Patent protection in Sweden

Costs, deadlines, technology markets and law firms for Sweden

Sweden

Sweden: taking a PCT application to grant costs an estimated US$2,388, plus about US$7,625 in renewal fees over the patent's life. The PCT national phase for Sweden must be entered within 31 months of the earliest priority date. A European patent, granted by the European Patent Office, can also be validated in Sweden; most patent protection there is obtained this way. It is also one of the world's leading exporters of sawn wood and coated paper.

Population10.6m
Economy (GDP)US$669bn
RouteNational phase

Most patent protection in Sweden is obtained through the European Patent Office: a European patent validated in Sweden. The figures on this page count only applications filed directly with Sweden's own patent office, so they understate its market. See Europe (EPO, 39 states).

Fastest-growing technology fields

  • Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy: patent publications up 16% a year
  • Measurement: patent publications up 5% a year
  • Transport: patent publications up 5% a year

A leading exporter

  • #2 in the world for sawn wood - US$3.7bn of exports (10% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for fresh fish - US$3.1bn of exports (12% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for unrefined copper - US$2.5bn of exports (13% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for kraft paper - US$2.5bn of exports (16% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for vehicle bodies - US$1.2bn of exports (12% of the world's)
  • #3 in the world for coated paper - US$3.5bn of exports (13% of the world's)
Sweden: patent publications by technology field (a year)
Sweden's share of Europe and Central Asia's patent publications, by technology field (%)
Sweden: growth in patent publications by technology field (% a year)
Sweden: its leading and key exports (2024, US$m)

Goods where Sweden 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.

Questions about patents in Sweden

How much does a patent cost in Sweden?

Our estimate is about US$2,388 to take a PCT application to grant in Sweden. That is about US$800 in official fees and US$1,587 in attorney fees. By stage: filing US$790, search US$160, examination request US$530, office action response US$420 and grant / issuance / publication US$488 (one office action response included). Renewal fees over the patent's life add an estimated US$7,625. 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.

What is the PCT national phase deadline for Sweden, and which routes are there?

The PCT national phase for Sweden must be entered within 31 months of the earliest priority date. A European patent, granted by the European Patent Office, can also be validated in Sweden; most patent protection there is obtained this way.

In which technologies is Sweden an important patent market?

Sweden's 7 largest fields of technology by patent publications are transport (131 a year), civil engineering (90 a year), electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (89 a year), other special machines (85 a year), handling (58 a year), measurement (53 a year) and medical technology (52 a year). Publications are growing fastest in electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (16% a year), measurement (5% a year) and transport (5% a year).

What does Sweden's economy make and export?

Sweden's GDP is US$669.0bn, of which services US$448.4bn, industry US$140.7bn (of which manufacturing US$83.3bn) and agriculture US$10.1bn. Spending a year: households US$307.6bn and health care US$68.7bn. Sweden's exports of goods came to US$191.5bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were cars (US$14.8bn, 8% of its exports, #15 in the world), refined petroleum products (US$9.6bn, 5% of its exports, #22 in the world), packaged medicines (US$8.7bn, 5% of its exports, #16 in the world), vehicle parts (US$5.5bn, 3% of its exports, #19 in the world), vaccines, blood products and biologics (US$5.3bn, 3% of its exports, #13 in the world), sawn wood (US$3.7bn, 2% of its exports, #2 in the world), trucks (US$3.7bn, 2% of its exports, #15 in the world), coated paper (US$3.5bn, 2% of its exports, #3 in the world), mobile phones and network equipment (US$3.3bn, 2% of its exports, #18 in the world) and fresh fish (US$3.1bn, 2% of its exports, #2 in the world). It is also one of the world's top exporters of unrefined copper (#2, US$2.5bn), kraft paper (#2, US$2.5bn) and vehicle bodies (#2, US$1.2bn). Where products are made, a patent there can stop infringing copies being made, not only being sold.

Law firms for Sweden

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Patent publications and PCT national phase entries: averages over recent years. Exports: customs trade statistics; re-export hubs are left out. Costs are estimates.