Guyader Avocat · International arbitration
Estimate the ICC administrative expenses, the arbitrators’ fees and each party’s share of the advance on costs, from the amount in dispute.
- 2026 and 2017 ICC scales, US$ cases
- Checked against ICC’s own calculator on 316 combinations
- Expedited Procedure eligibility check
Estimated cost, average case
US$ 61,798
()
| US$ | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC administrative expenses | |||
| Arbitrator’s fees | |||
| Total |
Under the Expedited Procedure, the Court may appoint a sole arbitrator notwithstanding any contrary provision of the arbitration agreement (Appendix V, Article 2). Highly Expedited Arbitration is always conducted by a sole arbitrator (Appendix VI, Article 4).
2017 scales: these apply to requests received from 1 January 2017 to 31 May 2026. The arbitrators’ fee scales are the same as in 2026; the administrative expenses differ.
The Court fixes the arbitrators’ fees between the low and high figures, taking into account the time spent, the complexity of the dispute and the diligence of the tribunal (Appendix III, Article 6(2)).
Advance on costs
ICC asks the parties to fund the arbitration in advance, on the basis of the average fees.
Advance on costs (average case)
Fixed by the Secretary General and readjustable during the case. Arbitrators’ expenses come on top.
Each party’s share, 50%
Claimant and respondent each pay half (Rules, Article 40(3)). If one party defaults, the other may be invited to pay its share.
Paid by the claimant with the Request
Filing fee, non-refundable, credited to the claimant’s share. Balance of that share: .
Provisional advance, indicative
May be requested from the claimant until the initial case management conference: normally 50% of the minimum fees and 50% of the administrative expenses (Appendix III, Article 3), plus expected expenses.
Compare the four scenarios
Average total for the same amount in dispute. Click a scenario to select it.
How the cost grows with the amount in dispute
Average total (line) and low to high range (band) for your settings. Hover to read a value, click to select an amount.
How the figures are built, tranche by tranche
ICC administrative expenses
| Tranche (US$) | Part of amount | Rate | Amount |
|---|
Arbitrator’s fees
| Tranche (US$) | Part of amount | Low rate | Low | High rate | High |
|---|
Each tranche is charged at its own rate and the results are added together (Schedule of Fees, Part II, Article 1). For three arbitrators, the fees of one arbitrator are multiplied by three, as in ICC’s calculator.
Budgeting an ICC arbitration?
We review the arbitration clause, the amount in dispute and the procedural options with you, and build a full budget including counsel and expert costs. Reply within 24 working hours. Or write directly to guyader@guyader-avocat.fr.
What the estimate leaves out
- The arbitrators’ expenses: travel, hearing rooms, transcripts and other disbursements. ICC’s own calculator leaves them out too.
- VAT and other taxes that may apply to the administrative expenses and to the arbitrators’ fees (Appendix III, Article 6(13) and 6(14)).
- Your own counsel, expert and witness costs, which are outside the ICC scales and are usually the largest item of the budget.
- Emergency arbitrator proceedings: US$ 50,000 under the 2026 Schedule of Fees, made up of US$ 12,500 of administrative expenses and US$ 37,500 for the emergency arbitrator.
- Exceptional cases. The Court may fix the arbitrators’ fees above or below the scale where the circumstances call for it (Rules, Article 41(2)), and may adjust the administrative expenses where the parties agreed on additional services (Appendix III, Article 6(6)).
- Counterclaims. The Secretary General may fix separate advances for the claims and the counterclaims, each party then paying the advance for its own claims (Rules, Article 40(5)). The calculator prices one amount in dispute.
Reading the result
Average case. The headline figure adds the administrative expenses to the midpoint of the fee range. ICC uses the same average to fix the advance on costs. It is a planning figure, not a forecast: the Court sets the final fees at the end of the case, and the advance can be readjusted along the way.
Three arbitrators. The fees of one arbitrator are multiplied by three. The Court may increase the total fees of a three-member tribunal to an amount that normally does not exceed three times the fees of one arbitrator (Appendix III, Article 6(3)).
Expedited Procedure. It applies automatically when the amount in dispute does not exceed US$ 4,000,000 for arbitration agreements concluded on or after 1 June 2026, US$ 3,000,000 for agreements concluded between 1 January 2021 and 31 May 2026, and US$ 2,000,000 for agreements concluded between 1 March 2017 and 31 December 2020 (Appendix V, Article 1(3)). It does not apply to agreements concluded before 1 March 2017, where the parties opted out, or where the Court finds it inappropriate (Appendix V, Article 1(4)). The parties may also agree to it. Highly Expedited Arbitration requires the agreement of all parties and a sole arbitrator, and uses the same reduced fee scale (Appendices V and VI; Schedule of Fees, Part II, Article 6).
Which scales. The 2026 scales apply to arbitrations commenced on or after 1 June 2026, whatever version of the Rules governs the case (Schedule of Fees, Part II, Article 1). Requests received between 1 January 2017 and 31 May 2026 remain under the 2017 scales. The arbitrators’ fee scales did not change in 2026; the administrative expenses did.
Scope. Cases administered in US dollars. Cases administered in Brazilian reais follow separate scales. If the amount in dispute is not quantified, the Secretary General fixes the advance at their discretion (Appendix III, Article 4(1)).
Frequently asked questions
How much does an ICC arbitration cost?
For a US$ 1 million dispute before a sole arbitrator, under the 2026 scales, the ICC administrative expenses are US$ 22,419 and the arbitrator’s fees range from US$ 14,627 to US$ 64,130. The average total is US$ 61,798. For US$ 10 million and three arbitrators, the average total reaches US$ 395,367. Counsel and expert costs come on top and usually exceed the institutional costs.
Who pays the advance on costs?
The claimant and the respondent each pay 50% of the advance (Rules, Article 40(3)). The US$ 5,000 filing fee, paid with the Request for Arbitration, is credited to the claimant’s share. If one party does not pay, the other may be invited to pay its share in order to keep the arbitration going.
When does the ICC Expedited Procedure apply?
Automatically, unless the parties opted out, when the amount in dispute does not exceed US$ 4 million for arbitration agreements concluded on or after 1 June 2026 (US$ 3 million for agreements from 1 January 2021 to 31 May 2026, US$ 2 million for agreements from 1 March 2017 to 31 December 2020). It never applies automatically to agreements concluded before 1 March 2017.
Is the ICC filing fee refundable?
No. The US$ 5,000 filing fee is non-refundable. It is credited to the claimant’s share of the advance on costs.
Does the estimate include the arbitrators’ expenses and VAT?
No. Like ICC’s own calculator, it covers the administrative expenses and the arbitrators’ fees only. Expenses, taxes and the parties’ own legal costs must be added.
Which scales apply to a case filed before 1 June 2026?
The 2017 scales, which apply to requests received from 1 January 2017 to 31 May 2026. Select “Before 1 June 2026” in the calculator to use them.
How reliable is this calculator?
On 15 October 2026, it was checked against ICC’s online cost calculator on 316 combinations of amount, scale, procedure and tribunal size, including amounts at and just above each tranche limit. Every figure matched to the dollar. The ICC Court still fixes the actual costs of each case.
Sources: ICC Arbitration Rules 2026, Article 40, Appendices III, V and VI, and Schedule of Fees, Part II (cases administered in US$), iccwbo.org; ICC online cost calculator. Independent estimate by Guyader Avocat, not an ICC tool. General information, not legal advice for a specific case. For the full analysis, read what an ICC arbitration costs in 2026.
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