Overview
Patent Filing in Nepal, at a glance.
Patent Filing overviewNepal's patent law (Sections 3–11 of the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act, 2022 (1965)) protects a product or process that is new and industrially applicable. A complete application includes a request, a full description of the invention, the claims, and drawings where needed, filed at the Department of Industry. Accepted patents are published in the Nepal Gazette (secret patents and matters running against national interest are excepted), and a certificate is issued on registration.
A Nepalese patent runs for seven years from registration and can be renewed — but only twice, for seven years at a time — giving a maximum life of twenty-one years (Section 23B). Nepal is not a PCT member, so applications are made directly to the Department. We draft and file the specification and claims, respond to examination, and manage the registration and renewal deadlines across the life of the patent.
- Governing law
- PDTA 2022 (1965), Sec. 2–8
- Authority
- DoI + technical committee
- Term
- 7 + 7 + 7 — max 21 years
- Timeline
- ≈1 year or more
Why this is done from Nepal
Because this is where the system actually runs.
Why this service is delivered from NepalEXAMINATION
Nepal's technical committee is a local stage
After filing, the Department of Industry constitutes a technical committee — experts drawn from government bodies, academia (NAST, RECAST) and private specialists — to examine the invention. It is a distinctive procedural stage that international playbooks simply do not cover.
ROUTE
No PCT, no regional route — national filing only
Nepal is not a PCT member, so protection here means a direct national application at the Department of Industry with the specification prepared to local requirements, translated where needed.
PUBLICATION
Granted patents publish in the Nepal Gazette
Acceptance, registration and Nepal Gazette publication (Section 7A) are all administered in Kathmandu, with 35-day objection windows measured from local publication — tracked from here.
Process
How it works, step by step.
ProcessNepal's patent law (Sections 3–11 of the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act, 2022 (1965)) protects a product or process that is new and industrially applicable. A complete application includes a request, a full description of the invention, the claims, and drawings where needed, filed at the Department of Industry. Accepted patents are published in the Nepal Gazette (secret patents and matters running against national interest are excepted), and a certificate is issued on registration.
Confirm patentability
A patent protects a useful invention — a new method of process or manufacture, operation or transmission of a material, or an invention based on a new theory or formula (Section 2(a)). Nepal is not a PCT member: foreign patents must be filed nationally here.
Prepare the specification
Full description, the process or method of manufacture/operation/use, the theory or formula where relevant, and maps and drawings — in the Schedule 1(a) form with the inventor's details.
File with the DoI
Submit with the NPR 2,000 application fee. Non-Nepali specifications should be translated; foreign applicants file through a local agent with a notarised Power of Attorney.
Technical committee examination
Nepal's distinctive stage: the Department constitutes a technical committee of experts from government bodies, academia (NAST, RECAST) and private specialists to examine the documents. Findings go to the applicant, who may amend; the committee can re-examine before the final decision.
Grant, registration and Gazette publication
On a favourable decision the NPR 10,000 registration fee is paid, the patent registers for its first 7-year term, and registered patents are published in the Nepal Gazette (Section 7A) — objections within 35 days of inspecting the particulars.
- Timeline: typically a year or more; complex cases run longer
- Respond to committee findings within stated deadlines — late responses risk abandonment
- A lapsed patent cannot be revived; novelty is lost on refiling
A Nepalese patent runs for seven years from registration and can be renewed — but only twice, for seven years at a time — giving a maximum life of twenty-one years (Section 23B). Nepal is not a PCT member, so applications are made directly to the Department. We draft and file the specification and claims, respond to examination, and manage the registration and renewal deadlines across the life of the patent.
Documents & fees
What it takes, and what it costs.
Documents and feesWhat you need
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Application (Schedule 1(a)) | Prescribed patent form |
| Inventor details | Name, address, occupation — required by the Act |
| Full description / specification | Including claims where applicable |
| Process / method description | A required part of the disclosure |
| Theory or formula | Where the invention is based on one |
| Maps and drawings | With particulars, submitted with the application |
| Power of Attorney | Notarised, for agents and foreign applicants |
| Assignment evidence | If the applicant is not the inventor |
Documents for patent filing in Nepal
Fees
| Fee | Amount (NPR) |
|---|---|
| Application fee | 2,000 |
| Registration fee (first 7-year term) | 10,000 |
| Renewal — first term (per year) | 5,000 |
| Renewal — second term (per year) | 7,500 |
| Late renewal fine | 1,000 |
Patent fees (Schedule 3)
Legal references
Where the rules come from.
Legal referencesGoverning law & official references
FAQ
Patent Filing in Nepal — common questions.
Frequently asked questionsHow do I file a patent in Nepal?
File a Schedule 1(a) application at the Department of Industry with a full description, the process or method, drawings where needed and the inventor's details. Nepal is not a PCT member, so the national route is the only route; examination is by a DoI technical committee.
How long does a patent last in Nepal?
Seven years from registration, renewable at most twice for seven years at a time — a maximum of 21 years under Section 23B. After that the invention is public domain in Nepal.
What are the government fees for a patent in Nepal?
Per Schedule 3: NPR 2,000 application fee and NPR 10,000 registration fee, then renewals of NPR 5,000 per year in the first renewal term and NPR 7,500 per year in the second. Confirm current rates before paying — fees can be revised.
Can foreigners get patents in Nepal?
Yes, through a local agent with a notarised Power of Attorney. Non-Nepali specifications should be translated, and a foreign applicant claiming an invention first filed elsewhere should consider Paris Convention priority within twelve months for patents.
Independent by design. IP Watch Nepal is independently operated and is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the Department of Industry or WIPO.