Patent Registration in South Africa
South African patent prosecution at the CIPC Patents Office. The application on Form P1 costs R590. The usual route files a provisional specification (Form P6) and then a complete specification (Form P7) within 12 months. South Africa is a non-examining office: CIPC checks compliance with formal requirements and does not substantively examine novelty or inventive step, so a patent is granted on formalities and its validity is tested only if challenged in court. The term is 20 years from the filing date, maintained by annual renewals (Form P10) from the end of the third year. Late renewal within six months of the due date carries a fine of R90 for the first month plus R50 for each subsequent month or part, to a maximum of five months; a patent left to lapse beyond six months needs restoration at R282. A foreign applicant prosecutes through a registered South African patent attorney with a South African address for service.
10–30 business days
ZAR
What we will need from you
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Specification, claims, abstract and any drawings
Inventor and applicant details
Priority document
Where priority is claimed — for example from a South African provisional specification filed within the preceding 12 months.
Registered South African patent attorney and South African address for service, for a foreign applicant
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.
| Form P1 — application for a patent and acknowledgement of receiptVERIFIED — quoted from the official CIPC Patent Forms & Fees page: 'Form P1 — Application for a patent and acknowledgement of receipt' at R590.00. This is the base application filing fee. | ZAR 590Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Provisional specification (Form P6)only if it appliesThe P6 fee did not render on the CIPC Patent Forms & Fees page, so no amount is asserted. Read it from the Patents Table of Fees at cipc.co.za/?page_id=4080 or the Patent Regulations PDF at iponline.cipc.co.za/Publications/Acts/Patent_Regulations.pdf. | Confirmed before payment |
| Complete specification (Form P7)The P7 fee did not render on the CIPC Patent Forms & Fees page. The complete specification must be filed within 12 months of a provisional; confirm the fee from the Patents Table of Fees at cipc.co.za/?page_id=4080. | Confirmed before payment |
| Renewal (Form P10) — annual, from the end of the third year to the twentiethonly if it appliesThe CIPC Maintain Patent page states the renewal amount 'can be seen from item 7 of the Patents Table of Fees' but does not show the value, so no amount is asserted. Read item 7 of the Patents Table of Fees at cipc.co.za/?page_id=4333. Late payment within six months of the due date attracts a VERIFIED fine of R90 for the first month plus R50 for each subsequent month or part, to a maximum of five months, in addition to the renewal fee. | Confirmed before payment |
| Restoration of a lapsed patentonly if it appliesVERIFIED from the CIPC Maintain Patent page: a patent left unrenewed beyond six months from the due date lapses and requires restoration, with a restoration fee of R282. | ZAR 282Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| 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; a provisional specification (Form P6) can secure a priority date, with the complete specification (Form P7) due within 12 months.
Application Filed
Form P1 filed with the CIPC Patents Office at R590, through a registered South African patent attorney where the applicant is foreign.
Formal Examination
CIPC checks compliance with the formal requirements of the Patents Act 57 of 1978 — there is no substantive examination of novelty or inventive step.
Grant & Renewals
Grant published; the 20-year term runs from the filing date, maintained by annual Form P10 renewals from the end of the third year.
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 CIPC — Patents Office, Patents Act 57 of 1978 and Patent Regulations 1978 and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your engagement letter and quote are the binding documents.