What are the conditions for a reduction of the search fee?
The search fee to be paid if the EPO acts as ISA 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. A table listing these states is available on the EPO website.[ 28 ]
The consequence of the requirement that each applicant must be a natural person who is a national and resident of a state not party to the EPC is that applicants with the nationality of or residence in an EPC contracting state for that reason alone do not fulfil the requirements for the reduction in the search fee (and the fee for international preliminary examination). It is, however, possible that they fulfil the requirements for the reduction in the international filing fee (see point 2.24.017) and the handling fee (see point 4.1.059).
Source: http://www.epo.org/applying/international/guide-for-applicants/html/e/ga_c3_1_6.html
Date retrieved: 17 May 2021