PCT national phase costs in Latin America are lower in official fees than most European companies expect, and higher in everything around them. Entering Colombia, Mexico and Brazil costs a few hundred to a few thousand units of local currency per country in office fees, but translations into Spanish and Portuguese, local agents and, in Brazil, annuities on the pending application make up most of the budget. The deadlines are 30 months from priority for Mexico and Brazil and 31 months for Colombia. This guide sets out the 2026 official fees, with sources, for European companies and their Latin American subsidiaries planning entries.
Update (October 2026): WIPO’s PCT Newsletter 09/2026 reported that Colombia’s current annual fees and reinstatement fee have applied since 13 February 2026, and that since 4 April 2026 Mexico’s law is no longer incompatible with the PCT rules on restoration of the right of priority; IMPI will publish its requirements later. WIPO, PCT Newsletter 09/2026.
Key takeaways
- National phase deadlines: 30 months for Mexico and Brazil, 31 months for Colombia, counted from the priority date.
- Colombia: COP 118,000 to file online plus COP 1,599,500 to request examination, which must be requested within six months of publication.
- Mexico: MXN 3,147 plus 16% VAT to file; examination needs no request and no separate fee.
- Brazil: BRL 260 to file electronically, BRL 870 for examination up to 10 claims, and BRL 400 a year in annuities while the application is pending.
- All three require a local agent for foreign applicants, and the official SME reductions are tied to local categories.
What does the PCT international phase cost before Latin America?
Most of the PCT spend before month 30 happens at the receiving office and the search authority. WIPO’s PCT fee tables (amounts on 1 June 2026) give these figures for a European filer:
| Fee | Filing at the EPO | Filing at the OEPM (Spain) |
|---|---|---|
| Transmittal fee | EUR 160 | EUR 75.75 |
| International filing fee (up to 30 sheets) | EUR 1,428 | EUR 1,428 |
| Each sheet over 30 | EUR 16 | EUR 16 |
| E-filing reduction | EUR 215 or EUR 322 | EUR 215 or EUR 322 |
| Search fee, EPO as International Searching Authority | EUR 1,885 | EUR 1,885 |
The 90% reduction on the international filing fee applies only to applicants meeting the criteria published by WIPO, so check eligibility before counting on it. The tables also flag a 75% reduction of EPO and OEPM search fees under certain conditions, explained in the PCT Applicant’s Guide.
PCT national phase costs in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil: official fees in 2026
| Item | Colombia (SIC) | Mexico (IMPI) | Brazil (INPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline from priority | 31 months | 30 months | 30 months |
| Translation | Spanish | Spanish (two extra months if fee and copy are filed in time) | Portuguese (at least the claims in time; the rest on invitation) |
| Filing fee | COP 118,000 online (COP 146,000 on paper) | MXN 3,147 + 16% VAT; MXN 61 per sheet over 30 | BRL 260 electronic (BRL 380 on paper, by post) |
| Examination | COP 1,599,500 online; request within 6 months of publication | No request and no separate fee | BRL 870 up to 10 claims, plus BRL 140 per claim 11–15, BRL 290 per claim 16–30, BRL 740 per claim above 30; request within 36 months of filing |
| Annual fees | COP 388,000 a year (years 1–4) rising to COP 1,866,000 (years 17–20) | MXN 1,161.90 a year (years 1–5) rising to MXN 1,536.99 (year 11 on) | BRL 400 a year while pending; BRL 1,000 (years 3–6) to BRL 2,800 (year 16 on) once granted |
| Local agent | Attorney registered in Colombia | Resident of Mexico | Agent domiciled in Brazil |
Sources: the WIPO PCT Applicant’s Guide national chapters for Colombia (version valid from 10 September 2026, fees under SIC Resolution 6167 of 30 January 2026) and Mexico (valid from 1 January 2026); INPI’s patent fee table (December 2025) and Brazil’s Industrial Property Law (Articles 33, 84 and 217); and WIPO’s table of PCT time limits. Colombian fees are recalculated each year in line with inflation, and Mexican fees are paid in pesos through someone with an address in Mexico.
Where does the real budget go?
Official fees are rarely the largest line. In practice, four items drive the total:
- Translation. Colombia and Mexico need Spanish; Brazil needs Portuguese. A single Spanish translation, reviewed for each office’s terminology, can serve both Spanish-speaking countries.
- Local agents. All three offices require local representation for foreign applicants, so professional fees apply at entry and for every office action.
- Annuities during prosecution. Brazil charges annuities on pending applications from the third year counted from filing, and back annuities fall due within three months of national phase entry (Articles 84 and 85 of the Industrial Property Law).
- Claim count. Brazil’s examination fee rises steeply above 10, 15 and 30 claims; trimming claims before entry saves fees in Brazil and work everywhere.
Exchange rates move and official amounts change, so recheck each figure against the office tables before instructing an entry.
How to keep the Latin American budget under control
- Decide by around month 27 or 28 which countries justify entry, using the international search report and your sales plans.
- Amend the claims once, before entry, so that all three offices receive a clean, consistent set and Brazil’s per-claim fees stay low.
- Prepare one Spanish master translation for Mexico and Colombia and a Portuguese one for Brazil, in parallel.
- Check eligibility for reductions realistically: Brazil’s 50% discount covers categories defined in Brazilian law, such as micro and small companies under Complementary Law 123/2006; Mexico allows 50% for inventors, SMEs and universities under its own law; Colombia reduces certain fees for Colombian nationals.
- Diary Colombia’s six-month examination window and Brazil’s 36-month examination deadline and three-month annuity window at entry.
What this means for your business
For a European SME, entering Colombia, Mexico and Brazil from one PCT application is affordable in official fees; the risk lies in missed local deadlines and uncoordinated translations, not in the tariffs. A single plan for the three offices, aligned with the European phase, keeps costs predictable. Our PCT national phase filing team for Latin America and Europe can prepare that budget per family and coordinate the entries with qualified local correspondents.
Where companies get Latin American entries wrong
- Counting only office fees. Translations, local agents and Brazilian annuities usually outweigh them.
- Assuming every office gives 31 months. Mexico and Brazil give 30, and Mexico does not reinstate a missed entry deadline, according to its national chapter.
- Missing Colombia’s examination request: if it is not filed within six months of publication, the application is considered abandoned.
- Forgetting Brazil’s back annuities after entry, which can lead to the application being archived.
- Assuming local SME discounts apply to a foreign company. Our cross-border IP strategy team checks this before the budget is approved.
Frequently asked questions
What is the PCT national phase deadline in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil?
According to WIPO’s table of PCT time limits, it is 31 months from the priority date for Colombia and 30 months for Mexico and Brazil, under both Chapter I and Chapter II. Entries can be made earlier, and each country can be entered on a different date within its own deadline.
How much are the official fees to enter Brazil via the PCT?
INPI’s fee table sets BRL 260 for electronic national phase entry and BRL 870 to request examination for up to 10 claims, with surcharges per additional claim. Annuities of BRL 400 a year apply while the application is pending, from the third year counted from filing. Translation and agent fees are additional.
Does Mexico charge a separate examination fee?
No. According to the PCT Applicant’s Guide, IMPI examines patent applications as to substance without a request or special fee. The national phase filing fee is MXN 3,147 plus 16% VAT, with MXN 61 per sheet above 30, and annual fees start at MXN 1,161.90 a year.
Can IP Global Guard budget and coordinate our PCT entries in Latin America?
Yes. We prepare a per-country budget from the official tables, coordinate the Spanish and Portuguese translations and instruct qualified local correspondents in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil, keeping all deadlines and annuities under one plan and one billing relationship.
How IP Global Guard can help you enter Latin America
Entering Latin America from Europe works best when the European phase, the three national entries and the annuities are planned together. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, coordinates that from a single point of contact across our corridor coverage in Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Send us the PCT application number, the priority date and the countries you are considering. We will return an official-fee budget for Colombia, Mexico and Brazil and a deadline plan for the entries. Request a Latin America entry budget.
This article is general information, not legal advice; official fees change, so check current amounts before filing.
Sources
- WIPO, PCT Applicant’s Guide, Colombia (valid from 10 September 2026)
- WIPO, PCT Applicant’s Guide, Mexico (valid from 1 January 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
- WIPO, PCT Newsletter No. 06/2026, PCT Fee Tables (amounts on 1 June 2026)
- WIPO, PCT Newsletter No. 09/2026 (September 2026; update block only)
