What official fees does a Korean patent cost over its life?

Sangwook Je, Partner · Published 26 October 2026

Last verified 9 October 2026

Official fees at a glance

As of October 2026. Below, “Fee Regulation” means the Regulation on the Collection of Patent Fees, etc. [1] Application fees and the fees for requests are paid by the day after the date on which the document is filed and the receipt number is received (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(1), main clause, and Art. 8(4)). [1] The amount of the fee for request for examination is that for patent applications filed on or after 1 August 2023, and the amount for an amendment that adds claims is that for patent applications filed on or after 1 May 2024. [1]

At filing: the application fee and the priority claim fee

The application fee is KRW 46,000 per application if the written patent application is filed as an electronic application (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 1 (a)). [1] It is KRW 56,000 if the specification, drawings and abstract are prepared with software not provided by the Ministry of Intellectual Property (지식재산처, MOIP). This KRW 56,000 does not apply where a provisional specification is filed. [1] For a patent application in a foreign language, in which the specification and drawings are written in a language other than Korean, the fee is KRW 73,000 (subparagraph 1 (c)). [1]

The amounts are different for a paper-based application. The application fee for a paper-based application is KRW 66,000, and KRW 93,000 for a patent application in a foreign language. If the specification, drawings and abstract exceed 20 pages in total, KRW 1,000 is added for each page above 20 (subparagraph 1 (b) and (d)). [1]

If the priority claim is filed as an electronic application, KRW 18,000 is paid per priority claim (Art. 2(1), subparagraph 5). [1] The application fee has no additional fee based on the number of claims. [1]

Official fees are paid by the day after the date on which the receipt number is received (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(1), main clause). [1] A PCT national phase application for which a translation must be filed receives its receipt number when the translation is filed. The due date is the day after the date on which that receipt number is received (Art. 8(1), subparagraph 5). [1]

The Fee Regulation has no separate application fee item only for international patent applications. [1] The patent application in a foreign language to which KRW 73,000 applies is an application under Article 42-3(1) of the Patent Act. [1] Article 42-3 does not apply to international patent applications (Patent Act, Art. 199(2)). [3] For this reason, KRW 46,000, not KRW 73,000, also applies to a PCT national phase application filed in a foreign language. The Republic of Korea chapter of the WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide also states the application fee for a national phase application with a translation as KRW 46,000 for an electronic application and KRW 66,000 for a paper-based application. [6]

For details, see “How much does it cost to file a patent application in Korea?” and “How much does it cost to enter the Korean national phase?“.

At the request for examination: the fee for request for examination

Any person may file a request for examination within 3 years from the filing date of the patent application (Patent Act, Art. 59(2)). [3] If no request for examination is filed in that period, the patent application is deemed withdrawn (Art. 59(5)). [3] For a divisional application, etc., the request can be filed within 30 days from the date on which the divisional application, etc. was filed, even after the 3 years have passed (Art. 59(3)). [3]

The fee for request for examination of a patent is KRW 166,000 per case plus KRW 51,000 for each claim in the claims (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 7). [1] This amount entered into force on 1 August 2023. Where the patent application was filed before that date, the previous provisions apply (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, Addenda, Art. 3(2)). [1] The previous fee for request for examination of a patent was KRW 143,000 plus KRW 44,000 per claim. [2]

If claims are added by amendment after the request for examination, KRW 51,000 is paid for each added claim (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 9). [1] Where the amendment is made in the period for submission of a written argument, only the claims added by the last amendment in that period are counted. An amendment made when requesting re-examination (Patent Act, Art. 47(1), subparagraph 3) is excluded from subparagraph 9. [1][3] The KRW 51,000 entered into force on 1 May 2024. Where the patent application was filed before that date, the previous provision of KRW 44,000 per claim applies (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 556, Addenda, Art. 3). [1][2] In these two Addenda, the date on which the patent application was filed is the international filing date for an international patent application (Patent Act, Art. 199(1)), and the filing date of the patent application on which the division is based for a divisional application (Patent Act, Art. 52(2), main clause). [3]

A PCT national phase application has a reduction of the fee for request for examination. Where either an international search report or an international preliminary examination report prepared by an examiner of MOIP has been prepared, 70% of the fee for request for examination is reduced (Fee Regulation, Art. 10(5), subparagraph 1; Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act (특허법 시행규칙), Art. 106-11(1) and Art. 106-41(1)). [1][5] There is a separate 10% reduction for an international search report prepared by a foreign office. It covers an application for which the request for examination is filed with the report of a foreign patent authority designated by public notice (Notification) of the Minister of Intellectual Property (지식재산처장) attached (Fee Regulation, Art. 10(5), subparagraph 3). [1] The content of the public notice is in “How much does it cost to enter the Korean national phase?”.

For details, see “When must examination be requested in Korea?” and “How much does each claim cost in a Korean patent application?“.

Official fees that may arise during examination

The official fees below are not paid by every application. They are paid only when the procedure concerned is taken.

The fee for a request for extension of a designated period is paid for each band, according to the extension period. The portion up to 1 month is KRW 20,000, and the portion over 1 month and up to 2 months is KRW 30,000. The portion over 2 months and up to 3 months is KRW 60,000, and the portion over 3 months and up to 4 months is KRW 120,000. The portion over 4 months is KRW 240,000 for each month (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(1), subparagraph 13-2). [1]

The fee for request for accelerated examination is KRW 200,000 per case (Art. 2(1), subparagraph 8, main clause). [1] The divisional application fee rises with the count. The 1st time is the amount equal to the filing fee for a new application, the 2nd time is 2 times, the 3rd time is 3 times, the 4th time is 4 times, and the 5th time or more is 5 times that amount (Art. 2(1), subparagraph 3). [1] Divisional applications filed before 1 August 2023 are not included in this count (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, Addenda, Art. 3(1)). [1]

The fee for request for re-examination is KRW 100,000 per case plus KRW 10,000 for each claim in the claims (Art. 2(1), subparagraph 7-2). [1] Re-examination can be requested within 3 months from the date on which the certified copy of the decision of rejection is served. Where the period for filing a petition for trial in an appeal against the decision to reject has been extended under Article 15(1) of the Patent Act, it can be requested within that extended period. It can also be requested from the date on which the certified copy of the decision to grant is served until before the registration of the grant of a patent (Patent Act, Art. 67-2(1), main clause). [3] It cannot be requested in the three cases in the proviso to the same paragraph, such as where a decision to grant or reject has already been made upon re-examination. [3]

An appeal against the decision to reject can be filed within 3 months from the date on which the certified copy of the decision is served (Patent Act, Art. 132-17). [3] The Minister of Intellectual Property may extend this period for filing a petition for trial once, by not more than 30 days (Patent Act, Art. 15(1), main clause). [3] If the petition is filed as an electronic application, the trial request fee is KRW 150,000 per case plus KRW 15,000 for each claim in the claims (Fee Regulation, Art. 2(3), subparagraph 1 (a)). [1] The method of counting the number of claims in an appeal against the decision to reject is separately determined and publicly notified by the President of the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (특허심판원장) (proviso to the same subparagraph). [1]

For details, see “How much do extensions of time cost at the Korean patent office?“, “How do I get accelerated examination in Korea?” and “How much does a divisional application cost in Korea?“. Re-examination and trials are covered in “What is re-examination in Korea, and when should it be requested?” and “How long do Korean patent trials take, and what do they cost?“.

At registration: the patent fees for the first three years

A person who intends to have the grant of a patent registered must pay the patent fees for 3 years from the date when the person intends to have the grant of the patent registered (Patent Act, Art. 79(1)). [3] The patent fees for the first three years are paid at once, within 3 months from the date on which the certified copy of the decision to grant, the decision to register or the trial decision to register is received (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(5), former part). [1]

The patent fee for years 1 to 3 is KRW 13,000 plus KRW 12,000 for each claim in the claims, for each year (Fee Regulation, attached Table 1). [1] If the patent registration certificate is issued as an electronic document, the amount less KRW 10,000 is paid until 31 December 2029 (Art. 8(5), latter part). [1] Before the amendment of 27 February 2026, the time limit for this deduction was 31 December 2026. [2]

The amounts in attached Table 1 entered into force on 1 August 2023. The previous provisions apply to the patent fees for the first three years of an application for which the certified copy of the decision to grant was sent before that date (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, Addenda, Art. 6(2)). [1] The previous patent fee for years 1 to 3 was KRW 15,000 plus KRW 13,000 per claim, for each year. [2] The previous provisions also apply to a patent fee that should have been paid within the payment period before 1 August 2023 and had not been paid by that date (Art. 6(3) of the same Addenda). [1]

For details, see “What is the deadline to pay the registration fee in Korea?“.

Every year after registration: the patent fees from year 4

The patentee pays the patent fees from year 4 one year at a time, each year, in the preceding year, counted from the registration date (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(8), main clause). [1] The years are counted from the registration date of the patent right, not from the filing date (Fee Regulation, attached Table 1). [1]

The amount rises every 3 years. For years 4 to 6, it is KRW 36,000 plus KRW 20,000 for each claim in the claims, for each year. For years 7 to 9, it is KRW 90,000 plus KRW 34,000 per claim, for each year. For years 10 to 12, it is KRW 216,000 plus KRW 49,000 per claim, for each year. For years 13 to 25, it is KRW 324,000 plus KRW 49,000 per claim, for each year (Fee Regulation, attached Table 1). [1]

The patentee can pay the patent fees from year 4 in a lump sum for several years or for all years. If patent fees from year 4 for which the payment period has not passed are paid in a lump sum for 3 years or more, 10% of the total is deducted (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(11)). [1]

The term of the patent runs from the date of registration of the grant of a patent to the date 20 years after the filing date of the patent application (Patent Act, Art. 88(1)). [3] The cases in which the term is extended are in the Patent Act: patent term extension for approval, etc. (extension of patent terms by permission) in Article 89, and patent term extension for delay in registration (extension of the term of a patent right following delayed registration) in Article 92-2. [3]

For details, see “How much are Korean patent annual fees, and when are they due?” and “How long does a Korean patent last?“.

When payment is late: late payment and reinstatement

The patent fee can still be paid late, within 6 months after the payment period (Patent Act, Art. 81(1)). [3] These 6 months are the period for late payment. Where only part of the patent fee was paid, the under-paid patent fee can be paid within 1 month from the date on which the order to pay the under-paid patent fee is received. This 1 month is the period for payment of under-paid patent fees (Art. 81-2(2)). [3] On late payment, an additional fee is added to the patent fee according to the time that has passed. It is 3% before 1 month has passed after the payment period. It rises by 3 percentage points each month and is 18% before 6 months have passed (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(6) and Art. 8(8), proviso). [1]

If the patent fee is not paid in the period for late payment, there are two results. Here, where the period for late payment has ended but the period for payment of under-paid patent fees has not ended, non-payment means that the under-paid patent fee is not paid in that period. The patent application of a person who intends to have the grant of a patent registered is deemed abandoned. The patent right of a patentee is deemed to have lapsed (deemed to have expired) (expired) retroactively to the day after the end of the period covered by the patent fees paid (Patent Act, Art. 81(3)). [3]

The current Patent Act has two routes to reinstatement. One is where the fee could not be paid for good cause. It can be paid within 2 months from the date on which the cause ceases to exist. However, it cannot be paid after 1 year has passed from the later of the expiration date of the period for late payment and the expiration date of the period for payment of under-paid patent fees (Art. 81-3(1)). [3] The other is where the patent right has lapsed. The patentee can request reinstatement within 3 months from the expiration date of the period for late payment or of the period for payment of under-paid patent fees, by paying twice the patent fee (Art. 81-3(3)). [3]

Article 81-3 changes on 16 March 2027 (Act No. 21955, promulgated on 15 September 2026). [4] Amended paragraph (1) does not make “good cause” a requirement. Unless the fee was intentionally not paid, reinstatement can be requested within 1 year from the later expiration date by paying the amount prescribed by Prime Ministerial Decree. Paragraph (3) is deleted. [4] The amended provisions apply to cases in which the period for late payment or the period for payment of under-paid patent fees expires on or after 16 March 2027 (Addenda, Art. 2). [4] As of 9 October 2026, the list of the Ministry of Government Legislation (법제처) has no version of the Fee Regulation scheduled to enter into force. [1]

For details, see “What happens if a Korean patent annual fee is paid late?” and “Can a lapsed Korean patent be reinstated?”.

Exemption or reduction, and refund

The Fee Regulation divides exemption or reduction into three kinds. Exemption is in attached Table 4, reduction is in attached Table 5, and temporary reduction is in attached Table 6 (Fee Regulation, Art. 7(1)). [1] To receive an exemption or reduction, the ground and the subject of the exemption or reduction are stated in the written patent application, the written request for examination, the patent fee payment form or a similar document, and a supporting document is attached (Art. 7(6)). [1]

Patent fees and official fees that have been paid are refunded only in the cases in the subparagraphs of Article 84(1) of the Patent Act. [3] For example, if the application is withdrawn or abandoned within 1 month after the filing of the patent application, the application fee and the priority claim fee are refunded. Divisional applications, applications for which accelerated examination has been requested, etc. are excluded (Art. 84(1), subparagraph 4). [3] If the application is withdrawn or abandoned before a notice of grounds for rejection, etc. is issued, the fee for request for examination already paid is refunded (Art. 84(1), subparagraph 5). [3]

For details, see “Can foreign applicants get fee reductions in Korea?” and “Which Korean patent fees are refundable?”. How to pay is covered in “How are Korean official fees paid from abroad?”.

Example: cumulative official fees for an application with 10 claims

The assumptions are as follows. The application is a Korean-language application filed as an electronic application on or after 1 August 2023. It has 10 claims and 1 priority claim. There is no extension of a period, no added claim, no divisional application, no re-examination and no trial. Exemptions and reductions, the KRW 10,000 deduction for an electronic patent registration certificate and the 10% deduction for lump-sum payment are not included.

Of the cumulative KRW 5,255,000 up to year 12, the patent fees for years 1 to 12 are KRW 4,515,000. Up to which year the fees are paid depends on the interval between the filing date and the registration date. This is because the term of the patent ends by reference to the filing date (Patent Act, Art. 88(1)). [3]

FAQ

Are the years of a Korean patent counted from the filing date?

No. Attached Table 1 of the Fee Regulation sets the amounts by the number of years from the registration date of the patent right. [1] From year 4, the fees are paid one year at a time, each year, in the preceding year, counted from the registration date (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(8)). [1]

Is the fee for request for examination also KRW 166,000 plus KRW 51,000 per claim for an application filed before 1 August 2023?

No. Where the patent application was filed before 1 August 2023, the previous provisions apply (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, Addenda, Art. 3(2)). [1] The previous amount is KRW 143,000 plus KRW 44,000 per claim. [2]

Is the right lost immediately if the payment period for the patent fee is missed?

The patent fee can still be paid late, within 6 months after the payment period (Patent Act, Art. 81(1)). [3] The additional fee is 3% to 18%, according to the time that has passed (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(6) and Art. 8(8), proviso). [1] If the fee is not paid in the period for late payment either, the patent right is deemed to have lapsed retroactively to the day after the end of the period covered by the patent fees paid (Patent Act, Art. 81(3)). [3]

Can the patent fees from year 4 be paid at once?

Yes. If patent fees from year 4 for which the payment period has not passed are paid in a lump sum for 3 years or more, 10% of the total is deducted (Fee Regulation, Art. 8(11)). [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 official fees for a Korean patent, please write to contact@defineip.kr.

Sources

1. 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) and (3), Art. 7(1) and (6), Art. 8(1), (4), (5), (6), (8) and (11), Art. 10(5), subparagraphs 1 and 3, attached Table 1, Addenda (Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517, Arts. 3 and 6; Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 556, Art. 3). https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허료등의징수규칙 (verified 9 October 2026)
2. Earlier versions of the 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), Art. 2(1), subparagraphs 7 and 9, and attached Table 1; Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy No. 517 (in force from 1 August 2023), Art. 2(1), subparagraph 9; Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2054 (in force from 1 October 2025), Art. 8(5). https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허료등의징수규칙 (verified 9 October 2026)
3. Patent Act (특허법) (Act No. 21134), in force from 11 November 2025. Art. 15(1), Art. 47(1), Art. 52(2), Art. 59, Art. 67-2(1), Art. 79(1), Art. 81, Art. 81-2, Art. 81-3, Art. 84(1), Art. 88(1), Art. 89, Art. 92-2, Art. 132-17, Art. 199(1) and (2). https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허법 (verified 9 October 2026)
4. Patent Act (특허법) (Act No. 21955), promulgated on 15 September 2026, scheduled to enter into force on 16 March 2027. Art. 81-3, Addenda Arts. 1 and 2. https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허법 (verified 9 October 2026)
5. Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act (특허법 시행규칙) (Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2115), in force from 14 May 2026. Art. 106-11(1), Art. 106-41(1). https://www.law.go.kr/법령/특허법시행규칙 (verified 9 October 2026)
6. WIPO, PCT Applicant’s Guide, KR (Republic of Korea), version applicable from 1 August 2026 (marked as last updated on 24 July 2026). National fees, Annex KR.I. https://pctlegal.wipo.int/eGuide/view-doc.xhtml?doc-code=KR&doc-lang=en (verified 9 October 2026)