2.1.5.1 Filing fee

Under Rule 159(1)(c), applicants must pay the filing fee, including any additional fee for pages in excess of thirty-five (see A‑III, 13.2), within a period of 31 months from the date of filing or, if priority has been claimed, from the earliest priority date. The requirement to pay the European filing fee on entry into the European phase implements the right of the EPO as a designated/elected Office to require payment of a "national fee" under Arts. 22(1) and 39(1) PCT. The basic filing fee is reduced where EPO Form 1200 is filed online (see Art. 2(1) RFees).

For information on how to correct a failure to pay the filing fee in due time and the consequences of a failure to correct, see E‑IX, 2.1.5.6.

For general guidance on the payment of fees, see A‑X. To support small entities and micro-entities, applicants fulfilling certain criteria are eligible for fee reductions (for the eligibility criteria, see A‑X, 9.2, A-X, 9.3 and A-X, 9.4).