1.4.3 Renewal fees 

For the divisional application, as for any other European patent application, renewal fees are payable to the EPO. They are due in respect of the third year and each subsequent year, calculated from the date of filing of the earlier (parent) application or that of the root application in the case of a sequence of divisional applications. Under Art. 76(1) in conjunction with Rule 51(3), the parent application's filing date is also the date from which the time limits for paying the renewal fees for the divisional application (Art. 86(1)) are calculated. If, when the divisional application is filed, renewal fees for the parent application have already fallen due, these must also be paid for the divisional application and fall due when the latter is filed (see also A‑IV, 1.1.1). The period for paying these fees is four months after filing the divisional application. If not paid in due time, they may still be validly paid within six months of the date on which the divisional application was filed, provided that at the same time the additional fee of 50% of the renewal fees paid late is paid.

If, within the four-month period referred to above, a further renewal fee falls due or a renewal fee falls due for the first time, it may be paid without an additional fee within that period. It may otherwise still be validly paid within six months of the due date, provided that at the same time the additional fee of 50% of the renewal fee paid late is paid. When calculating the additional period the principles developed by the Legal Board of Appeal should be applied (see J 4/91).

Further processing for failure to pay renewal fees on time is ruled out by Rule 135(2). However, re-establishment is possible. In the case of applications for re-establishment of rights in respect of renewal fees falling due on filing of the divisional or within the four-month period laid down in Rule 51(3), second sentence, the one-year period prescribed by Rule 136(1) starts to run only after the six months under Rule 51(2) have expired.

Example:

For other examples see A‑X, 5.2.4.