After filing a UK patent application there is a 12-month priority period within which foreign patent applications may be filed. These foreign patent applications may then take the priority of the initial UK filing date. This means that they will be considered as having been filed on the same date as the UK application.
The priority period enables the spreading of costs and also allows you to assess the commercial viability of your product before deciding where you wish to seek protection. Build these strategic decisions into your planning and budgeting from the beginning.