Switzerland: taking a PCT application to grant costs an estimated US$2,790, plus about US$11,140 in renewal fees over the patent's life. The PCT national phase for Switzerland must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date. A European patent, granted by the European Patent Office, can also be validated in Switzerland; most patent protection there is obtained this way. Switzerland is a leading patent market for measurement and other consumer goods. It is also one of the world's leading exporters of watches and nitrogen heterocyclic compounds.
Most patent protection in Switzerland is obtained through the European Patent Office: a European patent validated in Switzerland. The figures on this page count only applications filed directly with Switzerland's own patent office, so they understate its market. See Europe (EPO, 39 states).
Goods where Switzerland is among the world's 3 largest exporters, has at least 15% of world exports, or that make up at least 25% of its own exports - of at least US$500m a year.
Our estimate is about US$2,790 to take a PCT application to grant in Switzerland. That is about US$1,202 in official fees and US$1,587 in attorney fees. By stage: filing US$911, search US$240, examination request US$651, office action response US$420 and grant / issuance / publication US$568 (one office action response included). Renewal fees over the patent's life add an estimated US$11,140. These are estimates only, for a standard application (10 claims, 30 pages, a company applicant): the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.
The PCT national phase for Switzerland must be entered within 30 months of the earliest priority date. A European patent, granted by the European Patent Office, can also be validated in Switzerland; most patent protection there is obtained this way.
Switzerland's 7 largest fields of technology by patent publications are measurement (272 a year), other consumer goods (80 a year), civil engineering (80 a year), handling (68 a year), furniture, games (61 a year), electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (56 a year) and medical technology (50 a year). Within its region, it stands out for measurement (#7 in Europe and Central Asia) and other consumer goods (#10 in Europe and Central Asia). Publications are growing fastest in measurement (2% a year) and electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (2% a year).
Switzerland's GDP is US$1,043.5bn, of which services US$748.7bn, industry US$260.9bn (of which manufacturing US$197.5bn) and agriculture US$6.7bn. Spending a year: households US$516.8bn and health care US$107.1bn. Switzerland's exports of goods came to US$398.8bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were gold (US$106.4bn, 27% of its exports, #1 in the world), packaged medicines (US$46.7bn, 12% of its exports, #2 in the world), vaccines, blood products and biologics (US$42.3bn, 11% of its exports, #4 in the world), watches (US$17.9bn, 4% of its exports, #1 in the world), nitrogen heterocyclic compounds (US$15.1bn, 4% of its exports, #2 in the world), precious metal watches (US$11.7bn, 3% of its exports, #1 in the world), jewellery (US$11.2bn, 3% of its exports, #5 in the world), orthopaedic and hearing aids (US$7.5bn, 2% of its exports, #3 in the world), medical and surgical instruments (US$4.6bn, 1% of its exports, #9 in the world) and electricity (US$4.2bn, 1% of its exports, #3 in the world). It is also one of the world's top exporters of coffee (#3, US$3.7bn). Where products are made, a patent there can stop infringing copies being made, not only being sold.
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Find the best countries for your patentPatent publications and PCT national phase entries: averages over recent years. Exports: customs trade statistics; re-export hubs are left out. Costs are estimates.