What are the latest enhancements to Singapore’s Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)?

SINGAPORE ENHANCES PATENT PROSECUTION HIGHWAY (PPH) WITH FASTER EXAMINATION AND UPFRONT FEE REDUCTION

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) has introduced new measures to encourage greater use of the Patent Prosecution Highway (“PPH”), making accelerated patent examination in Singapore faster and more cost-efficient.

Under IPOS Circular No. 2/2026, the changes focus on two key areas: faster first office actions and a simpler fee arrangement.

A. First Office Action Within 6 Months

• For PPH requests filed on or after 1 July 2026, IPOS will endeavour to issue the first office action within 6 months from the date of the PPH request.

• The PPH allows applicants to make use of favourable examination results from participating patent offices to accelerate examination of a corresponding Singapore patent application.

• Singapore currently has more than 30 PPH partners, including the patent offices of China, Japan, Korea and the United States, as well as the European Patent Office. IPOS reports that PPH applications in Singapore have a 94% grant rate, with about 70% granted at the first office action.

B. 30% Fee Reduction Applied Upfront

• From 3 August 2026 to 31 December 2027, applicants who file a PPH request together with a new request for search and/or examination will only need to pay 70% of the prevailing official fees upfront.

• For example:-

Previously, applicants had to pay the full fee first and receive the 30% benefit as a refund. The new arrangement provides the same benefit immediately and removes the need to wait for reimbursement.SINGAPORE ENHANCES PATENT PROSECUTION HIGHWAY (PPH) WITH FASTER EXAMINATION AND UPFRONT FEE REDUCTION

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) has introduced new measures to encourage greater use of the Patent Prosecution Highway (“PPH”), making accelerated patent examination in Singapore faster and more cost-efficient.

Under IPOS Circular No. 2/2026, the changes focus on two key areas: faster first office actions and a simpler fee arrangement.

A. First Office Action Within 6 Months

• For PPH requests filed on or after 1 July 2026, IPOS will endeavour to issue the first office action within 6 months from the date of the PPH request.

• The PPH allows applicants to make use of favourable examination results from participating patent offices to accelerate examination of a corresponding Singapore patent application.

• Singapore currently has more than 30 PPH partners, including the patent offices of China, Japan, Korea and the United States, as well as the European Patent Office. IPOS reports that PPH applications in Singapore have a 94% grant rate, with about 70% granted at the first office action.

B. 30% Fee Reduction Applied Upfront

• From 3 August 2026 to 31 December 2027, applicants who file a PPH request together with a new request for search and/or examination will only need to pay 70% of the prevailing official fees upfront.

• For example:-

Previously, applicants had to pay the full fee first and receive the 30% benefit as a refund. The new arrangement provides the same benefit immediately and removes the need to wait for reimbursement.

What Does This Mean for Patent Applicants?

The changes strengthen Singapore’s position as a useful jurisdiction for applicants managing patent portfolios across multiple countries.

Where an applicant already has favourable examination results from a PPH partner, the Singapore PPH may offer a practical route to reduce prosecution time and examination costs.

Singapore can also form part of a wider ASEAN patent strategy. Depending on the patent portfolio, applicants may consider PPH together with other available acceleration programmes such as ASPEC and Singapore’s collaborative examination programmes with Vietnam and Indonesia.

Pintas IP Group assists patent owners, businesses and overseas IP firms in developing and managing patent filing and prosecution strategies across Singapore, Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region.

With practical experience in regional patent prosecution and acceleration programmes, Pintas can assist applicants in assessing whether PPH, ASPEC or other available routes may provide a faster and more cost-effective path towards patent protection in ASEAN.