8.2 Reduction of the international search fee 

The fee for the international search on an international application is reduced by 75% where the applicant or, if there are two or more applicants, each applicant is

– a natural person who is a national and resident of a state not party to the EPC which on the date of filing of the application is classified as a low-income or lower-middle-income economy by the World Bank; 

or

– a natural or legal person who is a national and resident of a state in which a validation agreement with the EPO is in force. 

The list of these states can be found on the EPO website (epo.org, under Applying for a patent → Fees → International (PCT) fees → Decisions and notices relating to PCT fees → Reduction in international search and preliminary examination fees).