China Court Fee Calculator

How are China court filing fees calculated?

Article 13(1) of the Measures for the Payment of Litigation Fees calculates the case acceptance fee (案件受理费) progressively. Each percentage applies only to the part of a monetary property claim in that band. The first CNY 10,000 attracts a fixed CNY 50 charge.

For the quick formulas, A means the whole relevant amount in CNY. Appeals use the amount contested on appeal (Article 17); qualifying retrials use the contested retrial amount (Article 19).

Worked example: a CNY 1 million claim

The standard filing fee is CNY 13,800: 50 for the first 10,000; 90,000 × 2.5% = 2,250; 100,000 × 2% = 2,000; 300,000 × 1.5% = 4,500; and 500,000 × 1% = 5,000. The quick formula gives the same result: 1,000,000 × 1% + 3,800.

A qualifying half-rate fee is CNY 6,900; eligibility depends on the procedure. Band charges and the standard total are rounded to cents before applying a multiplier, then the adjusted result is rounded to cents. A CNY 10,000.20 claim therefore gives a standard fee of CNY 50.01 and a half-rate fee of CNY 25.01.

How much is the preservation application fee?

For preservation, this China court fee calculator uses the value of the property being preserved. Article 14(2) charges CNY 30 for no property amount or an amount up to CNY 1,000. Larger amounts use progressive rates, capped at CNY 5,000.

For CNY 200,000, the fee is 30 + 99,000 × 1% + 100,000 × 0.5% = CNY 1,520. At CNY 896,000 the calculation reaches the 5,000 cap. The no-amount branch charges CNY 30 without an amount input.

How is the enforcement application fee calculated?

For enforcement, this China court fee calculator applies Article 14(1) to the enforcement amount or value. Without a stated amount, the per-case range is CNY 50–500. Select that branch rather than entering zero into a monetary branch.

A CNY 1 million enforcement amount gives 50 + 490,000 × 1.5% + 500,000 × 1% = CNY 12,400. This differs from the filing fee for the same amount.

Other case acceptance fees and application fees

Article 13 distinguishes the following case categories. Where a range is given, this calculator retains that range; it does not choose a local court's specific amount for you.

Divorce involving CNY 300,000 of property gives 50–300 plus (300,000 − 200,000) × 0.5% = CNY 550–800. Select the complete category before entering a property division total or damages amount.

Article 14 also covers these court applications:

Bankruptcy already applies its half multiplier; there is no additional half-rate option. A payment order for CNY 100,000 gives 2,300 ÷ 3 = CNY 766.67. The arbitration-related CNY 400 is a court charge, separate from an institution's fees.

When can a filing fee be halved, deferred or reduced?

Articles 15 and 16 provide half payment for cases concluded through court mediation or withdrawal and cases heard under summary procedure. Whether the proceeding qualifies must be established separately. Changing the half-payment option clears the earlier result so that a new calculation is explicit.

Judicial assistance is a separate process. Articles 44–49 address deferral, reduction and exemption where the conditions are met. Exemption under Article 44 applies only to natural persons. An application requires the relevant written request and supporting evidence; selecting half payment does not make an application for judicial assistance. Follow the payment notice and raise any application promptly.

Which fees must be paid upfront?

Article 20 generally requires applicant prepayment, except for applications listed in Article 10(1) and 10(6): those execution fees are paid after enforcement, and bankruptcy fees after liquidation. Recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments and foreign arbitral awards is separately listed in Article 10(8), which is not an Article 20 prepayment exception. Eventual fee allocation under Article 38 is a separate question; an enforcement settlement may affect allocation. Follow the court payment notice for your route. A combined budget figure must not be read as all cash payable by the creditor at filing.

Preservation security, insurance and foreign currency

The preservation application fee is distinct from security or a guarantee. A court may require security; an insurer's premium is a commercial quotation, not a statutory percentage in this court-fee schedule. Enter an actual insurer quotation in the optional budget estimate rather than treating it as a court charge.

Article 55 uses RMB as the calculation unit and specifies the applicable conversion date for foreign-currency claims. The category calculator retains CNY as its statutory basis and shows a comparison in your selected currency. The budget uses the same dated reference rate or your labelled manual rate. These budget conversions do not determine the court's applicable valuation. Lawyer fees, translations, authentication, expert evidence and other third-party expenses need separate budgeting.

Legal basis and next steps

• Measures for the Payment of Litigation Fees, State Council Order No. 481: Articles 13–14 (fee schedules), 15–16 (half payment), 17–19 (appeals/retrials/counterclaims), 20 and 38 (payment/allocation), 44–49 (judicial assistance), 55 (currency).
• Supreme People's Court filing-fee guidance and quick-calculation schedule.

For a worked example in pounds and a guide to saving the rate with your calculation, read China court fee calculation and currency conversion.

Continue with China court fees explained, the litigation budget guide, asset preservation in China, China debt collection, or judgment and award enforcement. These guides connect the statutory charge to the evidence, security and recovery decision in your matter.