South African offers the lowest cost national phase patent available.
Total cost: US$585.
This charge include: our professional charge; the official / filing fee (US$50); prosecution costs (for non‐pharmaceutical inventions); acceptance, publication and grant costs; and cost to courier the patent certificate to you.
National phase patent filing deadline: 31 months, extendable to 34 months.
Requirements: Email us the PCT number. We will email you a couple of forms for signature.
We require good quality scanned copied of the signed forms to be emailed to us. No originals need to be sent. Neither do the signed forms require any form of certification. We expect to lodge the signed documents upon filing. So, late lodgement fees need not be incurred.
Time to grant: 12‐14 months (reduced to 2 months if accelerated acceptance is requested).
South Africa does not examine non‐pharmaceutical inventions.
Next amount payable: approx. US$60 renewal fee payable on the third anniversary of the PCT filing date.
Non‐English specifications: An English translation of foreign language specifications must be filed together with a translator's certificate. Non‐English priority documents must also be translated and accompanied by a translator's certificate.
Amendment: Our charge to prepare and file a pre‐grant amendment is US$410.
South African national phase patents must be filed, as published by WIPO. Any amendments to the specification on file at WIPO can only be effected after filing the South African national phase patent. Amendments before grant may have the effect of increasing the scope of the claims, but may not introduce new matter.
Articles: Patent issues