As of 1 January 2026, the UPC has amended its fee structure, representing a significant increase.
The background to the change is that the UPC has not changed its fees since the Court opened for business in June 2023. In addition, those initial fees were set back in 2016 during the early negotiations on setting up the Court. Now the Court has decided to increase its fees, arguing that it needs to take into account the impact of inflation.
The new fees amount generally to a 33% increase, plus an additional 10% increase in fees for the Court of Appeal.
Main points to note:
Implications for litigants:
The large increase in the cost of actions before the UPC has been argued by the Court to be proportional to general inflation and in line with its operational needs. However, in the short term the increase represents a sizeable change that users of the Court will need to be aware of.
As a centralised, pan-European court, the UPC still provides significant benefits to claimants. However, the fee increase is a reminder that litigants need to consider their budgeting ahead of undertaking action before the UPC.
Read more from our expert UPC team here.
