On 10 June 2026, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) issued Circular No. 2/2026, introducing two practical changes designed to encourage more applicants to use the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH). If you file patents in Singapore or advise clients who do these changes are worth a closer look.

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What is the PPH, and Why Does it Matter?

The PPH lets applicants accelerate examination of a Singapore patent application by leveraging favourable work product from a partner patent office. Singapore now has a global network of more than 30 PPH partners, including China, Japan,Korea, the United States, and the European Patent Office.

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The benefit of utilizing the PPH in Singapore speak for itself:

• 94% grant rate in Singapore for PPH applications
• Faster first office action timelines
• Fewer office actions with around 70% of patents are     granted at the first office action

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Change No. 1: Faster First Office Actions

IPOS will now endeavour to issue the first office action within 6 months from the date of the PPH request.

This applies to any request to use PPH filed on or after 1 July 2026 giving applicants a clearer, shorter runway to prosecution.

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Change No. 2: A Simpler Way to Pay

Previously, applicants paid the full official fees upfront when requesting PPH alongside a search and/or examination report and then received 30% back afterwards.

The new approach delivers the same benefit, but more cleanly: from 3 August 2026 to 31 December 2027 (both dates inclusive), applicants filing a PPH request together with a new request for a search and/or examination report simply pay 70% of the prevailing official fees upfront with no rebate to wait for. This was a direct response to feedback from applicants and service providers.

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The New Discounted Fees

Figures as stated in the footnote to Circular No. 2/2026.

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What About Requests Made Before 3 August 2026?

Circular No. 4 of 2025 continues to apply. If you make a PPH request when filing for search and examination (or for examination) before 3 August 2026, you'll still pay full fees up front and receive the 30% back thereafter, as before.

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A few useful clarifications from the circular's FAQ:

• The 70% upfront fee is automatically reflected in     your tax invoice for qualifying requests.
• Applicants who requested PPH before 3 August 2026 remain     eligible for the 30% rebate.
• Even if you've previously obtained extensions of time     for your S&E or examination report request, you can still benefit     provided the PPH request is made within the 3 August 2026 to 31 December     2027 window.

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Prefer a Different Acceleration Route?

PPH isn't the only path.Applicants who want an earlier IPOS search and/or examination report to advance corresponding applications across ASEAN and beyond can continue to use IPOS' broader suite of acceleration programmes, including:

• ASPEC (ASEAN Patent Examination Co-operation)
• Collaborative Search and Examination (CS&E) programmes with Vietnam and Indonesia
• Re-registration programmes with Cambodia and Laos

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The Takeaway

These are small administrative refinements with a real cash-flow and timeline impact. The window for the simplified 70% upfront fee runs from 3 August 2026 to 31 December 2027, and the accelerated 6-month first office action applies to PPH requests from 1 July 2026. If PPH has ever been on your radar, this is a good moment to revisit it.

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Voyage IP monitors regulatory developments across Southeast Asia as part of its regionally integrated prosecution practice. Applicants with active Singaporean portfolios  or new filings under consideration are encouraged to review their current filing strategies in light of these changes.

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