Nature Communications Article Processing Charges 2026: Complete Cost Guide

Decision cue: If you need a yes/no submission call today, compare your draft with 3 recent accepted papers from this journal and only submit when scope, methods depth, and claim strength line up.

Related: How to choose a journal • How to avoid desk rejection • Pre-submission checklist

Nature Communications article processing charges are €5,390 (roughly €5,390 USD) as of 2026. That's for full open access. Here's what that buys you, who qualifies for waivers, and whether it's worth paying.

The Numbers

Standard APC: €5,390 / €5,390 / £4,690

This covers:

• Open access publication (CC BY license)
• Unlimited article length
• Unlimited figures and tables
• Color figures (no extra charge)
• Supplementary materials
• Data archiving support
• Professional copyediting
• Press release assistance (for high-impact papers)

Payment due: After acceptance, before publication. You'll get an invoice within 48 hours of accepting the offer.

Currency Variations

Nature bills in three currencies. Pick the one that matches your funding source:

• Euro (€5,390): Best for EU grants
• USD ($5,890): Best for NIH, NSF, other US funding
• GBP (£4,690): Best for UK grants (UKRI, Wellcome, etc.)

Exchange rates can shift these numbers by 5-10%, so check your grant's currency restrictions before choosing.

Who Pays?

Typically:

• Your PI's grant (most common)
• Institutional open access funds
• Your university library
• Funding agency supplements (NIH, NSF allow this)

Less common but possible:

• Your own research budget
• Charity grants (Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust)
• Industry sponsors (if co-funding your research)

If you don't have any of these, you probably can't afford Nature Communications. More on alternatives below.

Waivers and Discounts

Full Waivers (100%)

You automatically qualify if you're corresponding author and based in:

• Low-income countries (per World Bank classification)
• Research 4 Life Group A countries

Eligible countries (partial list):

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Full list here

Partial Waivers (50-75%)

Some lower-middle-income countries get 50% discounts:

• India
• Kenya
• Myanmar
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Vietnam

These aren't automatic. You need to request during acceptance.

Institutional Agreements

If your institution has a deal with Springer Nature, you might get:

• 100% APC covered
• Discounted rates (10-20% off)
• Streamlined payment (billed directly to library)

Check your eligibility: Search your institution here

Major institutions with agreements:

• MIT, Harvard, Stanford (USA)
• Oxford, Cambridge, UCL (UK)
• Max Planck Society (Germany)
• CNRS (France)

What You're Paying For

1. Visibility

Nature Communications papers get:

• Average 1,800 downloads in first year
• Listed on nature.com (high prestige)
• Press coverage for high-impact papers (nature.com/press)

Compare to paywalled journals: 200-400 downloads in first year.

2. Production Quality

Springer Nature employs professional:

• Copyeditors (fix grammar, clarity)
• Typesetters (format figures, tables)
• Illustrators (redraw figures if needed)

Your final paper looks polished. This matters for career impact.

3. Speed

Open access papers at Nature Communications publish fast:

• 7-10 days from acceptance to online publication
• DOI assigned immediately
• Citable as soon as it's online

Paywalled journals often take 4-8 weeks for the same steps.

Is It Worth €5,390?

Yes, if:

• You have grant funding that covers it
• Your paper is strong enough to actually get accepted (8% acceptance rate)
• You're in a competitive field where Nature Communications carries weight
• Your institution values high-impact publications

No, if:

• You're paying out of pocket
• Your field doesn't care about journal prestige
• You could publish in a society journal for $1,500
• Your paper is borderline for Nature Communications (high risk of rejection after paying submission time)

Cheaper Alternatives

If you can't afford €5,390, consider these open access options:

Communications Biology is Nature's sister journal. Similar prestige, slightly lower APC, easier acceptance.

Payment Timeline

Here's what happens after acceptance:

Day 1-2: You receive acceptance letter + APC invoice

Day 3-7: You submit payment or claim waiver

Day 7-14: Production editing begins

Day 14-21: You review proofs

Day 21-28: Paper published online

If you delay payment, publication delays. Nature won't post your paper until the invoice clears.

How to Request a Waiver

If you're in a waiver-eligible country:

1. Accept the publication offer (email from editor)
2. Reply requesting APC waiver
3. Provide: Your country, institution, funding status
4. Wait 2-3 days for confirmation

They almost always approve if you're in an eligible country. Don't skip this step.

Common Questions

Can I negotiate the APC?

No. €5,390 is fixed unless you qualify for a waiver. Springer Nature doesn't negotiate individual rates.

What if my grant doesn't cover the full amount?

You can split payment:

• Grant pays €3,000
• Institutional fund pays €2,390

Work this out with your finance office before acceptance.

Does the APC include reprints?

No. Reprints cost extra ($500-$1,500 for 100 copies). But you don't need reprints anymore. Just share the open access link.

Can I pay in installments?

No. Full payment due within 30 days of invoice.

What happens if I can't pay?

Your paper won't publish. You'd need to withdraw and submit elsewhere. Don't accept the offer if you can't pay.

How This Compares to Competitors

Cell Press (Cell Reports): $5,400 (similar)

EMBO Press (EMBO Reports): €5,000 (slightly cheaper)

PLOS (PLOS Biology): $3,950 (significantly cheaper)

eLife: $3,000 (cheapest high-impact option)

Nature Communications isn't the most expensive, but it's not cheap either.

Before You Submit

Here's the financial reality check:

1. Check if you can afford it (grant budget, institutional funds)
2. Verify waiver eligibility (if applicable)
3. Consider rejection risk (8% acceptance rate = 92% chance of wasting time)
4. Compare alternatives (Scientific Reports is similar scope, 36% acceptance, cheaper APC)

If you can't afford rejection, don't submit to Nature Communications. Try PLOS ONE or Scientific Reports first.

Pre-Submission Strategy

If you're spending €5,390 to publish, you can't afford to fail desk rejection or early rejection. Here's how to improve your odds:

1. Read recent papers in your subfield from Nature Communications (last 6 months)
2. Match their impact level - Are your findings comparable?
3. Get feedback before submission - Do experts think it's Nature Communications quality?
4. Polish your figures - They need to be publication-ready at submission

For an in-depth look at Nature Communications' impact factor trends and how it compares to similar journals, see the Nature Communications impact factor guide.

For a head-to-head comparison of Nature Communications and PNAS, see Nature Communications vs PNAS.

Institutional APC Coverage: What to Check Before You Submit

Before targeting Nature Communications, check whether your institution has a Springer Nature major Agreement. These agreements , negotiated between publishers and research institutions , cover APC costs for corresponding authors affiliated with the institution. Many major universities in the US, EU, and UK have these agreements.

To check:

1. Visit springernature.com/gp/open-research/institutional-agreements
2. Search for your institution
3. If covered, your APC is fully or substantially paid at no direct cost to you

If your institution isn't covered, Science Advances (AAAS) offers comparable open-access publishing with no APC at all. The IF difference (15.9 vs. 12.5) may or may not justify a €5,390 out-of-pocket cost depending on your career stage and institutional reimbursement policies.

APC Waivers at Nature Communications

Nature Communications offers APC waivers for authors who genuinely lack institutional or grant funding to cover the cost. The waiver process requires a formal application before submission, not after acceptance. Don't submit first and hope to negotiate a waiver after the fact , the process doesn't work that way.

Waivers are granted based on demonstrated financial need, not scientific merit. Authors in low-income countries, researchers without active grant support, and early-career researchers at institutions without APC coverage are the most likely to qualify. The application form is available on the NC author guidelines page.

The Bottom Line

The APC is a real cost and worth calculating before you target Nature Communications. Institutional coverage varies significantly, and the waiver process is available but not guaranteed. Don't let the APC question be something you figure out after acceptance , check it before you submit.

Sources

• Journal official submission guidelines
• Author experience data compiled from journal tracker communities (SciRev, Researcher.Life)
• Editorial policies published on journal homepage
• Pre-Submission Checklist , 25-point audit before you submit

See also

• Nature Communications submission guide
• Nature Communications vs Science Advances