version applicable from 1 August 2026 (last updated 24 July 2026). https://pctlegal.wipo.int/eGuide/view-doc.xhtml?doc-code=KR&doc-lang=en (verified 9 October 2026)
- Regulation on the Collection of Patent Fees, etc. (특허료 등의 징수규칙), Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 499, in force from 4 February 2023 (amounts before the amendment). Art. 2(1), subparagraphs 7 and 9. Version history at https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허료등의징수규칙 (verified 9 October 2026)
- USPTO, USPTO Fee Schedule, effective 19 January 2025 (last revised 14 August 2026). “PCT fees – national stage”. https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment/uspto-fee-schedule (verified 9 October 2026)
- Ministry of Intellectual Property (지식재산처), Amounts of Fees for International Applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and Payment Procedure (특허협력조약에 의한 국제출원수수료의 금액 및 납부요령), MOIP Notification No. 2026-12, in force from 1 June 2026. Subparagraphs 1 to 8. https://www.law.go.kr/행정규칙/특허협력조약에의한국제출원수수료의금액및납부요령 (verified 9 October 2026)
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 37 CFR 1.492 “National stage fees”, eCFR as of 1 September 2026. Paragraph (b). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-37/section-1.492 (verified 9 October 2026)
- Ministry of Intellectual Property (지식재산처), Patent Examination Guidelines (특허·실용신안 심사기준), MOIP Established Rule No. 7, in force from 13 March 2026. Part 5, Chapter 1, 8. https://www.law.go.kr/행정규칙/특허·실용신안심사기준 (verified 9 October 2026)