A practice manual for Singapore patent renewal fees. Singapore's instalment numbers and due dates appear to be a year apart, and that is where errors occur: the fee for the 5th year falls due at the 4th anniversary of filing, not the 5th.
1. At a glance
- System type
- Annual renewal fees
- Anchor date
- Filing date
- Due date rule
- Year n fee due at the (n−1)th anniversary The 5th-year fee falls due at the 4th anniversary
- First fee
- The 5th-year fee Nothing payable before grant
- Payment window
- 3 months before the due date
- Grace period
- 6 months SGD 50 in the first month, then SGD 100 per month
- Restoration
- Within 18 months of lapse — unintentional standard
- Reduction
- None
- Term
- Filing date + 20 years
- Risk level
- Normal
2. Anchor date and due-date calculation
The anchor is the filing date. The fee for year n falls due on the (n−1)th anniversary of filing. The payment window opens three months before the due date.
Worked example
For an application filed on 2020-06-15 the due dates are as follows. Note that the first payment, the 5th-year fee, falls due at the 4th anniversary on 2024-06-15.
| Instalment | Formula | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Year 5 | Filing + 4 years | 2024-06-15 |
| Year 6 | Filing + 5 years | 2025-06-15 |
| Year 7 | Filing + 6 years | 2026-06-15 |
| … | Same each year | … |
| Year 20 | Filing + 19 years | 2039-06-15 |
The term expires on 2040-06-15 (filing date + 20 years).
3. When payments begin
- The first fee is the 5th-year fee. Nothing is payable before grant.
- Payment starts after grant, but the instalment count has been running from the filing date throughout.
- The later the grant, therefore, the more instalments have already fallen due by the time it issues.
4. Grace period and surcharge
There is a six-month grace period. Distinctively, the surcharge for the first month differs from later months.
| Elapsed | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | SGD 50 |
| Months 2-6 | SGD 100 per month (to be confirmed) |
5. Lapse and restoration
The patent lapses once the grace period expires, but restoration may be sought within 18 months of lapse. The standard is 'unintentional', a lower threshold than due care.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Restoration period | 18 months from lapse |
| Standard | Unintentional |
| Procedure | File Form 19 with a statutory declaration |
| After allowance | File Form 20 within 2 months |
6. Reduction
Singapore has no renewal fee reduction. Do not build one into estimates.
7. Early and bulk payment
Payment is possible only from three months before the due date. There is no earlier prepayment and no multi-year bulk payment. Cases falling under the late-grant rule are the exception, paying the accrued fees together.
8. Official fees
Amounts below are as at 2025-09-01 (SGD, per year).
| Band | SGD |
|---|---|
| Years 5-7 | 176 |
| Years 8-10 | 460 |
| Years 11-13 | 640 |
| Years 14-16 | 830 |
| Years 17-19 | 1,010 |
| Year 20 | 1,200 |
| Beyond year 20 (extended term) | 1,470 |
9. Term extension
Singapore provides for extension of term, and the fee schedule carries a dedicated rate for extended patents. The renewal fee beyond year 20 is SGD 1,470, set above the SGD 1,200 payable for year 20.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Effect on renewals | Additional renewal fees beyond year 20 |
| Rate | SGD 1,470 (as at 2025-09-01) |
| Requirements, maximum duration, deadline | Not researched — confirm when a case arises |
10. Management checklist
Fields to populate first
- Filing date. Both the instalment count and the due dates are calculated from it.
- Grant date. If grant came more than 3 years and 9 months after filing, the late-grant rule applies.
- The instalment number and the due date as separate fields. They are a year apart and must not be stored as one value.
- Whether the term has been extended, which determines whether rows exist beyond year 20.
Payment cycle
- The payment window opens three months before the due date; earlier payment is not possible.
- On receiving the notice of grant, first determine whether the late-grant rule applies and, if so, calculate the accrued instalments and amount immediately.
- Confirm maintenance instructions with the client and pay.
- For cases in the grace period, count the elapsed months precisely, since the first month is charged differently from the rest.
- Where restoration is being pursued, do not close the matter at Form 19 — record the Form 20 deadline (two months from allowance) as a deadline in its own right.
Easily confused points
- The 5th-year fee is due at the 4th anniversary, not the 5th.
- Payment begins after grant, but the instalment count has been running from the filing date all along.
- The grace surcharge is not flat — only the first month is lower.
- Restoration is not complete at Form 19; it requires Form 20 as well.
Sources, cut-off date and disclaimer
This manual is based on iphere's August 2026 survey of country-by-country overseas maintenance rules, together with values produced by the deadline engine that runs on those same rules. Official fees and deadline rules change by office notice, so please confirm against the official source and your local agent before any actual payment or filing.