Only figures published by courts and legislatures are given here. Court fees range from a percentage of the claim, as in London and the DIFC, to milestone fees in the SICC and a special contribution for large claimants in France's new economic activities courts. Statutory time limits shape arbitration too: India's twelve-month target for awards, short windows to challenge awards in England, India and the UAE, and a 60-day period for UAE enforcement orders.
Court fees
In England and Wales, issuing a money claim costs 5% of the claim between £10,000 and £200,000 and a fixed £10,000 above that; costs are then in the court's discretion. The DIFC Courts charge 5% of the claim up to USD 500,000 (minimum USD 5,000) with lower marginal rates above, rising to USD 130,000 for claims over USD 50 million, and 1% (capped at USD 20,000) to enforce a non-DIFC judgment in the DIFC. The SICC charges on a milestone and hearing-day basis rather than by claim value.
In France's tribunaux des activités économiques, a claimant company with more than 250 employees bringing a claim above EUR 50,000 must pay a contribution of 3% (capped at EUR 50,000) or 5% (capped at EUR 100,000) depending on turnover, refunded if the case ends by withdrawal or settlement.123456
Statutory time limits
In India, a domestic arbitration award must be made within twelve months of completion of pleadings, extendable by six months by consent, and international commercial arbitrations should endeavour to meet the same period. A challenge to an award made in India must be filed within three months, with at most thirty days' extension. In England a challenge or appeal under sections 67 to 69 must be brought within 28 days of the award or later applicable date. In the UAE onshore, an application to confirm an award and obtain an enforcement order must be decided within 60 days.78910
| Market | Item | Official figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Money claim issue fee | 5% for £10,000.01 to £200,000; £10,000 above | GOV.UK |
| England and Wales | Challenge to award (ss67-69) | 28 days | Arbitration Act 1996 s70(3) |
| UAE (DIFC) | Court of First Instance filing fee | 5% up to USD 500,000 (min USD 5,000); USD 130,000 above USD 50m | DIFC Courts Schedule of Fees 2023 |
| UAE (DIFC) | Enforcing a non-DIFC judgment | 1%, min USD 100, cap USD 20,000 | DIFC Courts |
| UAE (onshore) | Decision on enforcement order for award | 60 days | Federal Law No. 6 of 2018 Art 55 |
| Singapore (SICC) | Court fees | Milestone and per hearing day, not ad valorem | Judiciary of Singapore |
| France (TAE) | Contribution for large claimants | 3% (cap EUR 50,000) or 5% (cap EUR 100,000) | service-public.gouv.fr |
| India | Award time limit (domestic) | 12 months from pleadings, plus up to 6 by consent | Arbitration Act s29A |
| India | Challenge to award | 3 months plus up to 30 days | Arbitration Act s34(3) |
Decisions to make
- How large is the claim relative to percentage-based court fees?13London caps the issue fee at £10,000; DIFC fees rise to USD 130,000 for the largest claims.
- Is the claimant a large company suing in a French economic activities court?6A contribution of up to 5% may be payable or the claim may be inadmissible.
- Who will diarise the award challenge deadline?98Windows are short: 28 days in England, three months in India.
- Will costs be recoverable from the loser?2In England costs are in the court's discretion.
Documents usually needed
- Fee calculation for the chosen court at the claim value
- Budget and costs estimate, with any costs-shifting assumptions
- Deadline diary for challenges and enforcement applications
- Turnover and headcount evidence for the French contribution
- Proof of fee payment instalments (DIFC)
Common mistakes
- Estimating fees from memory instead of the current official schedule
- Missing a 28-day English award challenge deadline
- Overlooking the French contribution, which can make a claim inadmissible
- Assuming all costs will be recovered from the losing party
- Treating India's twelve-month award period as binding on foreign-seated arbitrations
Questions businesses ask
What does it cost to issue a £1 million claim in England?
The issue fee for claims over £200,000 is £10,000. Hearing fees, lawyers' fees and other costs are additional.1
How quickly must an Indian award be made?
For domestic arbitrations, within twelve months of completion of pleadings, extendable by six months by consent; international commercial arbitrations should endeavour to meet the same period.7
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- SIAC and LCIA schedules of fees could not yet be checked, so institutional arbitration costs are not stated.
- Official court fee schedules for India, onshore UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany and the US were not compiled.
- No official statistics on time to judgment or award were found for the main courts and institutions.
- The SICC fee schedule itself could not yet be checked.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
The court fee for issuing a money claim in England and Wales is 5% of the claim for claims over £10,000 up to £200,000, and £10,000 for claims over £200,000; lower bands range from £35 to £455. County Court and High Court money claims; the same fees apply to paper and online claims. Further hearing and application fees are not included.
Fees as displayed on 19 October 2026; court fees are revised periodically.
In the High Court, Court of Appeal and county court in England and Wales, costs are in the discretion of the court, which decides by whom and to what extent they are paid. Senior Courts Act 1981 s51(1), (3), subject to rules of court.
The general rule in CPR 44.2 that the unsuccessful party pays the successful party's costs could not yet be checked (justice.gov.uk Part 44 page returned errors) and is not separately claimed. Reused from gb-disputes-g21.
The DIFC Courts Court of First Instance filing fee for a money claim is 5% of the claim value up to USD 500,000 (minimum USD 5,000), with lower marginal rates above that, rising to a fixed USD 130,000 for claims over USD 50 million; an appeal notice costs USD 5,000. DIFC Courts Schedule of Fees (2023 edition); the filing fee is paid in three instalments (35%, 35%, 30%). Small Claims Tribunal: 5% of claim value, minimum USD 100 (2% for employment claims).
The DIFC Courts state that their judgments can be enforced through treaties including the GCC Convention and the Riyadh Convention and through reciprocal arrangements with certain foreign courts, and that enforcing a non-DIFC judgment in the DIFC costs 1% of its value, with a minimum of US$100 and a cap of US$20,000. DIFC Courts enforcement page; the named reciprocal arrangements include courts in New York, Singapore, London and Hong Kong.
Reused from ae-disputes-g10.
SICC court fees are charged on a milestone basis up to the hearing, plus a fee per hearing day, rather than as a percentage of the claim value. Singapore International Commercial Court; the fee schedule itself could not yet be checked.
Before a TAE, a claimant company with more than 250 employees bringing a claim above EUR 50,000 must pay a contribution pour la justice économique of 3% of the claim capped at EUR 50,000 (turnover EUR 50 million to EUR 1.5 billion and profit above EUR 3 million) or 5% capped at EUR 100,000 (turnover above EUR 1.5 billion), failing which the claim may be inadmissible. Not due for opening amicable or collective procedures. Refunded if the case ends by withdrawal or settlement. Separate scales apply to individuals.
The page was last updated in January 2025 and says nothing about later court challenges to the contribution; its current status should be confirmed. Reused from fr-disputes-003.
In an arbitration seated in India that is not an international commercial arbitration, the award must be made within twelve months of completion of pleadings, which the parties may extend by consent by up to six months; in an international commercial arbitration the tribunal should endeavour to meet the same twelve-month period. Section 29A(1) and (3), Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996. Central law.
Consolidated text hosted by the IIAC; the cover reads 'Last update 12-3-2021' although the file name refers to 27.01.2023. India Code could not be fetched. Any amendment after March 2021 was not checked. Reused from in-disputes-g03.
An application to set aside an arbitral award made in India must be filed within three months of receiving the award, and the court may allow a further thirty days for sufficient cause but not more. Section 34(3), Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996; time runs from disposal of any correction or interpretation request under section 33 where one is made. Central law.
Consolidated text hosted by the IIAC; the cover reads 'Last update 12-3-2021' although the file name refers to 27.01.2023. India Code could not be fetched. Any amendment after March 2021 was not checked. Reused from in-disputes-g04.
A court challenge to an award or appeal on a point of law under sections 67 to 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 must be brought within 28 days of the applicable date, which is normally the date of the award or, where there was an arbitral appeal, review or material correction, the later date set out in the Act. Section 70(3) to (3B), as amended from 1 August 2025.
A party seeking enforcement applies to the chief justice of the court for confirmation of the award and an enforcement order, which must be decided within 60 days, and a complaint against the order may be filed with the court of appeal within 30 days of notification. Onshore arbitration under Federal Law No. 6 of 2018, Articles 55 and 57.
Article text read from the legislation platform download; the 2023 amendment (Federal Decree-Law No. 15 of 2023) was not compared article by article, so confirm the provision against the consolidated text. Reused from ae-disputes-g06.
Questions on this topic
10 statements on costs and time
