The Netherlands is one of the most elite hubs of Innovation. Below is a guide about the filing procedures, routes and fees for Patent Filing in Netherlands.
Patent Filing in Netherlands: The Routes
If you are seeking a patent in Netherlands, there are 4 options:
1. Direct Filing with the Netherlands Intellectual Property Office (NPO)
- This route allows you to file a patent application with the Netherlands Intellectual Property Office (NPO).
- Upon receiving a grant, the patent shall be valid in Netherlands only.
2. International Filing via Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
- The PCT filing option allows you to file a single patent application simultaneously in a number of countries.
- PCT has 152 Contracting States and is administered by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
- The granting of a patent in Netherlands remains under the control of the NPO, i.e “national phase”.
3. Filing in EU via European Patent Convention (EPC)
- The EPC route allows you to file a patent application with the European Patent Office (EPO).
- EPC has 38 contracting states.
- The granting of a patent in Netherlands remains under the control of the NPO.
4. Filing via Euro-PCT
- This is an extension to PCT only, with the exception that the procedure focuses on the elements specific to the PCT procedure before the EPO.
- The provisions of the PCT and its Regulations (“the PCT Rules”) apply, supplemented by the provisions of the EPC.
- In case of conflict between the provisions of the EPC and the PCT, the PCT prevails.
- The granting of a patent in Netherlands remains under the control of the NPO, i.e “national phase”.
Patent Filing in Netherlands (NPO): Filing Overview
Your patent application needs to meet 2 sets of requirements:
Requirements for application number and filing date
- Concise indication of intent to file a patent application
- Name and address of the applicant
- Description of the invention i.e. Subject Matter of the invention
- Abstract
- The application must be in Dutch or English
- Claims (Must be in Dutch)
- Drawings (if necessary)
Formal Requirements
- Details, payment and documents such as inventor’s address (different from Applicant’s address if inventor is different from applicant).
- Additional Regulations which are a part of the Patent Regulation 2009.
For more information, check out the Patent Act -1995.
Filing Options (NPO)
You can file your application offline with the NPO or use the e-filing system.
Offline Filing
You can post your application at any of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency offices (refer the link for the addresses).
E-filing
You can file your application online using EPOnline (EPO’s online filing system). The same route can be used to file a European (transmission to the EPA) or international (transmission to WIPO) patent application with the NPO.
Patent Fees: Overview
| Action | Online Fee | Offline Fee |
| Patent Application | €80 | €120 |
| National Application Search | €100 | – |
| International Application Search | €794 | – |
| Transmittal fee for an international application | €50 | – |
| Fee for submitting a Translation Document into Dutch | €25 | – |
For more information, visit the Patent Fees page on the NPO website.