“What does a German patent application at the DPMA cost – and which official patent fees accrue over the maximum term of 20 years from the filing date?” This question frequently arises in practice when planning budgets for patent protection in Germany.
Important note: This article addresses exclusively the official fees of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) – i.e., excluding patent attorney fees, translation costs, third-party search costs, or other expenses.
Overview: One-Time Official Fees (DPMA Patent Costs)
A German patent application typically involves the following one-time DPMA fees:
- Filing fee (electronic filing, up to 10 claims): €40
- Request for examination + examination fee (without prior search request): €350
In the standard case, the total one-time official fees amount to €390.
Note: The DPMA also offers a search request (additional fee). If a search request is filed, the subsequent examination fee is reduced. The following calculation is based on the standard model without a prior search request.
Patent Renewal Fees: From the 3rd to the 20th Year of Protection
Annual renewal fees (maintenance fees) become due from the 3rd year of protection onward and increase significantly over time. During the early years, the fees remain moderate; from approximately the 10th year onward, the increase becomes more pronounced.
Late payment surcharge: If an annual renewal fee is not paid on time, payment can still be made within a grace period, subject to a late payment surcharge. As a rule, this surcharge amounts to €50 per late annual fee.
Table: Annual Fees and Cumulative Official Fees (Years 1–20)
The following table shows:
- the annual fee per year of protection (from year 3 onward),
- the cumulative official fees up to and including the respective year (including the one-time €390 filing and examination fees).
Note: In years 1 and 2, no annual fees are due; the cumulative total already includes the one-time fees.
| Year of Protection | Annual Fee (€) | Cumulative Official Fees (€) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 € | 390 € |
| 2 | 0 € | 390 € |
| 3 | 70 € | 460 € |
| 4 | 70 € | 530 € |
| 5 | 100 € | 630 € |
| 6 | 150 € | 780 € |
| 7 | 210 € | 990 € |
| 8 | 280 € | 1.270 € |
| 9 | 350 € | 1.620 € |
| 10 | 430 € | 2.050 € |
| 11 | 540 € | 2.590 € |
| 12 | 680 € | 3.270 € |
| 13 | 830 € | 4.100 € |
| 14 | 980 € | 5.080 € |
| 15 | 1.130 € | 6.210 € |
| 16 | 1.310 € | 7.520 € |
| 17 | 1.490 € | 9.010 € |
| 18 | 1.670 € | 10.680 € |
| 19 | 1.840 € | 12.520 € |
| 20 | 2.030 € | 14.550 € |
Chart: Annual Individual Fees vs. Cumulative Total Costs
Why Do Annual Fees Increase?
Annual fees are deliberately structured progressively: the longer a patent (or patent application) is maintained, the higher the fees become. In practice, this often leads to a strategic review and streamlining of patent portfolios after several years — for example, when the commercial relevance of a technology declines or a product cycle ends.
Our recommendation: Regularly review which patents remain strategically important and which may no longer justify continued maintenance from a cost-benefit perspective.
Conclusion
The costs of a German patent application consist of comparatively low initial fees (filing and examination fees) and significantly increasing annual renewal fees in later years. Applicants intending to maintain protection for the full 20-year term should therefore consider the growing official patent fees in their IP budget planning at an early stage.
Compared to a European patent (EP), the pure official fees for a German patent are generally moderate. The German patent is also widely regarded by clients as a practical and reliable form of protection — not least due to the high-quality substantive examination and the well-established procedural framework at the DPMA.
German patent litigation practice is characterized by long-standing, well-established case law and experienced courts, which often enhances predictability in enforcement proceedings. By contrast, the Unified Patent Court (UPC), as a relatively new judicial system for disputes concerning European patents and Unitary Patents, is still developing its body of case law.