Annuities have to be paid for granted patents and pending applications at the beginning of each Gregorian year starting from the year following the national phase application's date, calculated from the PCT application date. Therefore, all due annuities from PCT until the national phase date must be paid along with the first year.

As for pending applications, the annuity has to be paid once for the year due for payment only, i. e. there is no retroactive effect of the payment provision.

A grace period of three (3) months is granted for the annuity payment without additional official fees, i.e. by 31 March each year.

Penalty for the late payment of the annuity fees, after the three-month grace period, will be two times the official fees of the respective year.