Patent Registration in Australia
Australian patent prosecution with IP Australia. A provisional application costs a minimum of AUD 100 online and secures a 12-month priority window; a standard (complete) application is a minimum of AUD 400 online. Examination must be requested, and the AUD 550 fee paid, within 5 years of the filing date, and an acceptance fee of AUD 300 (up to 20 claims) falls due once the application is accepted — with claim surcharges of AUD 125 per claim for claims 21 to 30 and AUD 250 per claim beyond 30 under the structure in force where examination is requested on or after 1 October 2024. A standard patent runs 20 years from filing (25 years for pharmaceutical patents), maintained by annual renewal fees from year 5. Only provisional and standard applications are available: the 8-year innovation patent has been PHASED OUT and no new innovation patents can be filed, so we do not offer one. IP Australia publishes no filing-to-grant service level, so the day window below is the Comriq drafting-and-filing turnaround only, never a time to grant. A foreign applicant needs an Australian or New Zealand address for service and in practice a registered Australian patent attorney.
10–30 business days
AUD
What we will need from you
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Specification, claims, abstract and any drawings
Final claim count
Claims beyond 20 carry surcharges at examination and acceptance — AUD 125 per claim for claims 21 to 30 and AUD 250 per claim beyond 30.
Inventor and applicant details
Priority document
Where priority is claimed — a complete application claiming from an Australian provisional is filed within 12 months of the provisional; the provision itself (Patents Act 1990 s.38) was not separately read in research and is confirmed at quote.
An address for service in Australia or New Zealand
The Australia/NZ address-for-service regime is verified for trade marks and applies to IP filings generally; the specific Patents Regulations provision was not separately read in research, so it is confirmed at quote. In practice a foreign applicant engages a registered Australian patent attorney.
Cost breakdown
Our fee and the government’s are always separate lines. Government fees are passed through at exactly what the authority charges — we add nothing to them.
| Provisional patent application — filed onlineonly if it appliesVERIFIED minimum from the IP Australia fee page ('a minimum of $100'). Postal filing is AUD 200. A provisional gives a 12-month priority window before a complete application must be filed. | A$100Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Standard (complete) patent application — filed onlineVERIFIED minimum from the IP Australia fee page ('a minimum of $400'). Postal filing is AUD 600. | A$400Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Request for examinationExamination must be requested and this fee paid within 5 years of the filing date. Expedited examination can be requested; the fetched page stated no separate fee for it. | A$550Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Acceptance fee — up to 20 claimsMandatory once the application is accepted following examination. | A$300Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Claim fee — each claim in excess of 20only if it appliesVERIFIED tier where examination is requested on or after 1 October 2024: AUD 125 per claim for claims 21 to 30, and AUD 250 per claim for each claim beyond 30 on top of the 125s. Charged at the examination / acceptance stage. | A$125Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| International-type search, or preliminary search and opiniononly if it appliesVERIFIED — optional pre-filing search services at AUD 1,100 each. Also verified: a voluntary amendment before requesting examination is AUD 250 (free for a provisional, and free once examination has been requested), and a re-examination request is AUD 800. | A$1,100Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Annual renewal (continuation) fees, years 5 to 20only if it appliesNOT read from an official page. Renewal fees are annual, first payable from the fourth anniversary (the year-5 fee, paid in advance), and rise each year to year 20 (25 for pharmaceutical patents). | Confirmed before payment |
| Comriq professional fee | Fixed fee within 1 business day |
These are the authority’s published lines. Which of them apply depends on your filing — a schedule by headcount, capital or entity type is one line, not all of them — and the applicable line is confirmed before payment, at cost.
How it runs
You will see these exact stages update in your client portal as we progress.
Drafting
Specification and claims drafted; an optional provisional application (from AUD 100) secures a priority date and a 12-month window.
Application Filed
The standard (complete) application is filed online with IP Australia (from AUD 400) with an Australian or New Zealand address for service.
Examination
Examination is requested within 5 years of filing (AUD 550) and each objection answered to place the application in order for acceptance.
Acceptance
The AUD 300 acceptance fee is paid once the application is accepted, plus any claim surcharges beyond 20 claims.
Renewals Diarised
Annual renewal fees are diarised from year 5 to keep the patent in force for its 20-year term (25 years for pharmaceutical patents).
Ready to start?
This one is priced to your situation — most of what we do needs a local filing agent, so we scope it rather than guess. Tell us the specifics and we come back with a fixed quote and a confirmed timeline, within one business day.
Not sure this is the right service? A paid expert call is credited against your order.
Verified September 2026
Requirements and statutory fees are set by IP Australia (Patents Office) — Patents Act 1990 / Patents Regulations 1991 and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your engagement letter and quote are the binding documents.