APC waiver policy
OUP automatically waives article processing charges (APCs) in fully open access journals for eligible authors as part of our Developing countries waiver policy.
OUP also grants a small number of discretionary waivers on a case-by-case basis for authors publishing in fully open access journals who are unable to pay the APC, regardless of their country of residence.
Developing countries waiver policy
Authors are eligible for a full waiver of the APC (Article Processing Charge) if they are;
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the corresponding author of the article,
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publishing in a fully open access journal, and
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are based in one of the developing countries and regions listed below, that are part of our Developing Countries Initiative.
An author’s eligibility will not affect peer review or editorial decision-making. APC waivers are managed by Oxford University Press (OUP) staff and journal editors or peer reviewers are not informed about APC waiver eligibility or receipt.
If you have any questions, please contact our open access team.
How to request an APC Waiver
Authors eligible under the developing countries initiative waiver policy do not need to request a waiver. The waiver will be automatically applied, based on your address. If you do not qualify for a developing country waiver please refer to guidance on discretionary waivers. OUP grants a small number on a case-by-case basis for authors publishing in fully open access journals who are unable to pay the APC, regardless of their country of residence.
Eligible developing countries and regions
OUP determines country eligibility for the Developing Countries Initiative on an annual basis. The eligible countries are determined by carefully reviewing;
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The latest World Bank GNI ratings
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The Human Development Index
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Research4Life listings https://www.research4life.org/access/criteria/
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Government/customer affordability metrics
Corresponding authors based in the following countries are eligible for a full waiver of all fees associated with publishing in our fully open access journals. Please note that this list is updated annually.
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Afghanistan
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Albania
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Angola
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Armenia
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Belize
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Benin
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Bhutan
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Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Burkina Faso
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Burundi
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Cambodia
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Cameroon
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Cabo Verde
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Central African Republic
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Chad
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Comoros
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Congo
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
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Cook Islands
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Cote D'Ivoire
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Djibouti
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Dominica
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Dominican Republic
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Ecuador
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El Salvador
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Equatorial Guinea
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Eritrea
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Ethiopia
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Fiji
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Gabon
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Gambia
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Georgia
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Ghana
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Grenada
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Guatemala
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Guinea
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Guinea-Bissau
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Guyana
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Haiti
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Honduras
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Iraq
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Jamaica
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Kenya
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Kiribati
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Kosovo
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Kyrgyzstan
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Lao People’s Democratic Republic
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Lesotho
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Liberia
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Madagascar
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Malawi
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Maldives
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Mali
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Marshall Islands
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Mauritania
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Mauritius
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Moldova, Republic of
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Mongolia
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Montenegro
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Morocco
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Mozambique
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Myanmar
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Namibia
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Nauru
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Nepal
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Nicaragua
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Niger
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Nigeria
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Niue
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North Macedonia, The Republic of
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Palau
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Papua New Guinea
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Paraguay
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Peru
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Rwanda
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Saint Lucia
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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Samoa
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Sao Tome and Principe
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Senegal
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Seychelles
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Sierra Leone
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Solomon Islands
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Somalia
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South Sudan
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St Helena
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Sudan
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Suriname
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Syrian Arab Republic
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Tajikistan
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Tanzania, United Republic of
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Timor-Leste
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Togo
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Tokelau
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Tonga
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Turkmenistan
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Tuvalu
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Uganda
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Uzbekistan
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Vanuatu
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West Bank/Gaza
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Yemen
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Zambia
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Zimbabwe
Discretionary Waivers
If you are not eligible for our Developing Countries Initiative but are unable to pay the APC for your article, OUP also grants a small number of discretionary waivers on a case-by-case basis. These are only available for authors publishing in our fully open access journals.
A number of our Read and Publish agreements will cover the costs of publishing in a fully open access journal. Please check our webpage to see if your institution is participating before applying for a discretionary partial or full waiver.
If you would like OUP to consider a discretionary partial or full waiver, please complete this form, and send it to our Author Support Team.
If you are publishing in EHJ case reports, please contact the Author Support Team before completing the application form.
To allow us to evaluate the application, it would be helpful to include:
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Evidence of inability to pay the APC, such as a statement or letter from your funder, institution or organization indicating that they are unable to cover the cost of the APC.
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Supporting documentation; a letter of support from a supervisor or head of department.
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A supporting statement from your co-authors
Please note that these requests must be made at the time that you submit your article and any waiver requests after acceptance will not be considered.
If you have applied for a waiver and your request is granted, you will be notified of this by the publisher or the journal's editorial team. Once your manuscript is accepted for publication, the waiver will be applied and the APC will be waived.
Please note that an APC waiver does not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript, it only waives the fee when and if the paper is accepted. An author’s eligibility will not affect peer review or editorial decision-making. APC waivers are managed by Oxford University Press (OUP) staff and journal editors or peer reviewers are not informed about APC waiver eligibility or receipt.
Invited submission waivers
If you have been invited to submit a manuscript to a journal, the journal's editorial team may have offered you a full or partial waiver of the Article Processing Charge (APC). If this is the case, it is important to include this information when you submit your manuscript. Please include details of the type of waiver offer, and the name of the editorial member who confirmed it in your submitting cover letter when you submit your manuscript. This will ensure that the waiver offer is applied correctly and that your manuscript is processed efficiently.
