Maintenance & Recordals
Japanese IP Annuities, Renewals and Recordals
Japanese annuity payments, national trademark renewals and routine JPO recordals for overseas IP professionals.
Send the right numbers, required action and relevant deadline. We will confirm the scope, documents, professional fees and official costs before proceeding.
- Patent, utility model and domestic design annuities
- USD 20 / annuity yearPer right. JPO official fees are additional.
- National trademark renewal
- USD 30 / registrationAll classes included in the professional fee.
- Routine recordals — first right
- USD 30 or 60Address change: USD 30. Name change or standard assignment: USD 60.
Scope of service
Routine Japanese IP Administration
We assist overseas IP firms with specified annuity payments, national trademark renewals and changes to Japanese application and registration records. Routine professional fees are stated in USD, while JPO official fees are charged separately in JPY at cost.
Our quotation identifies the rights, payment years or transaction, billing units, official fees and any additional work. Electronic completion reports and routine correspondence are included in the stated scope.
Which Procedures Are Covered?
- Patent and utility model annuity payments.
- Annual fees for domestic Japanese design registrations.
- National trademark renewals and second registration installments.
- Routine name changes, address changes and assignments.
Madrid and Hague international registrations use separate WIPO procedures for international renewals and central recordals. Please see the dedicated guidance below.
Professional fees in USD
Patent Utility Model and Domestic Design Annuities
| Service | Professional fee | JPO official fee |
|---|---|---|
| Patent or utility model annuity payment and docketing | USD 20 per annuity year | At cost in JPY |
| Domestic design annuity payment and docketing | USD 20 per annuity year | At cost in JPY |
| Late annuity payment within the six-month grace period | USD 60 per annuity year | Twice the applicable annuity |
| Annuity reminders within the agreed mandate | No fee | No fee |
The ordinary billing unit is one annuity year for one right. Paying several years in one procedure does not change the unit price. The professional fee for paying years 4–6 of one patent is USD 60, plus the applicable official fees. Paying one year for each of three rights also carries a professional fee of USD 60.
JPO annuity amounts depend on the right, payment year and, for patents and utility models, the number of claims. We verify the applicable schedule, any confirmed reduction and the payment history before quoting.
The USD 60 late-payment rate replaces the ordinary USD 20 rate for the same annuity year. Any applicable urgency surcharge and per-remittance charge are separate. Restoration outside an ordinary grace-period procedure requires a case-specific assessment and quotation.
Initial Registration Payments
Initial patent grant payments and first-year domestic design registration handling are separately priced services in the full schedule. The later-annuity rate above does not replace those initial registration items. Utility model filing amounts include the first three years of official registration fees as stated in the schedule.
If you wish to include additional years with an initial registration payment, please identify the years requested so that the quotation can show the applicable registration and maintenance handling clearly.
Per registration not per class
National Trademark Renewals and Installments
The professional fee covers all classes in one Japanese national registration. JPO official fees are calculated by class. These rates do not apply to Madrid international registrations.
| Service | Professional fee | JPO official fee |
|---|---|---|
| 10-year renewal | USD 30 per registration | JPY 43,600 per class |
| Renewal paid in 5-year installments — each payment | USD 30 per registration | JPY 22,800 per class |
| Second installment of the initial registration fee | USD 30 per registration | JPY 17,200 per class |
| Late renewal within the six-month grace period | USD 60 per registration | Twice the applicable renewal fee |
| Renewal reminders within the agreed mandate | No fee | No fee |
The second installment of the initial registration fee is a separate payment, not a renewal. A renewal term is ten years; choosing installments splits the renewal fee into two five-year payments, with a separate handling fee for each payment.
Legacy second installments may be JPY 16,400 per class for initial registration or JPY 22,600 per class for renewal. We check the first-installment payment history and applicable transitional rules before quoting.
Example of a Three Class Renewal
For an ordinary ten-year renewal of one national trademark registration covering three classes, the professional fee is USD 30 and the JPO official fee is JPY 130,800 (3 × JPY 43,600). The currencies remain separate until any conversion basis is agreed.
The USD 60 late-renewal rate replaces the ordinary USD 30 rate for that registration. Any applicable urgency surcharge is additional. Restoration of a lapsed registration is separately assessed and quoted.
Recordal professional fees
Routine Name Address and Ownership Changes
These rates cover standard JPO recordals for patents, utility models, domestic designs and national trademarks, using ready-to-file documents.
| Recordal | First application or registration | Each additional right in the same request |
|---|---|---|
| Change of name | USD 60 | USD 15 |
| Change of address | USD 30 | USD 10 |
| Assignment using standard ready-to-file documents | USD 60 | USD 15 |
Additional-right rates assume the same parties, change and standard supporting documents in the same request. JPO official fees remain payable per right where applicable. We confirm which rights can be grouped and the applicable professional fee in the quotation.
Combined name and address changes under the same request use the name-change professional fee rather than both fees.
Example of a Name Change for Three Rights
A qualifying name change covering three rights in the same request carries a professional fee of USD 90: USD 60 for the first right plus USD 15 for each of the two additional rights. Official fees, where applicable, are separate.
Documents and Work Beyond the Routine Scope
Document drafting or correction beyond routine forms, substantial ownership-history review, translations, negotiations and preparation of underlying agreements are separately estimated. Time-based work is JPY 40,000 per hour, aggregated per matter and billed in 15-minute units of JPY 10,000.
Mergers, inheritance, licences and other special transactions require review of the legal basis and evidence. They are not automatically charged at the routine USD assignment rate.
Official costs in JPY
JPO Official Fees for Routine Recordals
The following charges are separate from the USD professional fees above. The stated unit is one application or registration.
| Procedure | Official fee per right |
|---|---|
| Change of applicant name or address | No fee |
| Change of registered holder name or address | JPY 1,000 |
| Change of applicant by assignment of an application | JPY 4,200 |
| Transfer of a registered patent | JPY 15,000 |
| Transfer of a registered utility model or domestic design | JPY 9,000 |
| Transfer of a registered national trademark | JPY 30,000 |
The table describes standard procedures. Different legal causes, such as merger or inheritance, may involve different official amounts and evidence. We confirm the correct procedure and official charges for the actual request.
Trademark Licence Registration
For a Japanese trademark licence, the professional fee is JPY 50,000 per licence and registration, plus a JPY 30,000 official fee. Each additional registration under the same licence and documents carries a JPY 20,000 professional fee plus the applicable JPY 30,000 official fee. Drafting or negotiating the licence agreement is separate.
Other special recordals are quoted after review. All official fees are charged at the rates applicable when the transaction is made.
Separate WIPO procedures
Madrid and Hague International Registrations
Madrid Trademarks
Madrid international registrations, including their Japan designations, are renewed through WIPO. Holder name/address and ownership changes are also central WIPO procedures. The USD 30 national renewal fee and routine USD JPO recordal rates on this page do not apply.
Our professional fee for renewal of one international registration, up to three classes and ten designations, is JPY 50,000, plus WIPO fees. Additional classes, designations and other transactions follow the Madrid schedule.
Hague Designs
Hague international design registrations are renewed through WIPO. Separate Japanese annual annuity payments are not required for the Japan designation, so the USD 20 domestic design annuity service does not apply.
Send the international registration number, affected designs and requested action. We will confirm the appropriate arrangements and any separately agreed assistance.
Japan local representation does not automatically authorize a WIPO transaction or replacement of an existing international representative. We confirm the holder’s authorization, access or signature arrangements and scope before undertaking central procedures.
Conditions for maintenance instructions
Payment Urgency and Docketing
Urgent Instructions
Instructions received within five business days of the due date carry an additional professional fee of USD 30 per case. This is separate from any late-payment handling fee or official surcharge.
Please send instructions well before the deadline and earlier where documents or funds must be arranged. For a near-deadline request, we confirm whether the work can be accepted and completed.
Reminders and Responsibility
Reminders are provided without a separate fee within the agreed mandate. We agree which rights and deadlines we docket and report. Appointment alone does not instruct maintenance payments or renewals.
Payments require instructions and cleared funds. An inquiry or a request for a quotation does not transfer responsibility for a deadline.
Currency and Bank Charges
JPY is our default invoice and settlement currency. USD-priced maintenance items retain their stated USD unit prices. If billed in JPY, the quotation states the USD/JPY conversion basis and date for written agreement. Another settlement currency requires prior agreement.
A JPY 4,000 bank/administration charge applies once per incoming remittance, including a consolidated payment covering several invoices. It is not charged per case or invoice. Sending and intermediary bank charges are borne by the payer.
Payment Terms and Tax
Payment is by bank transfer. Terms are 30 days for approved credit accounts; new relationships and material official-fee outlays may require advance payment.
Professional fees exclude Japanese consumption tax. Qualifying export services to non-resident clients are exempt. Any applicable tax and required disbursements are identified in the quotation and invoice.
Ordinary electronic correspondence, routine docketing within the agreed scope and electronic completion reports are included. Translation, courier, certified copies, notarisation or attestation and other necessary third-party costs are separately identified in advance.
Getting started
Information to Send With Your Instructions
Annuities and National Renewals
- Right type and Japanese application or registration number.
- Current applicant or registered holder details.
- The annuity year or years to be paid, or renewal/installment required.
- For trademarks, the classes to be maintained and any relevant installment history.
- The known deadline, payment history and any recent notices.
- Your reference, invoice details and reporting requirements.
Recordals and Portfolio Instructions
- The rights concerned, ideally as a list with one right per row.
- Current register details and the requested new details.
- The nature and date of the change or transfer.
- Names and addresses of the parties and supporting documents available.
- The intended scope of docketing, reminders and future instructions.
- Any requested grouping, exact deadline and desired completion timing.
We provide a procedure-specific checklist for authority and supporting evidence. Signed original deeds, proof of entitlement or other documents may be required for assignments or licences. We confirm the requirements rather than requesting blanket notarisation or legalisation.
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Identify
We review the right numbers, requested action and relevant dates.
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Confirm
We agree acceptance, scope, documents, fees and payment arrangements.
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Act
We file or pay after the required instructions, documents and funds are in place.
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Report
We provide an electronic completion report and docket agreed future deadlines.
For initial inquiries, send non-confidential information. Please wait for written acceptance before sending confidential transaction documents.
Frequently asked questions
Maintenance and Recordal Questions
Is the USD 20 annuity fee charged once when several years are paid together?
No. It is charged per annuity year per right. Three years for one right carry a USD 60 professional fee, plus the applicable JPO official fees.
Is the USD 30 trademark renewal fee charged per class?
No. It is charged per national trademark registration and covers all classes in that registration. JPO official fees are charged per class.
Is the second registration installment a renewal?
No. It pays the second portion of the initial registration fee. A renewal is a separate procedure for the next registration term. We check the payment history and any legacy official rates.
Can a name and address change be handled together?
For a combined change under the same qualifying request, the name-change professional fee applies rather than both professional fees. We confirm the rights, supporting documents and official charges before filing.
Are reminder services automatic when we appoint you?
No. We agree which rights and deadlines are covered by our docketing and reminder mandate. Reminders within that mandate have no separate fee, but payments still require instructions and cleared funds.
Can several invoices be paid in one remittance?
Yes. Please identify the invoices in your remittance advice. The JPY 4,000 bank/administration charge applies once to the incoming remittance, including a consolidated payment.
Do these rates apply to Madrid and Hague renewals?
No. Those renewals are handled through WIPO. The USD rates on this page apply only to the specified Japanese national procedures. Please see the Madrid and Hague service pages.
What if a deadline has already passed?
Send the right number, actual deadline, payment history and any notice immediately. We will assess whether an ordinary grace-period payment or another remedy is available, confirm acceptance and quote the applicable work.
Fee schedule revised 4 November 2026. These are associate rates for overseas IP professional instructions. Examples assume standard timely work and exclude any applicable urgency charge, tax, disbursements and the per-remittance bank/administration charge. Professional fees and official costs in different currencies are not combined without an agreed conversion basis.
Official fee references: JPO fee schedule · JPO registration taxes. We verify the applicable fees and individual requirements before filing or payment.
Request Japanese Maintenance or Recordal Support
Send the list of rights, action required and relevant deadline. We will confirm the documents, costs and next steps.
Email: info@cita2ip.com · Japan Standard Time: UTC+9