Beginning 1 January 2026, individuals and businesses involved in commercial disputes and intellectual property litigation in Kosovo will be subject to significantly higher court fees, following the entry into force of Administrative Instruction No. 03/2025 on the Unification of Court Fees, approved by the Kosovo Judicial Council on 25 November 2025. The measure replaces previous tariff rules from 2017 and 2019 and introduces a unified, modern fee system designed to standardize payment obligations across the judiciary.
The most substantial increases will apply to cases before the Commercial Court, particularly those with high financial value or complex corporate issues. The fees are calculated according to the claim value, starting at €200 for disputes up to €25,000 and reaching €10,000 for claims exceeding €500,000, a significant increase from the previous maximum of €1,000.
The reform also heavily impacts IP-related proceedings, including trademark, patent and copyright disputes. For cases without monetary claims, the tariff is set at a flat €350 fee, whereas similar actions were previously charged only €50. Fees for preliminary injunctions have also risen, from €20 to €200.
Additional tariff amendments include:
- 50% of the initial fee for appeals in commercial and IP matters;
- €200–€350 for court procedures related to arbitration, such as recognition and enforcement of awards as well as annulment.
While the new structure seeks, among other goals, to ensure better cost recovery for complex commercial litigation, in our opinion it is expected to pose a challenge especially for startups and SMEs, which may now face higher financial barriers when seeking to enforce their IP rights.
