10.1 General remarks

10.2 Special refunds

10.3 Method of refund

10.4 Re‑allocation instead of refund

The search fee for a supplementary European search report is reduced by a fixed amount for PCT applications for which the Patent Office of Austria, Finland, Spain, Sweden or Turkey, the Nordic Patent Institute or the Visegrad Patent Institute was the International Searching Authority or where one of these offices prepared the supplementary international search report (see the Decisions of the Administrative Council of 27 October 2011, OJ EPO 2011, 616; of 25 October 2012, OJ EPO 2012, 584; of 16 December 2015, OJ EPO 2016, A2; and

Applicants eligible for the fee reduction will be allowed a reduction in the examination fee if the request for examination is filed in an admissible non-EPO language. EPO Forms 1001 (Request for grant of a European patent) and Form 1200 (Entry into the European phase) contain pre-printed boxes where the request for examination in an admissible non-EPO language and the declaration under Rule 6(6) can be entered.

European applications can be filed in any language. If filed in a language other than an official language of the EPO, a translation must be furnished.

Where a fee is reduced – in contrast to cases of fee refunds – the reduced rate may be paid instead of the full fee. The factual conditions for a reduction of the fee must be met on or before the day the period for payment expires.