From 16 September 2026, INPI Brazil patent filing moves to a new version of the Patent Services Module: national applications and PCT national phase entries (service 200) are filed there, and the official fee slip is generated and paid inside the same form. Annuities can also be issued and paid in the module. The change affects every foreign applicant entering Brazil and every portfolio paying Brazilian annuities, and it has to be coordinated with the local agent who files on your behalf.
Update (October 2026): on the evening of 16 September 2026 INPI confirmed that the second version of the module is available, that the PAG and electronic petitioning systems remain open during the transition, that payment slips already issued in PAG remain valid, and that guides, tutorials and FAQs have been updated. INPI, 16 September 2026.
Key takeaways
- Filing of national applications and PCT national phase entries goes through the Patent Services Module from 16 September 2026.
- The new electronic form issues and pays the GRU (Guia de Recolhimento da União, the federal payment slip) online, so it no longer has to be generated before filing.
- The old PAG and electronic petitioning systems stay open during a transition period, and PAG slips can still be used provisionally.
- Nothing changes in the law: deadlines, the 30-month PCT time limit and the duty to appoint a local agent remain.
What did INPI announce?
On 28 August 2026, Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) announced that patent filing would be available in the Patent Services Module from 16 September 2026, after testing with external users. The European Commission’s IP Helpdesk relayed the news to European users on 1 September.
| Step | Before 16 September 2026 | From 16 September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| National filing and PCT national phase entry (service 200) | GRU generated first in PAG, then filing through electronic petitioning | Filed in the Patent Services Module, with the GRU issued and paid online in the same form |
| Annuities | GRU generated in PAG | GRU can be issued and paid in the module |
| Legacy systems | In use | PAG and electronic petitioning remain available during the transition |
| GRUs already generated in PAG | Valid | Provisionally usable in the module or in electronic petitioning |
What changes for PCT national phase entries in Brazil?
The procedure changes; the rules do not. Brazil’s national phase deadline remains 30 months from the priority date, according to WIPO’s table of PCT time limits. INPI’s fee table sets the filing fee for national phase entry at BRL 260 when filed electronically, with paper filings by post only for PCT entries. Under Article 217 of the Industrial Property Law (Law 9,279/1996), an applicant domiciled abroad must appoint and keep a qualified agent domiciled in Brazil.
In practice, the new form is used by that local agent, not by the foreign applicant. What changes for you is the instruction chain: the agent now pays the official fee in the same session as the filing, so funds, the applicant data and the Portuguese text have to be ready together.
Why annuities need particular care
Brazil charges annuities on pending applications, not only on granted patents. Under Articles 84 to 87 of the Industrial Property Law:
- Annuities are due from the start of the third year counted from the filing date; for PCT applications, the international filing date counts.
- Each annuity is paid in the first three months of the annual period, or in the following six months with a surcharge.
- Annuities that fell due before national phase entry must be paid within three months of entry.
- Non-payment leads to the application being archived or the patent lapsing; restoration must be requested within three months of the notice, with a specific fee.
INPI’s fee table sets the annuity for a pending invention application at BRL 400 in the ordinary period, and for granted patents from BRL 1,000 (years 3 to 6) up to BRL 2,800 (year 16 onwards). A 50% reduction exists for categories defined in Brazilian law, such as micro and small companies under Complementary Law 123/2006, so a foreign SME should not assume it qualifies. Issuing slips inside the module, against the application itself, leaves less room for payments against the wrong case, but only if your annuity provider and your Brazilian agent work from the same docket.
What this means for your business
- Confirm with your Brazilian agent which system they will use for entries due in the coming weeks, and keep a margin before the 30-month date while everyone adapts.
- If a third-party annuity service pays your Brazilian fees, check how it will interact with slips issued in the module, to avoid double or wrong payments.
- Diary the three-month window for back annuities after national phase entry: it falls outside the usual annuity calendar and is easy to miss.
If you manage families entering Brazil alongside Europe, our international patent filing and PCT national phase team can coordinate the Brazilian entries and annuities with the rest of the portfolio.
Where companies get Brazilian filings wrong
- Forgetting annuities on pending applications. Many European portfolios only budget annuities after grant; in Brazil they start in the third year from the international filing date.
- Late instructions. A last-minute Portuguese text or power of attorney leaves no room for system issues during a migration.
- Two payers, one patent. When an annuity provider and the local agent both pay, or neither does, the file can be archived without anyone noticing.
- Assuming discounts apply. The 50% reductions are tied to Brazilian categories of applicant.
One coordinator holding the European file, the agent’s instructions and the annuity docket closes these gaps; that is the job of our cross-border IP strategy service.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company file directly in INPI’s Patent Services Module?
Not on its own. Under Article 217 of Brazil’s Industrial Property Law, an applicant domiciled abroad must appoint and keep a qualified agent domiciled in Brazil. That agent files the entry and pays the fees in the module on your instructions.
Is the PCT national phase deadline in Brazil still 30 months?
Yes. The new module changes how the entry and the fee payment are made, not the time limit. WIPO’s table of PCT time limits lists 30 months from the priority date for Brazil under both Chapter I and Chapter II.
Can IP Global Guard coordinate our national phase entries and annuities in Brazil?
Yes. We plan the PCT national phase strategy, prepare the instructions and coordinate qualified local correspondents in Brazil for the filing and annuity payments, keeping deadlines aligned with your European and Latin American filings from a single point of contact.
How IP Global Guard can help in Brazil
IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, coordinates PCT entries and annuities across Europe, Latin America and Africa with one strategy and one billing relationship; see our jurisdiction coverage.
Send us the list of PCT applications approaching 30 months and the Brazilian files you already hold. We will check the deadlines and annuity status and coordinate the entries with our correspondents. Contact our patent team about Brazil.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the situation on the date of publication.
Sources
- INPI, Nova versão do Módulo de Serviços de Patentes entra em operação no dia 16/9 (28 August 2026)
- European Commission IP Helpdesk, Brazil updates its Patent Services Module (1 September 2026)
- INPI, Patent fee table (December 2025)
- Brazil, Law 9,279 of 14 May 1996 (Industrial Property Law)
- WIPO, Time limits for entering the national/regional phase under the PCT
- INPI, Módulo de Serviços de Patentes: novo depósito do pedido já está disponível (16 September 2026; update block only)
