Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure

Find all the information concerning fees, available means to pay, post-payment actions, etc. when using the European Small Claims procedure in each Member State.

Are you about to use the European Small Claims procedure? If so, please note the applicable court fees. You will find all the information concerning fees, available means to pay, post-payment actions, etc. by selecting the relevant national flag listed elsewhere on this page.

Last update: 07/07/2023

This page is maintained by the European Commission. The information on this page does not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Commission. The Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice with regard to copyright rules for European pages.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Belgium

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

This subject is regulated by Articles 1017 to 1022 of the Belgian Judicial Code (Code judiciaire) and by Article 953 of that Code with regard to the payment of witness fees. It is also governed by the Belgian Code of Registration, Mortgage and Court Registry Fees (Code des droits d'enregistrement, d'hypothèque et de greffe), and particularly Articles 142 et seq. and 268 et seq. with regard to registration fees.

What fees are applicable?

Article 1018 of the Belgian Judicial Code specifies the nature of the costs:

1° Court registry, registration and other fees. Court registry fees include listing fees, drafting fees and certified copy fees (see Articles 268 et seq. of the Belgian Code of Registration, Mortgage and Court Registry Fees). The listing fee is between EUR 30 and EUR 100, depending on the court. The drafting fee is EUR 35.

Registration fees are payable for decisions in cases where the principal amount is more than EUR 12,500 (excluding court fees). They are set at 3% of this amount. Therefore, they do not apply to small claims;

2° The cost of court processes and the related salaries and emoluments.

3° The cost of a certified copy of the judgment: between EUR 0.85 and EUR 5.75 per page;

4° The costs of any means of giving or obtaining evidence, including expert and other witness fees. The Royal Decree of 27 July 1972 set this amount at BEF 200 per witness, which is now equivalent to around EUR 5. Added to this is the travel allowance (EUR 0.0868 per kilometre).

If an expert witness is called, he or she is free to set his or her own costs and fees. However, the calculation method must be clearly stated and the amount may, if necessary (for example, where costs have been incurred unnecessarily), be reduced by the court in the detailed assessment of court fees.

5° Travel and subsistence expenses for judges, clerks and parties to the case, where their travel has been ordered by the court, and deed costs, where they have been made solely for the purposes of the trial.

6° Case preparation fee (Article 1022 of the Belgian Judicial Code). This is paid by the losing party and is a fixed contribution to the legal costs and fees of the winning party. The amounts are based on the consumer price index and will be increased or reduced by 10% if the index rises or falls by 10 percentage points.

Amount of the claim

Basic
amount

Minimum
amount

Maximum
amount

EUR 250.00 or less

EUR 180.00

EUR 90.00

EUR 360.00

EUR 250.01 to EUR 750.00

EUR 240.00

EUR 150.00

EUR 600.00

EUR 750.01 to EUR 2,500.00

EUR 480.00

EUR 240.00

EUR 1,200.00

Employment tribunal (special rules)

Amount of the claim

Basic
amount

Minimum
amount

Maximum
amount

EUR 250.00 or less

EUR 43.75

EUR 31.75

EUR 55.75

EUR 620.00 or less

EUR 87.43

EUR 69.43

EUR 105.43

EUR 2,500.00 or less

EUR 131.18

EUR 107.18

EUR 155.18

7° The fees, emoluments and expenses of the ombudsman appointed in accordance with Article 1734 of the Belgian Judicial Code.

How much shall I pay?

In view of the above, the amount to be paid depends entirely on each case, depending on whether or not you win, whether expert witnesses were called, whether other witnesses were summoned, whether the judges had to travel abroad, whether an ombudsman was involved, etc.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

Court registry fees must be paid in advance, otherwise the case will not be added to the listing.

Expert witnesses always require an advance payment before starting work.

If you request the hearing of a witness, you will first have to pay the amount due to the clerk. If you do not pay this amount, it will be assumed that you no longer require the witness to be heard.

How can I pay the court fees?

Payment may be made by a credit transfer or payment order, electronic transfer, cash or cheque payable to the court registry (the latter option being reserved for legal practitioners and bailiffs).

What shall I do after the payment?

All proof of payment must be kept in a safe place so that it can be produced immediately upon request.

Last update: 26/02/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Bulgaria

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

The provisions on the payment of court fees and costs in civil proceedings are respectively laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure and the Schedule of state fees collected by the courts under the Code of Civil Procedure (GPK).

Code of Civil Procedure:

‘Chapter Eight. Fees and Costs, Section I - Cost of action

Cost of action
Article 68. The monetary value of the subject-matter of the case shall be the cost of action.

Cost of action
Article 69. (1) The amount of the cost of action shall be:
1. in actions concerning monetary claims: the sum claimed;

Determination of the cost of action:
Article 70. (1) The cost of action shall be specified by the plaintiff. The cost of action may be challenged either by the respondent or by the court, acting on its own motion, at the latest during the first hearing for the examination of the case. In the event of a discrepancy between the cost indicated and the actual cost, the court shall determine the cost of action.
(2) The ruling of the court increasing the cost of action shall be subject to challenge by an interlocutory appeal.
(3) Where the cost of action is difficult to appraise at the time when the action is brought, an approximate cost of action shall be determined by the court and an additional fee shall subsequently be charged or the excess fee refunded depending on the cost determined by the court when settling the case.

Section II. State fees and costs

Liability for fees and costs
Article 71. (1) State fees on the cost of action and court costs shall be collected for handling the case. Where the action is unappraisable, the amount of the state fee shall be determined by the court.

State fees
Article 73. (3) State fees shall be collected, in accordance with a schedule adopted by the Council of Ministers, when a motion for protection or facilitation is presented and when the document for which a fee is payable is issued.

Attachments to application
Article 128. The following shall be presented with an application:
1. the power of attorney, where the statement is submitted by an attorney-in-fact;
2. documentary proof of payment of state fees and costs, where such duties and costs are due;
3. copies of the application and of the attachments thereto in accordance with the number of respondents.

Verification of the application
Article 129. (1) The court shall verify the conformity of the application.
(2) Where the application does not conform to the requirements laid down in Article 127(1) and Article 128, the plaintiff shall be instructed to remedy the non-conformities within one week and informed of the possibility of using legal aid, if the plaintiff needs and is entitled to such aid. Where the address of the plaintiff is not stated and is unknown to the court, communication shall be effected by posting a notice in a place designated for this purpose at the court for one week.
(3) Where the plaintiff fails to remedy the non-conformities, the application and the attachments shall be returned, and where the address is unknown, the application shall remain at the office of the court at the disposal of the plaintiff. An interlocutory appeal may be lodged against the return of the application without presenting a copy for service.’

Schedule of state fees collected by the courts under the Code of Civil Procedure
‘Section I
Fees Collected in court proceedings
Article 1. A fee of 4% of the cost of action but not less than BGN 50 shall be collected for an application, a counter-application or an application by a third party with independent rights.’

Court fees are payable only by bank transfer to an account of the court.

What fees are applicable?

State fees are collected when the action is brought. The plaintiff must accompany the application with documentary proof of payment of any state fees and costs due.

How much shall I pay?

The state fee in the Republic of Bulgaria for such actions is 4 % of the cost of action but not less than BGN 50.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If the plaintiff does not accompany the application with documentary proof of payment of the state fees due when bringing the action, the court will send the plaintiff a communication instructing them to pay the state fees within one week. Where the address of the plaintiff is not stated and is unknown to the court, communication is effected by posting a notice in a place designated for this purpose at the court for one week.
Where the plaintiff fails to remedy the non-conformities, the application and the attachments are be returned, and where the address is unknown, the application remains at the office of the court at the disposal of the plaintiff. In such instances, the case is dismissed.

How can I pay the court fees?

Court fees are payable only by bank transfer to an account of the court, and the payment document must be submitted to the judge/bench examining the case via the court registry. The court fee cannot be paid in cash to the court cashier. Each court has a contract with a bank which provides services to the court. The bank accounts can be found on the official website of the court.

What shall I do after the payment?

Court fees are payable only by bank transfer to an account of the court, and the payment document must be submitted to the judge/bench examining the case via the court registry.

Last update: 20/07/2022

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Czechia

Introduction

What fees do I have to pay?

How much is it?

What are the consequences of late payment of fees?

How and where do I pay the court fees?

What do I do after I have paid the fees?

Introduction

Court fees are regulated by Act No 549/1991 on court fees. The annex to the Act contains a schedule of fees. Fees constitute revenue of the State budget.

Fees are paid by a bank transfer to the account of the competent court. Fees not exceeding CZK 5 000 can also be paid by fee stamps.

What fees do I have to pay?

In the small claims procedure, court fees must be paid in accordance with general regulations. The same rules are applied here as for other civil proceedings.

How much is it?

Procedure fee rates are set as a fixed amount, or as a percentage for fees whose base is expressed as a monetary amount. The percentage fee is calculated as the product of the fee base and the fee rate. Individual rates are set out in the schedule of fees annexed to Act No 549/1991 on court fees.

The basic rule based on the payment criterion is relevant in terms of the European Small Claims Procedure. The fee for an application to initiate a civil judicial procedure concerning a payment of up to CZK 20 000 is fixed at CZK 1 000.

What are the consequences of late payment of fees?

If the procedure fee payable upon the filing of the application to initiate a procedure, appeal, third-instance appeal or cassation complaint has not been paid, the court shall request the payer to pay it within a period set by the court of no less than 15 days. Exceptionally, the court may set a shorter period. If this period has expired and the payer has not paid the fee, the court shall discontinue the procedure. Payment of the fee after expiry of the time limit will be disregarded.

If the appellate court finds, after the case has been brought before it for a decision on the appeal, that the fee payable upon filing the appeal has not been paid, it shall request the payer to pay it within a period of no less than 15 days. Exceptionally, the appellate court may set a shorter period. If this period has expired and the payer has not paid the fee, the appellate court shall discontinue the procedure. Payment of the fee after expiry of the time limit will be disregarded. The procedure before the appellate court shall apply mutatis mutandis.

If the decision to discontinue the proceedings for failure to pay the fee becomes final, the obligation to pay ceases to exist.

How and where do I pay the court fees?

Fees are paid by a bank transfer to the account of the competent court. Bank details can be found on the website of each court, available at the Internet portal Link opens in new windowhttps://www.justice.cz/. Fees of up to CZK 5 000 can also be paid by fee stamps.

Cases concerning procedure fees are decided by the court competent to hear and decide the case at first instance.

What do I do after I have paid the fees?

By sending money to the bank account of the competent court or by delivering fee stamps to the competent court, the payer’s obligation to pay court fees is fulfilled. You are not obliged to submit any other documents to the court.

Last update: 09/11/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

NOTĂ: Versiunea în limba originală a acestei pagini germană a fost modificată recent. Versiunea lingvistică pe care o consultați acum este în lucru la traducătorii noștri.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Germany

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

The court costs for the European small claims procedure are set out in the Law on Court Costs (Gerichtskostengesetz).

The court requests the payment of court costs by way of a court cost invoice. Fees are due when the application initiating the procedure is lodged. However, the progress of the procedure does not depend on the payment of fees.

In addition to the applicant, anyone on whom such liability is imposed by the court, or anyone who assumes liability as part of a settlement, is also liable for the court fees.

What fees are applicable?

The specific fees are listed in an appendix (Cost Index – Kostenverzeichnis) to the Law on Court Costs. Point 1210 of the Cost Index specifies a fee rate of 3.0 for the European small claims procedure. In case of early termination of the procedure, this fee is reduced to a rate of 1.0 (Point 1211 of the Cost Index).

The amount of the fee is determined by the amount in dispute, which is usually identical to the value of the claim lodged.

How much shall I pay?

Fees payable:

Values up to
EUR

3.0 fee rate
EUR

1.0 fee rate
EUR

500.00

105.00

35.00

1 000.00

159.0

53.00

1 500.00

213.00

71.00

2 000.00

267.00

89.00

In addition to the fees, all expenses incurred must be paid, such as the costs of service, witnesses, experts and interpreters.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

Unpaid legal costs will be recovered by enforcement by the court cash desks (Gerichtskassen).

How can I pay the court fees?

Payment is possible by bank transfer to the account indicated in the invoice. The reference number must be indicated in the transfer.

a) by bank transfer

Payment by bank transfer is possible.

b) by credit card

Payment by credit card is not possible.

c) by direct debit from your bank account

Payment by direct debit is not possible.

d) other methods of payment (please specify)

No other methods of payment are available.

What shall I do after the payment?

The progress of the procedure does not depend on the payment.

Last update: 05/11/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Estonia

If the state fee is to be paid on the basis of a court judgment, it must be paid into the account referred to in the judgment and using the reference number indicated in the judgment.

Introduction

If you submit an application to a court in Estonia in a European small claims procedure, you will have to pay the same state fee as if you were submitting a national application. State fees and other procedural costs are governed by the Code of Civil Procedure and the State Fees Act. State fees and procedural costs to be paid to the court can only be paid by bank transfer.

What fees are applicable?

When you submit your application, you will have to pay a state fee to cover the costs of the proceedings. During the proceedings other procedural costs may also arise, such as the costs of serving procedural documents and interpretation or translation costs.

How much will I have to pay?

If you submit an application to a court in Estonia in the European small claims procedure, the state fee you will have to pay is the same as if you were submitting a national application. The size of the state fee depends on the amount of money you claim. For example, you will have to pay a state fee of €140 for a claim of €500, a state fee of €245 for a claim of €1 000, a state fee of €280 for a claim of €1 500, and a state fee of €315 for a claim of €2 000.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

You must pay the state fee in advance when submitting an application. If you have not paid the state fee, the court will give you the opportunity to pay it by a deadline set by the court. If you do not pay the state fee by that deadline, the court will dismiss your application.

How can I pay the court fees?

State fees can only be paid by bank transfer. Credit cards are not accepted. For all payments intended to be made to the courts, the payee is the Ministry of Finance.

If you pay the state fee in advance, you must use the communication field of the payment order to indicate as precisely as possible the procedure for which you are paying the state fee. If you submit an application via the Link opens in new windowpublic e-File, you can pay the state fee in the same environment by using the online banking link. If the state fee is to be paid on the basis of a court judgment, it must be paid into the account referred to in the judgment and using the reference number indicated in the judgment.

You can find more information on state fee accounts and the reference numbers of the courts on the Link opens in new windowEstonian Courts website.

What do I have to do after making the payment?

You must provide the court with information confirming payment of the state fee, so that the court can verify receipt of the state fee. This information is as follows: the name of the person paying the state fee, details about the bank and the account into which the state fee was paid, the amount paid, and the date of payment. The court can verify receipt of the payment electronically, i.e. you do not need to submit the payment order confirming payment of the state fee. However, the court may ask for it, if necessary.

Last update: 16/09/2022

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Ireland

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

Part 9 of S.I. Number 22 of 2014 refers to the payment of Court Fees on documents specific to the Small Claims procedure. Part 2 of S.I. Number 22 of 2014 refers to the payment of Court Fees in District Court Civil Proceedings and that are common to both areas.

The Link opens in new windowCourts Services Online has also recently introduced online services allowing you to create, review, pay for and advance claims including small claims upon creation of an account. The system is open to all individuals and legal firms.

What fees are applicable?

Payment of fees is required when submitting the following documents in relation any Small Claims Applications with the Small Claims Registrar:-

  1. On lodging the initial Application.
  2. On lodging a Notice of Dispute with a Counterclaim.
  3. *** On lodging a Notice of Motion to Set Aside Judgment.
  4. *** On lodging a Notice of Appeal to the Circuit Court.
  5. *** On the issue of a Summons in the nature of Subpoena Ad Testificandum or Duces Tecum (Witness Summons)

*** These documents are not stated in Part 9 of S.I. Number 22 of 2014 but are stated under Part 2 of S.I. Number 22 of 2014.

How much shall I pay?

Item

(1)

Fee

(2)

Document to be stamped

(3)

On lodging an application with the Small Claims Registrar

€25.00

The Application or Court Fee Card

On lodging a Notice of Dispute with a Counterclaim with the Small Claims Registrar

€25.00

The Notice or Court Fee Card

On lodging a Notice of Motion to Set Aside Judgment

€15.00

The Notice or Court Fee Card

On lodging a Notice of Appeal to the Circuit Court

€25.00

The Notice or Court Fee Card

On the issue of a Summons in the nature of Subpoena Ad Testificandum or Duces Tecum (Witness Summons)

€15.00

The Original Summons

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If the Court Fee is not paid on the Application the document is returned to the Claimant and payment is requested.

If the Court Fee is not paid on the Notice of Dispute with a Counterclaim the document is assessed to see if the Respondent has a valid Counterclaim. If YES the document is returned to the Respondent and payment is requested. If NO the document is returned to the Respondent, explaining why it is not a valid Counterclaim. A new Notice of Dispute form is made available for the Respondent to complete and return to the Small Claims Registrar.

If the Court Fee is not paid on the Notice of Motion to Set Aside Judgment within the time frame allowed the presiding Judge will be advised of this fact on the date of the Application. A Decree may issue for the attention of the Sheriff to enforce on foot of the original Judgement granted in Default. .

If the Court Fee is not paid on the Notice of Appeal to the Circuit Court the file will not be forwarded to the Circuit Court. A Decree may issue for the attention of the Sheriff to enforce on foot of the original Decree granted in Court.

If the Court Fee is not paid on the Summons in the nature of Subpoena Ad Testificandum or Duces Tecum (Witness Summons) the Summons will be invalid.

How can I pay the court fees?

Fees can be paid in any District Court Stamping Office by the following methods:

Cash or a cheque / postal order / bank draft made payable to the Chief Clerk

Fees can also be paid by sending a cheque / postal order / bank draft made payable to the Chief Clerk to the relevant District Court Office.

What shall I do after the payment?

When making payment in a Stamping Office of the District Court retain the receipt received from the Court Officer and lodge the stamped document(s) with the Small Claims Registrar.

When sending the payment via cheque, postal order, bank draft made payable to the Chief Clerk, retain a photo copy of the payment method & the original certificate of posting. This will be necessary as evidence if the Court requires proof of payment.

When the Small Claims Office receives payment for any document the office will have the document stamped and will retain the receipt for the fee paid on file.

Last update: 18/01/2024

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Greece

Introduction

The European Small Claims Procedure mainly aims to simplify and speed up cross-border small claims litigation in the European Union and cut the costs of these proceedings between Member States.

What fees are applicable?

In order to file with the court a claim which will be heard in accordance with the European Small Claims Procedure, it is necessary that court fees be paid corresponding to a (small) percentage of the amount sought by the claimant. The fees must be paid upon filing the claim.

How much shall I pay?

The relevant amount is determined by the court and is proportionate to the amount of the compensation claimed by the claimant. For example, if the claimant claims an amount of €5,000, the court fees will be approximately €65.

What happens if I don’t pay the court fees in time?

If the court fees are not paid in time, the court has discretion to (a) set a deadline for the claimant to submit the relevant proof of payment of the fees; or (b) reject the claim.

How can I pay the court fees?

Court fees are usually paid in cash at a designated payment place. Registrars may explain the payment procedure to the interested parties. It is not possible (for the time being) to pay the court fees by credit card or through a bank account.

What shall I do after the payment?

The proof of payment of the court fees supplied by the place of payment is attached to the case file together with the claim.

Last update: 12/03/2024

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Spain

The European Small Claims Procedure is not subject to a court fee.

Last update: 17/01/2024

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

NOTĂ: Versiunea în limba originală a acestei pagini croată a fost modificată recent. Versiunea lingvistică pe care o consultați acum este în lucru la traducătorii noștri.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Croatia

Introduction

Which fees apply?

How much will I pay?

What happens if I fail to pay court fees on time?

How can I pay court fees?

What do I do once I have made payment?

Introduction

Court fees in the Republic of Croatia are set out in the Court Fees Act No. 118/18 (Zakon o sudskim pristojbama) and the Decree on the Court Fee Tariff (Uredba o tarifi sudskih pristojbi) prescribed by the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

Pursuant to Article 5 of the Court Fees Act, the fees prescribed by the Tariff shall be paid by cashless payment, in cash, in revenue stamps issued by the Republic of Croatia, or electronically.

For petitions submitted electronically, pursuant to special regulations via the information system which is used in court business, a fee is paid on submission. The amount paid is half the fee established by the tariff.

For decisions served by a court electronically, pursuant to the special regulations via the information system which is used in court business, half the fee established by the tariff is paid, if it is paid within three days from the day of electronic service.

Which fees apply?

Court fees are paid in all civil and commercial court proceedings. Pursuant to Article 11 of the Court Fees Act, the following are exempt:

  1. the Republic of Croatia and government bodies
  2. persons and bodies exercising public authority in procedures arising from the exercise of these powers
  3. workers in disputes and other procedures related to the exercise of their rights arising from employment
  4. civil servants and employees in administrative disputes related to the exercise of their rights stemming from employment
  5. disabled war veterans of the Croatian War of Independence, based on appropriate documents proving their status, as well as disabled persons, based on appropriate documents of the Department of Expertise, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities
  6. spouses, children and parents of soldiers who were killed, missing and detained in the Croatian War of Independence, based on appropriate documents proving their status
  7. spouses, children and parents of persons who were killed, missing and detained in the Croatian War of Independence, based on appropriate documents proving their status
  8. refugees, displaced persons and returnees, based on appropriate documents proving their status
  9. welfare recipients who receive subsistence allowance
  10. humanitarian organisations, organisations dealing with the protection of families of those killed, missing and detained in carrying out humanitarian activities and organisations of disabled people
  11. children as parties in proceedings for maintenance or in proceedings concerning claims based on that right
  12. parties initiating proceedings for the determination of maternity or paternity and proceedings for the costs incurred by pregnancy and the birth of a child outside of marriage
  13. parties seeking restoration of legal capacity
  14. minors seeking authorisation to enter marriage
  15. parties to the proceedings in order to hand over a child and for the purpose of exercising a personal relationship with a child
  16. parties initiating procedures over rights arising from compulsory pension and general medical insurance, over rights of the unemployed pursuant to employment regulations and social welfare rights
  17. parties initiating procedures for the protection of constitutionally guaranteed human rights and freedoms against final individual acts
  18. parties in environmental pollution compensation disputes
  19. trade unions and higher level trade union associations in civil proceedings for judicial approval of replacement and in collective labour disputes and union representatives in civil proceedings in the exercise of the powers of the works council
  20. consumers as bankruptcy debtors
  21. other persons and bodies as required by a special law.

A foreign state is exempt from the payment of fees, if so provided by international treaty or subject to reciprocity.

In case of doubt about the conditions of reciprocity, the court will request an explanation from the Ministry of Justice.

The exemption from point 10 applies to those humanitarian organisations for which the minister responsible for social welfare affairs issues an appropriate decision.

Exemption from the payment of court fees does not apply to the bodies of municipalities and cities unless, in accordance with a special law, the exercise of public authority has been delegated to them.

In European small claims procedures, the following fees are payable:

  • for a claim - the plaintiff pays
  • for lodging a defence - the defendant pays
  • for a judgement - the plaintiff pays
  • for an appeal - the appellant pays
  • for a response to an appeal – the person filing the response pays (responding is optional)

How much will I pay?

I. For a claim, counter-claim, judgement and an objection to an order for payment, a court fee commensurate to the dispute amount is to be paid (calculated only for the amount of the main application without interest and costs), as follows:

above

up to HRK

HRK

0.00

3,000.00

100.00

3,001.00

6,000.00

200.00

6,001.00

9,000.00

300.00

9,001.00

12,000.00

400.00

12,001.00

15,000.00

500.00

А fee of HRK 500.00 is payable on amounts above HRK 15,000.00 and plus 1% on the difference above HRK 15,000.00, but not more than HRK 5,000.00.

II. Half of the fee referred to under point I is payable for lodging a defence and for a response to an appeal.

III. Double the amount of court fees referred to in point I is payable on appeal of a judgement.

IV. A court fee is not payable where a court settlement is reached during the court proceedings.

What happens if I fail to pay court fees on time?

If a party fails to pay the fee within the prescribed deadline or fails to inform the court thereof, the court will, within a further 15-day deadline, attach a certificate of enforceability to the decision on the fee or the complaint decision and submit it to the Financial Agency for enforced payment from the party's funds in accordance with the provisions of the law governing the enforcement of rulings on monetary assets.

Pursuant to Article 28 of the Court Fees Act, the court must first warn the party to the court action of the obligation to pay the fee, and where he party fails to immediately comply with the warning, the court must warn the party to pay the fee within three days. If the party fails to act on the warning or was not present at the court action for which the fee is due, and it failed to pay the fee, the court will adopt a decision in respect of the fee on which the additional charge of HRK 100 is payable.

How can I pay court fees?

Court fees are to be paid by cashless payment, in cash, in revenue stamps issued by the Republic of Croatia or electronically.

The cash fee can also be paid in the court's accounting, in which case the court is obliged to pay that money into the budget revenue from court fees within five days of the date of collection.

Fees can be paid in revenue stamps if the fee is less than HRK 100.

Information on fee payment method is to be made available on the e-Bulletin Board website, court websites and in court offices.

Court fees can be paid through any bank or post office into the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia.

In order to pay court fees from abroad the following information must be included:

SWIFT: NBHRHR2X

IBAN: HR1210010051863000160

Giro account (CC): 1001005-1863000160

Model: HR64

Reference number: 5045-20735-PIN (or other personal identification number for the payer)

Beneficiary: Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia, on behalf of the Commercial Court in Zagreb

The payment description should include the fee for case ________ (number of the case file, and a description of the payment, e.g. court fee for a proposal to issue the European order for payment)

What do I do once I have made payment?

Once payment has been made, proof of payment must be sent to the court trying the case for which the fee is being paid, including a reference to the number of the case being heard (if the case number is known) or where an application for the issuance of an European order for payment has just been filed then proof of the bank payment must accompany the application.

The parties are to submit documents to the court regularly by mail (registered or ordinary parcel delivery) or electronically, in a form pursuant to special regulations via the information system which is used in court business.

Last update: 02/04/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Italy

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

The rules on the costs of proceedings are set out in the Consolidated law on legal costs (Testo Unico delle disposizioni legislative e regolamentari in materia di spese di giustizia) contained in Link opens in new windowPresidential Decree No 115 of 30 May 2002 (Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 30 maggio 2002 n. 115).

What fees are applicable?

In civil actions, each party covers the costs of its own documents and of the documents necessary for the action if the law or the court requires that party to pay them (Article 8 of the Consolidated law on legal costs, Presidential Decree No 115/2002).

The fees in civil actions are as follows:

  • standard fee to bring the action
  • service fees
  • fees for copies

How much shall I pay?

The amounts payable are laid down in Article 13 and Article 30 of Presidential Decree No 115/2002 regarding, respectively, the standard fee and the advance payment to cover service costs at the request of the court.

Fees for copies are governed by Articles 267 et seq. of Presidential Decree No 115/2002 and are listed in Tables 6, 7 and 8 annexed to that decree.

Under Article 46 of Link opens in new windowLaw No 374/1991 establishing the Office of Justice of the Peace (Legge 21 novembre 1991, n. 374 Istituzione del giudice di pace) [in Italy, justices of the peace are legally qualified], only the standard fee is payable for documents and judgments for amounts up to €1,033.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

In the event of non-payment, the court or a debt collection company (agreement in place with Equitalia Giustizia SpA) will serve a payment notice with instructions on how to arrange payment of the standard fee (Article 248 of Presidential Decree No 115/2002).

In the event of non-payment of the fees for copies and the amount provided for in Article 30 of Presidential Decree No 115/2002, the court may refuse to accept the document (Article 285 of Presidential Decree No 115/2002).

How can I pay the court fees?

If the payment is made in Italy a postal account, Form F23 or stamps purchased from authorised tobacconists and retailers should be used.

Payments from abroad should be made by bank transfer.

What shall I do after the payment?

After the payment, the relevant receipt must be produced to provide the court with proof of payment.

Last update: 18/01/2022

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Cyprus

In Cyprus, the Procedural Regulation on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 is the Procedural Regulation of 2008 on the European Small Claims Procedure, which has been in force since 1 January 2009.

Last update: 11/03/2024

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Latvia

Introduction

Pursuant to Link opens in new windowArticle 33 of the Civil Procedure Law (Civilprocesa likums) legal expenses (tiesāšanās izdevumi) comprise:

  1. court fees;
  2. deposits;
  3. and the expenses related to handling the proceedings.

What fees are applicable?

Court fees consist of:

(1) a State fee (valsts nodeva):

a State fee must be paid for every application submitted to the court - an original claim, a counterclaim, an application brought by a third party with a separate claim in respect of the subject-matter of the dispute in proceedings already commenced, an application in a special form of procedure, or another application provided for in Link opens in new windowArticle 34 of the Civil Procedure Law.

(2) costs related to examination of a case, namely:

  1. sums payable to witnesses and expert witnesses;
  2. expenses related to the hearing of witnesses or carrying out inspections on site;
  3. expenses incurred in tracing the defendant or a witness;
  4. expenses related to the enforcement of a judgment;
  5. expenses related to the drafting, service, issue and translation of court summonses and other related court documents and for the return of written evidence;
  6. expenses related to the drafting and issue of legal notices;
  7. expenses related to securing the claim or provisional safeguards;

(3) costs related to the proceedings, i.e.

  1. lawyer’s fees;
  2. costs related to appearances at court hearings;
  3. costs related to collecting evidence;
  4. costs related to State-funded legal aid;
  5. costs for an interpreter's assistance at the court hearing.

How much shall I pay?

Link opens in new windowArticle 34 of the Civil Procedure Law lays down the amount of State fees by claim, assessed as a monetary payment: for applications in divorce cases; for applications in special forms of procedure; for other applications, which are not of a pecuniary nature or where no assessment is required; for applications to have an arbitration agreement ruled invalid; for applications concerning copyright and related rights, database protection (sui generis), trade marks, certification marks and geographical indications, patents, designs, plant varieties, infringements and protection of semiconductor topography, applications for the protection of trade secrets against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure and for which the dispute is before the industrial property appeals board; for applications in cases seeking to invalidate a decision of a general meeting of participants (shareholders) of a capital company; for applications for security or provisional safeguards; for applications for European account preservation orders pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 655/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 establishing a European Account Preservation Order procedure to facilitate cross-border debt recovery in civil and commercial matters; for applications for evidentiary proceedings, where submitted prior to any legal action; for applications for a European order for payment pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 creating a European order for payment procedure; for applications for the enforcement of obligations on court notice; for applications for undisputed enforcement of obligations; for applications for the issuing of a writ of execution for the recognition and enforcement of an award by the Permanent Court of Arbitrage or a foreign arbitral tribunal; for applications for a resumption of proceedings and the reopening of proceedings after a default judgment; for applications to open proceedings for the separation of spouses’ jointly owned property; for complaints in legal protection proceedings, for complaints in insolvency proceedings due to decisions of the meeting of creditors, for complaints about the decisions of the Insolvency Control Service (Maksātnespējas kontroles dienests), as well as with respect to Regulation (EU) 2015/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015 on insolvency proceedings; for applications for the consolidation of immovable property in the name of the purchaser; for applications for the transfer of the parties’ procedural rights, where such applications are submitted to the court after the final decision on the case has entered into force; for applications to cancel the release from debt obligations of natural persons; for applications for issuing a duplicate of a writ of enforcement.

Link opens in new windowThe Cabinet of Ministers determines the amount to be paid to witnesses and expert witnesses, as well as the level of expenses and their calculation method for questioning witnesses or conducting on-site inspections, tracing defendants or witnesses, preparing, serving, issuing and translating summonses and other related court documents, returning written evidence, drafting and publishing legal notices and securing a claim or provisional safeguards.

The amount of security to be lodged is laid down in Link opens in new windowArticle 43.1 of the Civil Procedure Law.

The extent to which the expenses related to the case are reimbursable is laid down in Link opens in new windowArticle 44 of the Civil Procedure Law.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If an application is not accompanied by the documents confirming the payment of State fees and other court expenses in accordance with the procedure and in the amount prescribed by law, the court, pursuant to Link opens in new windowArticle 133 of the Civil Procedure Law, will proceed no further with the application, and will set a time limit for the plaintiff to eliminate the deficiencies.

If the plaintiff eliminates the deficiencies within the time limit set, the application will be considered to have been submitted on the day when it was first submitted to the court.

If the plaintiff does not eliminate the deficiencies within the time limit set, the application will be deemed not to have been submitted and will be returned to the plaintiff.

The return of an application to the plaintiff does not prevent the plaintiff from submitting it to the court again, in compliance with the ordinary procedures laid down in the Civil Procedure Law.

How can I pay the court fees?

The State fee can be paid to the account of the State Treasury (Valsts kase).

Expenses related to the examination of a case can be paid to the account of the Courts Administration (Tiesu administrācija).

Link opens in new windowState fees and court accounts

State judicial fee (Article 34 of the Civil Procedure Law, excluding Paragraph six (for the submission for enforcement of a writ of execution or other enforcement document)):

Beneficiary: State Treasury

Registration No 90000050138

Account No LV55TREL1060190911200

Beneficiary’s bank: State Treasury

BIC code TRELLV22

Purpose of payment: Particulars identifying the person or the case: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number. If the payment of a State fee is made on behalf of another person, information must be given identifying that person: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons – name and registration number.

The State fee for the submission for enforcement of a writ of execution or other enforcement document (Article 34 Paragraph six of the Civil Procedure Law):

before submitting the enforcement documents for enforcement, ask the collection agent via the ‘Other services’ section of the electronic auctions website to generate the invoice for the State fee for the submission for enforcement of enforcement documents and pay it.

Purpose of payment: indicate the invoice number and the enforcement document number.

Expenses related to the examination of a case by a district (city) court or regional court (Article 39 of the Civil Procedure Law); expenses related to the enforcement of obligations on court notice (Article 406.3 of the Civil Procedure Law):

Beneficiary: Courts Administration

Registration No 90001672316

Account No LV51TREL2190458019000

Beneficiary’s bank: State Treasury

BIC code TRELLV22

Purpose of payment: ‘21490’, and give the particulars identifying the person or the case: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number. If the payment of expenses related to the examination of a case is made on behalf of another person, information must be given identifying that person: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons – name and registration number.

What shall I do after the payment?

When you submit an application to the court, you must attach documents confirming payment of State fees and other court expenses in accordance with the procedure and in the amount prescribed by law.

Last update: 05/09/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Lithuania

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

Court stamp duty in the amount specified in Article 80(1)(1) of Lithuanian Code of Civil Procedure (Civilinio proceso kodeksas) is levied in respect of European small claims.

Pursuant to Resolution No 1240 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 27 October 2011 approving the Rules for the calculation, payment, offsetting and repayment of court stamp duty, this duty can also be paid by electronic means.

What fees are applicable?

The court stamp duty is payable in the amount specified in the next paragraph.

How much shall I pay?

Depending on the amount of the claim, 3%, but no less than LTL 50. If procedural documents and their annexes are lodged with the court only electronically, an amount equal to 75% of the stamp duty applicable to the respective procedural document, but no less than LTL 10, is charged.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

The application must be accompanied by documents and other evidence serving as a basis for the applicant’s claims, as well as evidence that the court stamp duty has been paid.

Where the court stamp duty has not been paid, the court issues an order setting an adequate time limit for compliance, which cannot be shorter than seven days. The order is dispatched no later than on the next working day following its issue.

If the party to the proceedings submitting the procedural document has complied with the court’s instructions within the time limit specified, the procedural document is deemed to have been submitted on the date when it was initially filed with the court. Otherwise, the procedural document is deemed not to have been submitted and, no later than within five working days from the end of the time limit for compliance, the judge issues an order returning the procedural document, together with any accompanying documents, to the person who filed it.

How can I pay the court fees?

Court stamp duty is paid to the budgetary revenue account of the State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance in the manner chosen by the person in question (e-banking, cash payment, bank transfer, etc.).

What shall I do after the payment?

Evidence of payment of the court stamp duty is provided by the payment order or another document confirming payment, which must contain the following details:

  1. the payer’s name, surname and personal ID number (for legal persons: name and corporate ID number);
  2. the name, surname and personal ID number of the other party (defendant, debtor, etc.) (for legal persons: name and corporate ID number);
  3. the date of payment;
  4. the payment code;
  5. the amount paid;
  6. the purpose of the payment (indicated as ‘court stamp duty’, and the name of the court in which the proceedings are being initiated).

Where the court stamp duty is paid by a representative of the party to the proceedings (advocate, advocate’s assistant or another person representing the party’s interests), the payment order or another document confirming payment should include, in addition to the above-listed details, the name, surname and personal ID number (for legal persons: name and corporate ID number) of the party represented.

If the court stamp duty is paid by electronic means, no documents are required to confirm payment.

Last update: 07/04/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Luxembourg

What fees are applicable?

There are no fixed fees for bringing an action before a civil court (saisine du juge civil) other than the cost of service of documents and the costs of legal representation. In principle, no fees are incurred at civil court level. Once a judgment has been issued, subsequent costs may be incurred in connection with the enforcement of the decision and at the request of the winning party.

Last update: 15/01/2024

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Hungary

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much will it cost me?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What do I have to do after payment?

Introduction

The rules governing court fees payable in procedures initiated in Hungary under Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure are laid down in Act No XCIII of 1990 on duties. Under those rules, when the procedure is initiated, a fee of 6 percent of the value of the claim must be paid either by purchasing a revenue stamp at the post office or by paying the fee to the state tax authority. The fee can also be paid to the state tax authority by bank transfer.

What fees are applicable?

Court fees must be paid when small claims procedures are initiated.

How much will it cost me?

In the case of monetary claims, 6 percent of the value of the claim must be paid, excluding additional charges (interest, costs), while in the case of non-monetary claims, 6 percent of the estimated claim must be paid, with a minimum of HUF 15,000. In the case of monetary claims in currencies other than the forint, the fee is payable on the value of the claim at the central bank’s average exchange rate applicable on the date the claim is submitted

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

Claimants who fail to pay the fee when initiating the procedure receive a demand for payment from the court. If the claimant fails to comply with this within the given time limit, the court will dismiss the claim.

How can I pay the court fees?

  1. The procedural fee can be paid by revenue stamp. Revenue stamps can be purchased at post offices. When the procedural fee is paid by revenue stamp, the amount is rounded up or down, so that any remainder below HUF 50 is disregarded, while any remainder above HUF 50  is counted as HUF 100.
  2. The claimant can also pay the procedural fee on the basis of a calculation by the state tax authority. In this case, the claim form must be submitted together with a copy to the state tax authority. The fee calculated can be paid using a money order provided by the state tax authority or by transfer to the account specified by the state tax authority or, where possible, by bank card. For the procedural fee to be calculated, the claim form can be submitted to any county (capital) tax directorate of the National Tax and Customs Authority (Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal).

What do I have to do after payment?

  1. If the procedural fee is paid by revenue stamp, the stamp must be affixed to the application and the application then submitted to the court. The revenue stamp affixed on the application must not be modified or marked by the client in any way.
  2. When the procedural fee is paid on the basis of a calculation, the state tax authority certifies on the application that the claim was presented for the fee to be calculated, after which the claim can be submitted to the court.
Last update: 08/04/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Malta

Introduction

The Court fees applicable to this procedure are as follows:

Tariff A of the Second Schedule of Subsidiary Legislation 380.01, Small Claims Tribunal Rules.

Art. 2 of Tariff B of Chapter 12 of the Laws of Malta, the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure.

Payment of Registry fees cannot be done electronically.

What fees are applicable?

Form A - Claims Form

Form C - Reply Form

Form D - Certificate of a judgment in the European Small Claims Procedure

How much should I pay?

Form A - Claims Form: EUR 40.00 Registry fee and EUR 7.20 for notification of each defendant.

Form C - Reply Form: EUR 25.00 Registry fee and EUR 7.20 for notification

Form D - Certificate of a judgment in the European Small Claims Procedure: EUR 20.00 Registry fee

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

The Form is not processed until payment is made.

How can I pay the court fees?

You can pay the court fees into the following bank account:

Name of Account Holder

COURT SERVICES AGENCY

IBAN (International Bank Account)

MT94VALL22013000000050011428265

National Bank Key

SORT CODE 22013

Account Number

50011428265

BIC/SWIFT code

VALLMTMT

Bank name

BANK OF VALLETTA

Bank address

VALLETTA BRANCH
REPUBLIC STREET
VALLETTA

Currency of account

EURO

What should I do after payment?

You produce a receipt issued by the Bank through which the transaction was made.

Last update: 28/04/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Netherlands

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

Claims under the European small claims procedure (Regulation (EC) Link opens in new windowNo 861/2007, which entered into force on 1 January 2009) are submitted to the court which has jurisdiction under the ordinary rules of jurisdiction ratione loci by means of Form A. The European small claims procedure is designed to simplify and speed up cross-border claims of up to €5,000. The Regulation applies between all EU Member States, with the exception of Denmark.

The European small claims procedure is available to litigants as an alternative to the procedures existing under the laws of the Member States. A judgment given in the European small claims procedure is recognised and enforceable in another Member State without the need for a declaration of enforceability and without any possibility of opposing its recognition.

Standard forms have been drawn up for the small claims procedure in all EU languages. To start the procedure, Form A must be filled in. Any relevant documents, such as receipts and invoices, should be attached to the form.

The only reason that enforcement in another Member State can be refused is if it is irreconcilable with another judgment in the other Member State between the same parties. Enforcement takes place in accordance with the national rules and procedures of the Member State where the judgment is being enforced.

What fees are applicable?

The amount of court fees depends on the amount of the claim or application. See also: How much shall I pay?

How much shall I pay?

The applicable fees for 2019 are broken down as follows:

Nature or amount of the claim or application

Court fees for non-natural persons

Court fees for natural persons

Court fees for those with lack of means

Cases relating to a claim or an application:

- Of an indeterminate amount, or

- Involving an amount of not more than

€500

€121

€81

€81

Cases relating to a claim or an application involving an amount of more than:

€500 and not more than €12,500

€486

€231

€81

For more information, please see: Link opens in new windowJudicial system Netherlands and Link opens in new windowDutch Legal Aid Board.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

Court fees must be paid in advance. If payment is not made after 1 month, then the case will be dismissed and will not proceed.

How can I pay the court fees?

An invoice sent can be paid via transfer (electronic or otherwise).

What shall I do after the payment?

After payment, the defendant is notified and asked to complete and return the answer form.

Related links

Link opens in new windowRegulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure

Form A

Link opens in new windowJudicial system Netherlands

Link opens in new windowDutch Legal Aid Board

Last update: 25/02/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Austria

This page provides information on Austrian court fees.

Introduction

Under Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure, the document instituting proceedings is referred to as a claim (Klage), as is also provided for in national law. Therefore, the Austrian law on court fees does not contain a separate national provision for claims under this Regulation. The claim and the subsequent proceedings at first instance come under Fee Item 1 (Tarifpost 1) of the Austrian Court Fees Act (Gerichtsgebührengesetz (GGG)), which applies to all national civil proceedings.

What fees are applicable?

In proceedings related to claims under the European small claims procedure at first instance, Fee Item 1 of the Court Fees Act applies, in accordance with Note 1 to Fee Item 1 of the Court Fees Act. This flat fee is payable regardless of whether the proceedings are completed. Reductions are available only:

  • in the event of immediate withdrawal or rejection of the claim before service on the opposing party (fee reduced to one quarter; Note 3 to Fee Item 1 of the Court Fees Act); or
  • in the case of withdrawal of the claim after service on the opposing party, before or at the first hearing (fee reduced to half; Note 4(a) to Fee Item 1 of the Court Fees Act); or
  • if the case is settled in the first hearing or at the beginning of the second hearing as a result of mediation initiated at the latest at that hearing, and that settlement becomes legally effective (fee reduced to half; Note 4(b) to Fee Item 1 of the Court Fees Act).

Under the Austrian court fees system, only the application instituting the proceedings (in this case, the claim under the European small claims procedure) is subject to a fee in civil proceedings at first instance. There are no additional court fees for further proceedings at first instance.

Under Section 2(1)(a) of the Court Fees Act, the obligation to pay fees arises when the claim under the European small claims procedure is lodged with the court. (If the action is subsequently extended, the obligation to pay fees arises with the submission of written pleadings. In negotiations, the obligation to pay fees arises with the recording of the claim extension or a settlement that goes beyond the subject matter of the claim). The fee must be paid at this time. Applications for exemption from the payment of court fees must also be lodged by way of legal aid (in Austria: Verfahrenshilfe) by this time at the latest, provided the conditions are met.

Applications for review under Article 18 of the Regulation are free of charge.

How much shall I pay?

The calculation of court fees for proceedings at first instance depends on the value of the subject matter of the claim (the amount in dispute as indicated in the claim or later in the claim extension) and the number of parties. For illustration, see below the full table of rates under Fee Item 1 of the Court Fees Act (as at 1 May 2021; click Link opens in new windowhere for the current wording of the Court Fees Act):

Fee Item 1

Value of the subject matter of the claim

Fee payable

does not exceed

EUR 150

EUR 25

more than

EUR 150 but does not exceed

EUR 300

EUR 48

more than

EUR 300 but does not exceed

EUR 700

EUR 68

more than

EUR 700 but does not exceed

EUR 2 000

EUR 114

more than

EUR 2 000 but does not exceed

EUR 3 500

EUR 182

more than

EUR 3 500 but does not exceed

EUR 7 000

EUR 335

more than

EUR 7 000 but does not exceed

EUR 35 000

EUR 792

more than

EUR 35 000 but does not exceed

EUR 70 000

EUR 1 556

more than

EUR 70 000 but does not exceed

EUR 140 000

EUR 3 112

more than

EUR 140 000 but does not exceed

EUR 210 000

EUR 4 670

more than

EUR 210 000 but does not exceed

EUR 280 000

EUR 6 227

more than

EUR 280 000 but does not exceed

EUR 350 000

EUR 7 783

more than

EUR 350 000

1.2% of the amount in dispute plus EUR 4 203

If there are more than two parties, a multiparty surcharge of between 10% and 50% may be added under Section 19a of the Court Fees Act.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

In the event of late payment, a fixed penalty, currently of EUR 23 (as at 1 May 2021), is payable under Section 31 of the Court Fees Act. However, the late payment of the court fee has no influence on the execution of the civil proceedings themselves. Court proceedings are not dependent upon the payment of court fees – they are conducted in a completely independent manner.

The recovery of court fees by the judicial authority is governed by the Court Payments Recovery Act (Gerichtliches Einbringungsgesetz (GEG)). If, as a result of non-payment, a payment order (an enforcement title for the recovery of court fees) must be issued by the judicial authority under Section 6a of the Court Payments Recovery Act, an additional fee, currently of EUR 8 (as at 1 January 2014), applies.

How can I pay the court fees?

The method of payment is laid down in Section 4 of the Court Fees Act. This provides that the fees can be paid by bank card with a Bankomat function or by credit card, by paying or transferring the amount into the account of the competent court, or in cash at the competent court. The bank details of the court are available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Justice (Link opens in new windowBundesministerium für Justiz, in the ‘Courts’ (Gerichte) tab).

Furthermore, all fees may also be paid by direct debit if the court (or, in general, the Austrian judicial system) has been authorised to collect the court fees from an account notified by the party owing the fees, and to deposit them in a court account. In this case, the application (the claim under the European small claims procedure) must indicate the account from which the fees are to be collected and the authorisation to collect them, for example by including the reference ‘Gebühreneinzug!’ (Collection of fees) or ‘AEV!’ (‘Direct Debiting Ordinance’). For a limited authorisation, the application may also indicate the maximum amount to be debited (Sections 5 and 6 of the Direct Debiting Ordinance (Abbuchungs- und Einziehungs-Verordnung)).

When lodging the claim under the European small claims procedure using the Austrian e-Justice system (Elektronischer Rechtsverkehr (ERV)), the fees must be paid by direct debit. In this case, the maximum amount to be debited cannot be specified.

What shall I do after the payment?

If the federal authorities are entitled to claim court fees on submission of the application (the claim under the European small claims procedure) and there is no direct debit authorisation, then proof of payment of the fees (proof of transfer) must be attached to the application (Section 4 of the Court Fees Act). If payment is made by bank card, credit card, deposit into or transfer to the account of the competent court, or by direct debit from the party’s account, the Austrian Federal Accounting Agency (Buchhaltungsagentur des Bundes) informs the judicial authority about the crediting of payments to the court account only at a later stage. The procedure related to the notice of court fees ends when proof of (full) payment is provided.

In the event of overpayment, a claim for the repayment of overpaid court fees (Section 6c(1)(1) of the Court Payments Recovery Act) can be made within 5 years.

Last update: 18/10/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Poland

Introduction

Fees in civil proceedings are governed by the Court Costs (Civil Cases) Act of 28 July 2005 (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2014, item 1025). As a rule, a fee is payable for any statement of claim lodged, including claims lodged as part of proceedings governed by Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure (‘SCP’).

The Court Costs (Civil Cases) Act (Title IV – Exemption from court costs) allows an application to be filed for exemption from such costs.

What fees are applicable?

A fixed fee applies to the SCP.

How much shall I pay?

A fixed fee of PLN 100 is charged for statements of claim filed as part of the European Small Claims Procedure (Article 27b of the Court Costs (Civil Cases) Act). The same fee is charged for appeals (Article 18 in conjunction with Article 27b of the Act).

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

Pursuant to Article 126(1) of the Code of Civil Procedure of 17 November 1964 (Journal of Laws No. 43, item 269, as amended), courts will not act on a procedural document unless the fee due has been paid. In other words, the fee must be paid when a procedural document (statement of claim) is filed with the court of appropriate jurisdiction, or an application for exemption from court costs must be filed.

The procedural consequences of failing to pay fees for a procedural document are specified for example in Link opens in new windowArticle 130 and Link opens in new windowArticle 130(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Pursuant to Article 130 of the Code of Civil Procedure, if a procedural document (including a statement of claim) cannot be processed as a result of non-payment of the fee, the presiding judge calls on the party to make that payment within one week, failing which the procedural document is returned. If the procedural document has been lodged by a person living abroad who has no representative in Poland, the presiding judge specifies a time limit for paying the fee, which cannot be shorter than one month. If the fee is not paid within the specified time limit, the procedural document is returned to the party. If the fee is paid within the specified time limit, the procedural document produces legal effects from the date on which it was lodged.

Under Article 130(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure, a procedural document lodged by a lawyer or patent attorney without paying the fee is returned without a call for payment if the fee is fixed or proportional to the amount of the dispute specified by the party. However, if the fee for the procedural document is paid within one week of service of the decision to return the document, the document produces legal effects from the date on which it was initially lodged.

How can I pay the court fees?

The arrangements for paying court fees in civil cases are governed by the Link opens in new windowregulation Regulation of the Minister for Justice of 21 March 2016 setting out the arrangements for paying court fees in civil cases (Journal of Laws 2023.923, consolidated text), which implements the aforementioned Court Costs (Civil Cases) Act.

Court fees in civil cases can be paid in non-cash form into the current account of the court with jurisdiction (account details can be obtained directly from the court or its website or from the website of the Ministry of Justice), directly at the court cashier’s office or in the form of court fee stamps which can be purchased at the court cashier's office.

What shall I do after the payment?

Once the fee has been paid and any missing documents have been submitted, the court will examine the case in a closed session. The court can schedule a hearing only in cases set out in Regulation 861/2007.

Last update: 30/11/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Portugal

Introduction

The Portuguese legislation on court fees (Regulation on Costs of Proceedings (Regulamento das Custas Processuais)) does not include specific provisions concerning claims within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure. This means that the general rules of the Regulation on Costs of Proceedings apply, which take account of the amount involved and the complexity of the case.

What fees are applicable?

  • In cases where the amount involved is up to €2 000.00: €102 (1 unit of account);
  • In cases where the amount is higher than €2 000.00 but not more than €5 000.00: €204 (2 units of account).

If the case proves to be particularly complex, the judge may decide to apply the following costs:

  • In cases where the amount involved is up to €2 000.00: €153 (1.5 units of account);
  • In cases where the amount is higher than €2 000.00 but not more than €5 000.00: €306 (3 units of account).

(Article 6(1) and (5) of the Regulation on Costs of Proceedings, approved by Decree-Law (Decreto-Lei) No 34/2008 of 26 February 2008, as last amended.)

If, pursuant to Article 17(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006, under the European order for payment procedure, the defendant enters a statement of opposition and the proceedings continue, the amount paid under that procedure is reduced by the amount of the costs of proceedings owed for the European Small Claims Procedure, in the case of the claimant.

The reduction may be €102 (1 unit of account) or €153 (1.5 units of account). (Article 7(6) of the Regulation on Costs of Proceedings, approved by Decree-Law No 34/2008 of 26 February 2008, as last amended).

Where there is a counterclaim – in which case the amounts involved in the two claims are added together for the purposes of calculating the costs, which can lead to cases where the amount involved is up to €10 000.00 – the costs for cases where the amounts involved are between €8 000.01 and €10 000.00 will be 3 units of account (€306.00) or 4.5 units of account (€459.00) for particularly complex cases. For cases where the amount involved is between €5 000.01 and €8 000.00, the costs are kept at 2 units of account (€204.00) or 3 units of account (€306.00) in particularly complex cases (Article 11 of the Regulation on Costs of Proceedings, approved by Decree-Law No 34/2008 of 26 February 2008, as last amended, in conjunction with Articles 145(5), 530(2), 299(1) and (2) and 297(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure (Código de Processo Civil)).

How much shall I pay?

See previous answer.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

In accordance with Article 642 of the Code of Civil Procedure, you will be instructed by the court registry to make the missed payment within 10 days, and pay an additional fine of an equal amount corresponding to no less than 1 unit of account and no more than 5 units of account. If you fail to provide proof of payment of the owed court fees and fine within 10 days, the court will order the withdrawal of the claim, request or appeal that you submitted.

How can I pay the court fees?

By bank transfer.

What shall I do after the payment?

In accordance with Article 22 of Ministerial Implementing Order (Portaria) No 419-A/2009 of 17 April 2009, 'you must submit a document as proof of payment or otherwise provide proof of payment, together with the corresponding pleadings or request, unless otherwise provided for under Ministerial Implementing Order No 280/2013 of 26 August 2013.

Last update: 18/12/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Romania

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

The European small claims procedure is regulated by Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure.

The system of court stamp fees is regulated by Emergency Order No 80/2013, which has been in force since 26 June 2013. This legislative act was adopted following the amendment to the legal framework for the conduct of civil proceedings through the adoption of the Code of Civil Procedure and the introduction of the new institutions adopted under the Civil Code.

Court stamp fees are payable by all natural and legal persons and are paid in consideration of the services provided by courts as well as by the Ministry of Justice (Ministerul Justiției) and the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (Parchetul de pe lângă Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție).

Court stamp fees can be paid online in Romania; however, to date the electronic payment system is not operational.

What fees are applicable?

Court stamp fees are due both at first instance level and for appeals, under the conditions laid down by law.

Natural persons may be entitled, upon request, to reductions, exemptions and instalment payments in respect of payment of the court stamp fees, under Government Emergency Order No 51/2008 on public legal aid in civil matters, approved with amendments by Law No 193/2008, as amended. Legal persons may be granted facilities for the payment of court stamp fees under Article 42(2) of Government Emergency Order No 80/2013.

How much shall I pay?

Under the current legislation, the court stamp fee in order to make an application for a claim is established under Article 3(1) of Government Emergency Order No 80/2013, as follows:

  1. up to the value of RON 500 - 8%, but not less than RON 20;
  2. between RON 501 and RON 5 000 - RON 40 + 7% for values exceeding RON 500;
  3. between RON 5 001 and RON 25 000 - RON 355 + 5% for values exceeding RON 5 000.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

In accordance with Government Emergency Order No 80/2013, the court stamp fee is payable in advance. If the claimant fails to meet the obligation to pay the fee by the deadline set under the law or by the court, the application will be annulled as unstamped or, where applicable, settled within the limits of the legally paid court stamp fee. Moreover, if the application for facilities for payment of the court stamp fee has been rejected, and the claimant has not paid the due court stamp fee within the deadline set by the court, and has not included any proof of payment in the file, the court annuls the application as not stamped.

How can I pay the court fees?

Court stamp fees are payable by the fee debtor in cash, by bank credit transfer or online to a separate local budget revenues account, 'Court stamp fees and other stamp fees', of the administrative division where the natural person has their domicile or residence or, where applicable, where the legal person has the registered office. The costs of transfer of the fees are borne by the fee debtor.

If the fee debtor does not have their domicile, residence or registered office, where applicable, in Romania, the court stamp fee is payable to the local budget account of the administrative division for the court where the action is brought or the application is filed.

The court stamp fees are payable in cash at the Directorates for Taxes and Duties for the administrative divisions where the natural person has their domicile or residence, or where the legal person has their registered office.

Court stamp fees are payable by bank credit transfer and online.

What shall I do after the payment?

The receipt for payment of the court stamp fees, which is issued for payments in cash or payment order, is submitted when the application is registered.

The receipts or, where applicable, the payment orders for the court stamp fees have no standard format, being issued in the form accepted by the administrative division where the payment is made.

Where the court stamp fee is paid after the court has notified the claimant in this respect, the claimant must add the proof of payment of the fee to the case file within ten days of receipt of the notification.

The proof of payment of the stamp fee may be submitted in person at the court or by post, indicating the number of the file (case) for which the payment has been made. This number is indicated in the notification from the court to the party concerned.

Last update: 21/02/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Slovenia

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

Court fees applicable in the European Small Claims Procedure are listed in the Slovenian Court Fees Act (Zakon o sodnih taksahUradni list RS (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia) Nos 37/08, 97/10, 63/13, Link opens in new window58/14–Constitutional Court decision, Link opens in new window19/15–Constitutional Court decision, 30/16 and 10/17–ZPP-E (Act Amending the Contentious Civil Procedure Act); hereinafter referred to as: the ZST-1), which is the general law on court fees.

The ZST-1 (Article 6) provides a legal basis for the payment of court fees using cash, electronic money and other valid means of payment, which also applies to the payment of fees under the European Small Claims Procedure. In practice, court fees may be paid electronically through the web payment services of individual banks.

What fees are applicable?

Under the European Small Claims Procedure, a one-time court fee applies to the entire proceedings. The person liable for payment of the court fee is the claimant, and the payment must be made at the time of filing the application concerning the institution of proceedings with the court.

How much shall I pay?

The amount of the court fee under the European Small Claims Procedure that the claimant must pay upon filing an application concerning the institution of proceedings with the court depends on the value of the claim:

  • if the value of the claim is below EUR 300, the fee is EUR 54,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 301 and EUR 600, the fee is EUR 78,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 601 and EUR 900, the fee is EUR 102,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 901 and EUR 1,200, the fee is EUR 126,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 1,201 and EUR 1,500, the fee is EUR 150,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 1,501 and EUR 2,000, the fee is EUR 165,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 2,001 and EUR 2,500, the fee is EUR 180,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 2,501 and EUR 3,000, the fee is EUR 195,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 3,001 and EUR 3,500, the fee is EUR 210,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 3,501 and EUR 4,000, the fee is EUR 225,
  • if the value of the claim is between EUR 4,001 and EUR 4,500, the fee is EUR 240,
if the value of the claim is between EUR 4,501 and EUR 5,000, the fee is EUR 255.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If the claimant fails to pay the court fee on time, the court conducts the proceedings nevertheless, and the court fee is then enforced where necessary.

How can I pay the court fees?

The ZST-1 (Article 6) provides a legal basis for the payment of court fees using cash, electronic money and other valid means of payment, which also applies to the payment of fees under the European Small Claims Procedure.

In practice, court fees may be paid electronically through the web payment services of individual banks, or they can be paid directly through the payment services provider or the court cashier (using cash or a POS terminal).

Every bank has its own web payment service for making electronic payments.

The person liable may pay the court fee in advance, i.e. upon filing the application to open proceedings with the court, or they may file the application with the court and wait for the court to send them a payment notice with the applicable amount and all other data necessary to make the payment.

What shall I do after the payment?

If the court fee is paid by indicating the appropriate reference number (communicated to the liable person by the court on the payment notice), the person liable is not required to provide the court with any evidence of payment. In such cases, the court is notified of the payment through a special electronic banking system (UJPnet), where the correct reference number is decisive in recognising individual payments.

However, if the court fee is paid without indicating the appropriate reference number, the person liable must submit to the court proof of payment. There are no special formal conditions concerning the validity of such proof. Based on such proof, the court, if necessary, verifies the payment of the court fee on the UJPnet platform (especially when the court fee is not paid through the court cashier).

Last update: 06/04/2020

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Sweden

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

‘The application fee is levied in the amount indicated below when any of the following procedures are initiated.

Category A …………………………………SEK 900 (1) /…/ civil actions according to Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure’ (Annex to Regulation (1987:452) on fees at the general courts).

The application fee is paid to the court to which the claim is being submitted. At present, it is not possible to pay the fee electronically via a website.

(1) This amount is applicable as from 1 July 2014.

What fees are applicable?

Only one application fee is applicable for the small claims procedure, which is paid when the application is submitted to the court. No other fees are levied for the procedure or for procedural measures.

How much shall I pay?

The application fee, which is SEK 900 as from 1 July 2014, constitutes the total amount for the procedure.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If you do not pay the application fee, after you have been asked to complete the application by providing payment, the case will be dismissed and the court will not examine your claim. It is possible to submit a new claim in relation to the same matter following a dismissal.

How can I pay the court fees?

You can pay the application fee via an Link opens in new windowelectronic payment service.

What shall I do after the payment?

After making the payment, you do not need to take any other action and as a general rule you do not need to provide proof of payment. The court matches the payments made to the claims that have been submitted to the court. In order to make it easier to match your claim to your payment, make sure that you state your full name and the opposing party’s full name when you make the payment. Always save the payment confirmation, as this can be used to track a payment if necessary.

Last update: 05/12/2023

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - England and Wales

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

A claimant is able to use the European Small Claims Regulation to take an action up to a sum of 2,000 Euros (excluding all interest, expenses and disbursements) against a defendant in a cross border case. A cross border case is where at least one of the parties is domiciled or habitually resident in a Member State other than a Member State of the court where the action is brought. The procedure can be used for both money and non-money claims in both civil and commercial matters. In England and Wales proceedings may be issued in the County Court but not in the High Court.

What fees are applicable?

Court fees for the European Small Claims Procedure are the same as those for the domestic small claims.

Payment of court fees is required in order to make an application for a European Small Claim. If you wish to pay by debit/credit card the relevant card details should be provided in the Appendix to “European Small Claims Procedure, Form A”.

In cases where a hearing is necessary to determine the dispute a hearing fee will also apply.

Should there be a need to enforce a claim a further court fee will be required. More details on the types of procedures available can be found on the enforcement pages for England and Wales.Link opens in new windowhttp://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/courts/european-union-cross-border-claims/ex375_1005.pdf

How much shall I pay?

Court fees in England and Wales can be found in leaflet Link opens in new windowEX50 - Civil and Family Court Fees

For ease of reference, the small claim fees in the table below are correct as of 17 November 2016. Court fees are subject to change, so you should always check with the court, legal representative and any other individuals or organizations who are involved that an amount is still the current fee. These fees are in pound sterling (GBP), to calculate the equivalent in Euros a conversion must be applied on the day you wish to make the application.

1.1 On starting proceedings (including proceedings issued after permission to issue is granted by excluding CCBC cases brought by Centre users or cases rough by Money Claim OnLine users) to recover a sum of money where the sum claimed:

Fee payable (£)

(a) Does not exceed £300

£35

(b) Exceeds £300 but does not exceed £500

£50

(c) Exceeds £500 but does not exceed £1,000

£70

(d) Exceeds £1,000 but does not exceed £1,500

£80

(e) Exceeds £1,500 but does not exceed £3,000

£115

On proceeding to a hearing a further fee is payable.

A fee payable for the hearing of a case on the small claims track where the sum claimed:

(i) Does not exceed £300

£25

(ii) Exceeds £300 but does not exceed £500

£55

(ii) Exceeds £500 but does not exceed £1,000

£80

(iii) Exceeds £1,000 but does not exceed £1,500

£115

(iv) Exceeds £1,500 but does not exceed £3,000

£170

If you wish to enforce the claim a further fee is payable.

You have to pay a court fee to make an application to the court and pay further court fees at different stages of the court case. You may qualify for a “fee remission” (depending on your personal circumstances) which means that you may not have to pay a court fee or only have to pay part of it. However, you have to apply for a separate remission for each fee payable throughout the court process. So, for example, applying for a remission when the first application is made would only give you the remission for that first “issuing” fee. This is because your personal circumstances might change during the court action, and you might no longer be eligible for a remission later in the case. Or you might become eligible for a fee remission during the case.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If the claimant fails to fill in the relevant credit card details correctly or the payment fails for some reason, the court dealing will send Form B “Request by the court or tribunal to complete and/or rectify the claim form” to the claimant requesting that details of a valid credit card be provided to enable payment of the court fees. The application will not be taken any further if correct payment is not received.

How can I pay the court fees?

Payment of the court fee is made by providing correct payment details to the court. Initially this should be done by providing relevant details in “European Small Claims Procedure, Appendix to Form A”.

Payment is usually made by debit/credit card. Not all methods of payment in Form A are likely to be available at the court to which the application is being made. The claimant should contact the court and verify which method of payment can be used.

It may also be possible to pay using a credit card over the telephone. Many courts have facilities for taking card payments in this manner, but the relevant court should be contacted first to confirm payment can be made in this way.

Electronic payment can only be brought against someone with a UK address.

What shall I do after the payment?

If the application has been made correctly, the court will serve the claim form (with any accompanying documents) together with the European Small Claims Procedure Answer Form (Form C) on the defendant. A notice of issue will be sent at the same time to the claimant, together with a receipt of the payment transaction.

The receipt will typically be 8 x 12 cm and have the name of the court at the top with its postal address, and the amount paid with the date and time of payment at the bottom.

For more information please see Link opens in new windowEuropean Union cross-border claims

Last update: 18/09/2019

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Northern Ireland

There are no fees applicable at this time

Last update: 10/04/2018

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.

Court fees concerning Small Claims procedure - Scotland

Introduction

What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

In Scotland court fees for European Small Claims are regulated by the:

  • Sheriff Court Fees Order 2018, Scottish Statutary Instrument Number 2018/481, as amended by;
  • Sheriff Court Fees Amendment Order 2018, Scottish Statutory Instrument Number 2018/194.

Schedule 2, Part II, Numbers 16 and 38 apply to European Small Claims from 1 April 2019.

Schedule 3, Part II, Numbers 16 and 38 apply to European Small Claims from 1 April 2020.

Electronic payment of fees is not possible.

What fees are applicable?

Lodging of a European Small Claim in Form A of the EU Regulation 861/2007 at court requires payment of one fee which covers all court procedures.

The cost of service of the papers by post is included but there may be an additional fee if service by sheriff officer on the defender is required.

There is no fee for lodging a response to the claim in Form C.

Representation by a solicitor is not usually required and the fee does not include any solicitors’ fees.

How much shall I pay?

The current fee for lodging a European Small Claim at court for:

  • sums of money of £300 or 250 Euros or less require payment of a fee of £19 sterling
  • in all other European Small Claims a fee of £104 sterling.

The additional fee for service of papers on the defender by sheriff officer is an administrative fee of £13 plus the cost of the sheriff officer’s service.

In terms of article 8 of the Sheriff Court Fees Order 2018, Scottish Statutory Instrument Number 2018/481, as amended, a party may be entitled to fee exemption, for example if they are entitled to certain state benefits, or entitled to civil legal aid.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

The court does not accept the application, and is not required to do anything without a fee being paid, in terms of paragraph 3 of the Sheriff Court Fees Order 2018, Scottish Statutory Instrument Number 2018/481, as amended.

How can I pay the court fees?

Court fees can be paid by:

  • Cheques - made payable to "The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service"
  • Debit Card & Credit Card - please check which types of card are acceptable with the appropriate court and if payment can be made by telephone.
  • Postal Order - made payable to "The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service"
  • Cash - if paying by post it is not advisable to make cash payments

What shall I do after the payment?

The court accepts the lodging of the application papers in Form A of the EU Regulation 861/2007 with the payment. The papers and payment should be brought or sent to the court at the same time. The court will then give or send out Form B, or Form 1 or serve Form A on the defender, as the next step in the process. No payment evidence is required.

Last update: 20/09/2019

The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.