This article updates our report of 13 September, “Saudi Arabia Sets Madrid Filing Rules Ahead of October Entry”.
On 1 September WIPO issued Information Notice No. 37/2026 publishing the declaration made by Saudi Arabia under Article 8(7)(a) of the Madrid Protocol: an individual fee of CHF 1,397 per class of goods or services applies where Saudi Arabia is designated in an international application or a subsequent designation, rising to CHF 1,719 per class for collective or certification marks; renewal costs CHF 1,397 per class, or CHF 1,612 per class where payment is made within the grace period. The declaration takes effect on 8 October 2026 and applies to international applications received by the Office of origin on or after that date, subsequent designations filed on or after that date, and renewals effected on or after that date. On the same day the Madrid Protocol enters into force for Saudi Arabia: applicants from other members may designate Saudi Arabia in new international applications or extend existing international registrations to it by subsequent designation, and Saudi applicants may file through the Madrid System for other members. Saudi Arabia has already declared an 18-month time limit for provisional refusals and does not accept requests for division based on international registrations.
Compared with a national filing: the official fees listed on the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property website are an application fee of SAR 1,000, a publication fee of SAR 500 and a registration and certificate fee of SAR 5,000, in total SAR 6,500 per application, while a Madrid designation is charged at CHF 1,397 per class. The official fees of the two routes are of a similar order; the real differences lie in local agent costs, examination timing, the cost of handling refusals and the way renewals are managed. J&C recommends that companies already holding Saudi national registrations need not rush to switch to Madrid and can compare the two routes at renewal; companies not yet in Saudi Arabia can add it after 8 October through a new international application or a subsequent designation, but should first trim their goods and services in view of the 18-month refusal period and the bar on division, and line up a local agent in advance to handle provisional refusals; multi-class filers should total CHF 1,397 per class against the national fees per application plus agent costs before choosing a route.
